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The conflict for breakfast: Bowled implicit for cereal
Breakfast cereal is often appealing for being easy, kid affable — and sweet. But a caller survey recovered that children's meal cereals person been getting sweeter, fattier and little nutritious.
In a survey published Wednesday successful JAMA Network Open, researchers from the University of Kentucky and Louisiana State University accidental they analyzed the nutritional worth of cereals betwixt 2010 and 2023 — specifically those marketed toward children aged 5 to 12.
In those 13 years, 1,200 cereals were launched, which includes caller products, caller formulations and caller packaging. The researchers recovered that during that time, the full abdominous per serving accrued 33.6% connected mean successful the cereal brands.
Sodium contented accrued 32.1% — from 156.0 mg to 206.1 mg. The recommended regular serving of sodium for kids aged 5 to 8 is little than 1,500 mg and for kids aged 9 to 13, it is little than 1,800 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Total carbohydrates remained comparatively unchangeable — with the mean of 27.32 g successful 2010 and 28.45 g successful 2023. Sugar contented accrued by 10.9%.
Protein and dietary fibre — 2 indispensable nutrients — decreased. While macromolecule fluctuated betwixt 2010 and 2020, with an mean 1.97 g per serving, it decreased successful 2023 to 1.69 g per serving. And dietary fibre was besides dependable until it showed a alteration from 2021 to 2023: 3.82 g to 2.84 g per serving.
In a connection to CBS News, Shuoli Zhao, an adjunct prof successful the Department of Agricultural Economics astatine University of Kentucky and co-author of the study, told CBS News meal is simply a captious repast for kids and impacts their vigor and attraction for their learning passim the day.
"If a communal meal prime similar cereal is trending towards little nutritional prime successful its newest iterations, arsenic our survey suggests, it perchance makes it harder for parents to guarantee their children are getting a steadfast commencement to the day," Zhao said. "I besides consciousness these findings lend to the broader treatment astir the wide 'food environment' that children are exposed to, arsenic often times, moving families whitethorn person constricted 'bandwidth' and clip connected market shopping, which leads to unintended suboptimal decisions successful nutrient choices."
Zhao said what is disposable astatine the supermarket shelves is important, and helium hopes the probe sparks a speech connected however nutrient manufacture stakeholders tin make healthier options for kids.
Zhao declined to stock which brands were studied and which showed the biggest alteration successful nutritional value. The survey utilized information from a database connected nutrient and beverage launches managed by Mintel, a marketplace quality and probe agency.
A 2014 survey recovered that immoderate cereals tin beryllium a portion of a nutritious diet. Those that are full atom oregon precocious successful fibre tin beryllium important sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, according to the study published by the National Institutes of Health.
However, portion these cereals could adjacent beryllium the astir important sources of full grains successful one's diet, they could besides incorporate salt, sweetener and saturated fat, raising uncertainty astir their nutritional benefits, the researchers say.
A 2023 study published by NIH recovered that those who ate cereal for meal had a amended nutritional intake and fare quality. The researchers accidental 28% of children and 12% of adults are ready-to-eat meal consumers.
Kids who devour cereal for meal person higher intakes of respective nutrients including carbohydrates, dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, B vitamins, vitamins A and D, and full grains, according to the study.
They besides said determination was nary quality betwixt kids who devour cereal for meal and those who devour different foods for meal erstwhile it comes to added sugar, saturated abdominous oregon sodium intake.
Zhao told CBS News via email the researchers would similar to behaviour a akin survey looking astatine the nutrition of cereals marketed toward adults. "It is simply a probe taxable successful need," helium said, citing a 2014 study by the Environmental Working Group that recovered that children's cereals contained, connected average, 40% much sweetener than those marketed to adults.
Caitlin O'Kane is simply a New York City writer who works connected the CBS News societal media squad arsenic a elder manager of contented and production. She writes astir a assortment of topics and produces "The Uplift," CBS News' streaming amusement that focuses connected bully news.
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