General Mills announced yesterday that they are limiting the sugar in their breakfast cereals, and are going with whole wheat to make them healthier for children. This is huge. If they are really changing a product that is doing well on their market as is, that is a big breakthrough for corporate responsibility. Maybe it is like Oprah's big giveaway of 276 vehicles, that were actually donated by Pontiac. Did that seem like a rip off to anyone else but me? She gets the credit, they take the hit. I read that the recipients have to pay taxes, of course, up to $7000. That sort of takes the blush off the rose of that deal. Some how, some way, I bet this whole wheat campaign for General Mills is not just about the public good--this is going to be good for General Mills I'll wager. Even so, what's the downside? If it is better for our health, let them bring it on.
I am on a no added sugar/little to no flour diet. That means, if the ingredients listed have sugar in them, I can't have it. Until now, breakfast cereal without sugar isn't found outside the health food section of the grocery store. Puffed brown rice won't get you jumping out of bed in the morning with glee, but...it is okay. My gauge is if it tastes like birdseed it is probably good for you. I went to a health food restaurant for brunch in Belfast, Maine, and when the waitress asked me what kind of bread I wanted, I said, "whatever tastes most like birdseed." She looked at me like I was crazy and made a face. I guess that was not as funny as I thought. I ordered the 7 grain, close enough.
Oatmeal is suppose to lower cholesterol, and since I would do anything rather than take another pill, I think that is the breakfast food of choice. Hold the brown sugar. Raisins are good because they are natural sugar. Figs, dried fruits, are high in calories, but...no added sugar. Actually, whole grains make you feel like you've eaten something. Therefore, not only are better for you, but you aren't as hungry afterwards either. Krispy Kreme donuts don't have that quality. One doesn't seem like very much at all. They are unforgetttably sweet however. Quite yummy. Bad yummy. Just say no to yummy.
No sugar/no refined flour or white rice means that food shopping is a real challenge. If I had to go to the grocery store hungry I would break into tears I'm sure. I basically have to stick to the outer perimeters of the grocery store. First, I spend a lot of time in fruits and vegetables, then on to non-fat plain yogurt (hard to find in small containers), then on to lean meats and fish, fly past the breads and baked goodies as fast as my little cart will go, and on to the checkout counter. Missing about 95% of the store's offerings means a successful shopping experience for me.
Now, thanks to General Mills, maybe I can venture down the cereal aisle and read their ingredients lists. No sugar coated Frosted Flakes, Trix and Cocoa Puffs? What will we do?
The good news is that I have lost weight -- and I am losing more -- and my clothes fit and I feel better and I'm hoping my cholesterol will go down. I test that next week. Eating the right amount of the right stuff to lose weight isn't easy. So, coffee black please, hold the sugar, hold the cream. Maybe someday I will get used to this. After all, birds like birdseed just fine!
