Let’s talk about our processed & unhealthy breakfast cereal.
What’s in our cereal matters. How the cereal is made also matters! From the extreme high pressure generating process called extrusion that puffs grains while denaturing their protein structure, to harmful preservatives like Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT), and processed unwholesome additives like modified starches, as well as synthetic petroleum based colors like Red 40, Yellow 5 & 6 & caramel color - there are a ton of harmful and toxic ingredients in cereals we need to avoid.
These ingredients have very real effects on our bodies - from inflammation, obesity, an unhealthy gut and allergies to name a few. We need to go beyond labeling such as gluten free or vegan to ensure our breakfast is actually wholesome & nutritious! Below I cover some of the worst cereal brands in detail, including their manufacturing process and the ingredients of concern.
Please Note:
Here is the complete guide to the 7 unhealthy additives commonly found across all breakfast cereals + a complete list of the worst cereals to avoid. And:
Here is my article on the 3 wholesome and alive breakfast alternatives to the processed cereal
The high pressure toxins creating extrusion process used by Cheerios contradicts all the touted health benefits and the ‘natural’ & ‘real’ labeling theme. Presence of the cancer causing carcinogen glyphosate and inflammation causing modified corn starch only makes things worse.