- With Mayo Clinic nutritionists
Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
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Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Katherine Zeratsky and Jennifer Nelson
Jennifer K. Nelson, M.S., R.D., L.D., C.N.S.D.
Jennifer Nelson is your link to a better diet. As specialty editor of the Food & Nutrition Center, she plays a vital role in bringing you healthy recipes and meal planning."Nutrition is one way people have direct control over the quality of their lives," she says. "I hope to translate the science of nutrition into ways that people can select and prepare great-tasting foods that help maintain health and treat disease."
A St. Paul, Minn., native, she is certified by the National Board of Nutrition Support Certification, has been with Mayo Clinic since 1978, and is director of clinical dietetics and an associate professor of nutrition at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine.
She leads clinical nutrition efforts for a staff of more than 50 clinical dietitians and nine dietetic technicians and oversees staffing, strategic and financial planning, and quality improvement. Nelson was co-editor of the James Beard Foundation Award-winning "The New Mayo Clinic Cookbook." She has been a contributing author to and reviewer of many Mayo Clinic books, including "Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight for EveryBody," "The Mayo Clinic Family Health Book" and "The Mayo Clinic/Williams Sonoma Cookbook." She contributes to the strategic direction of the Food & Nutrition Center, which includes creating recipes and menus, reviewing nutrition content of various articles, and answering nutrition questions posed to Ask a Specialist.
Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D.
As a specialty editor for the Food & Nutrition Center, Katherine Zeratsky helps you sort through the facts and figures, the fads and the hype to learn more about nutrition and diet.A Marinette, Wis., native, she is certified in dietetics by the state of Minnesota and the American Dietetic Association. She has been with Mayo Clinic since 1999.
She is active in nutrition-related curriculum and course development in pediatrics at Mayo Clinic Rochester and nutrition education related to the physiology and recommended intakes for premature infants.
Other areas of interest include breast milk and formula safety, neonatal feeding, and nutrition for breast-feeding mothers.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, served a dietetic internship at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and worked as a registered dietitian and health risk counselor at ThedaCare of Appleton, Wis., before joining the Mayo Clinic staff.
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Nutrition-wise blog
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Oct. 10, 2008
Watch the sugar content in cereals
By Jennifer Nelson, M.S., R.D. and Katherine Zeratsky, R.D.
Beginning the day with your favorite breakfast cereal just got a jolt.
"Consumer Reports" has published a report rating breakfast cereals that should have all of us retooling our morning routine. The key message is the overwhelming amount of sugar in some breakfast cereals. Here's a comparison of the sugar content of some breakfast items (cola is included for the sake of comparison only):
| Food | Sugar | Fiber |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon granulated sugar | 13 g | 0 g |
| 12 ounce cola | 33 g | 0 g |
| 1 cup of 1% milk | 13 g | 0 g |
| 6 ounce low-fat fruit yogurt | 32 g | 0 g |
| 1.5 ounce donut | 8 g | 0 g |
| 1 medium apple | 19 g | 4.5 g |
| 1 medium banana | 14.5 g | 3 g |
| 1 slice multi (whole) grain bread | 2 g | 2 g |
| 1 cup Cheerios | 1 g | 2 g |
| 1 cup Fruit Loops | 13.5 g | 1 g |
| 1 cup Corn Chex | 3 g | 1 g |
| 1 cup Kashi GoLean | 6 g | 10 g |
| 1 cup Raisin Bran | 16 g | 7 g |
| 1 cup Fruity Pebbles | 15 g | 0 g |
| 1 cup Rice Krispies | 3 g | 0 g |
| 1 cup Puffed Wheat | 1 g | 1 g |
| 1 pack Cinnamon Spice Oatmeal | 15.5 g | 3 g |
Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, 2007
You can see by the numbers that "healthy" is not merely defined by sugar content. Consider what else the food has to offer — fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals. Overall, we call this the nutrient density of the food — what gives you the most nutritional bang for your bite. Cereal with higher sugar content dilutes the nutrient density.
My advice: Give whole grain type cereals a try; add fruit for sweetness and milk or yogurt for protein. If you can't get your kids or your husband to ditch the sugary cereals, decrease the frequency of eating them or mix it with other more nutrient dense cereals. Most importantly, there is a lot to be said for eating breakfast, kids and adults alike. Don't skip it.
P.S. Another interesting tidbit I learned about some of these cereals vs. those in other countries — the U.S. cereals are generally produced to be less nutrient dense.
3 comments posted
October 15, 2008 9:15 a.m.
The information on sugar and fiber are useful but a third column listing sodium should be added. Sodium also has negative health effects leading to high blood pressure & heart attacks and is ubiqitous in processed food. Next time, please include it along with sugar so the chart becomes more complete and useful.
- Drew Horn
October 14, 2008 4:29 p.m.
I think you missed a point here. The usual content of sugar and other things in cereals is per 3/4 cup, not for the whole pack. One of the very best cereals is not on the list: NaturesPath Organic Cereals. Every single ingredient is organic. One of their most popular cereals(and mine too) is FlaxPlus. Content of sugar is 4 gram.
- zal
October 14, 2008 1:34 p.m.
Best cereal I've found is US Mills Uncle Sam cereal - toasted whole-wheat flakes and flaxseed - great with berries. 100% whole grain, per 3/4 cup serving:less than 1g sugars, 7g protein, 10 g fiber, 0.5 gm sat fat, 5g total fat, no cholesterol or trans fat, 190 cals, sodium 135 mg, potassium 250 mg, and lots of vitamins and minerals. 100% natural food!
- Jo
3 comments posted