Liquid Breakfast Drinks in the Spotlight

If you've been down the cereal aisle recently, you'll have noticed that the range of on-the-go breakfast drinks is growing. We know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But is convenience taking priority over nutrition, particularly in our children?

 

A recent review by Choice reviewed 23 on-the-go products. All of the drinks reviewed included added sugars. 10 of the drinks had more than 23g of sugar per serve, which is more than 5 teaspoons of sugar. Breakfast is often where we obtain a lot of the fibre in our diet. Breakfast cereals are generally high in fibre, some providing more than 1/3 of our daily fibre requirements in one serve, but the liquid drinks just don't quite meet the mark.

 

Of all of the drinks reviewed, my pick nutritionally would be Sanitarium Up & Go Vive, which has just 12g sugar per serve. For the best start to the day; try and make time for a nutritious breakfast (for both you and the kids), and leave these convenience drinks for emergencies. Some quick, healthy breakfast ideas include;

• 1/3 cup untoasted muesli with Black Swan low fat greek style yoghurt or 0% fat Chobani greek yoghurt and a banana
• 2 slices wholegrain bread with Kraft No Added Salt or Sugar Peanut Butter
• Smoothie with frozen berries, skim milk, natural yoghurt and honey
• Goodness Superfoods Quick cooked oat sachets with sliced banana

For the full review visit the Choice website at;

http://www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/food-and-health/food-and-drink/groceries/liquid-breakfasts.aspx

                        

What's making news in nutrition?

Vegetarians Live Longer than Meat-Eaters

 

 

A new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine suggests vegetarian diets are linked to reduced death rates, with more favourable results for males than females. The study involved 70,000 people and assessed diet using a questionnaire dividing participants into categories, either non-vegetarian, pesco-vegetarian (includes seafood), lacto-ovo vegetarian (includes dairy/ egg) and vegan.

 

Apps for mindful eating help weight loss

Common distractions while eating, such as TV or computers, can increase your food intake, not only at that one meal, but at subsequent meals too. One reason for this is that distractions disrupt the 'reward' function in the brain, preventing the memory of eating that meal, increasing the likelihood that you'll seek 'reward' foods later.

 

Mindfulness is the Buddhist practice of being aware. Mindful eating is consuming your meals whilst being wholly conscious of doing so. This means noticing textures, flavours and listening to your hunger signals. A recent review found paying attention to what was eaten, helped reduce energy intake in participants, with them losing an average of 1.5kg over 4 weeks.

 

One mindful eating app available is "Eat, Drink and Be Mindful".

 

Another great way to practice mindful eating is to log a food diary. Read my previous blog on keeping a food diary for weight management at http://healthybodsnutrition.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/whats-making-news-in-nutrition.html

 

Suffer from daytime sleepiness?

A study showed that higher fat consumption was associated with increased daytime sleepiness, while higher carbohydrate intake was associated with increased alertness. There was no relationship between protein consumption and sleepiness.

 

My take on this study? Eat balanced! Consume meals with low GI carbohydrates for sustained energy (and alertness!), include a protein food for satiety and a healthy fat in moderation.