We all want to live healthy lives. With the continual rise in obesity and its associated health risks including heart disease and diabetes, we are reminded constantly to not only exercise regularly but to also partake in a healthy diet. Five fruit and two veg a day; three sources of low-fat dairy a day; lean meats; plenty of oily fish; carbohydrates with a low glycaemic index; unsaturated fats but not saturated fats; low sodium; low sugar; high fibre; low calorie. To assist us, food packaging now requires nutrition labels - however sometimes you need a degree in nutritional science and a PhD in biochemistry to work out what they actually mean.
As part of a new intiative, Ed Space will present a series of food reviews to ensure that you fully understand what you are putting in your mouth. As a trusted* health professional*, I believe I have the necessary expertise* to undergo such a task and thus will provide you with information that is accurate* and not* just my mere opinion.
The food items reviewed will be common, everyday products available from your local supermarket (ie. ASDA). We shall begin this review with...
BREAKFAST
ASDA Swiss Style Muesli
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But does it have to be the worst tasting? According to ASDA Swiss Style Muesli, it does! With the taste and texture of cardboard, this product has not much going for it but it's health factor. It has "no added sugar or salt" and is "high in fibre". It is also "suitable for vegetarians" (Damn, I always like a bit of meat in my cereal!).
Looking at the ingredients, we find the usual things: toasted whole malted wheat flakes, rolled oats, raisins, sultanas, vegetarian whey powder and nibbed hazelnuts ("nibbed" must be British for hardly any). And there weren't enough raisins or sultanas to rescue this bland disaster in a box.
A glance at the nutritional panel however shows us this is a pretty healthy cereal. There are only 228kcal per 50g serving (with 100ml skimmed milk) and 4.7 g fat (1.6g saturates). It is high in fibre (4.1g) and low in salt (sodium 0.1g). A serve provides 37.8g carbohydrates and should keep you full until teatime.
Verdict:
So what's the final verdict? Does healthy have to equal poor taste? This product says yes!
Alternative:
A good diet requires variety. Ed Space suggests the Kellogs Variety Fun Pack of cereal which consists of 6 (or 5) different small boxes of cereal, ranging from Coco Pops to Sultana Bran. Although not the most healthy of cereals, it tastes better. And for the most important meal of the day, isn't that the most important thing?
*the terms "trusted", "professional", "expertise" and "not" may vary in definition to those provided in a standard dictionary. Readers should avoid taking these words in their literal sense.
3 comments:
You know what I feel like? Chocolate poptarts... but i've been looking everywhere for them and i think that they have been taken off the shelves... sigh... so sad. =(
Hey ed... you know what, considering that there are all those stupid e-mails circulating on the web about miracle cures (e.g. acidic food is bad for your body... alkaline food should be favored... WHAT THE? FINE, DIE OF SCURVY!) I think people may as well listen to your advice... it's just as good (and tonnes more logical) than most of the stuff out there these days.
P.s. my aunty just came back from europe and she bough these truffles (OMG I just realised how much these things look like poo) for 2 pound each or something... why is it so cheap?? whats the deal?? I'm not sure where she got it though... hmmmm.
Uh Eddie....
Do you realise that your best friend is a loaf of bread?
I think you may need to get out more.... =p
Hey Trace!
Lol. mmm...poptarts. they still have them over here i think. Tho...i just remember them being sickly sweet!
Oooh...truffles. i haven't seen them over here...not that i've really been looking for them. Truffles, caviar, foie gras....not really in my shopping basket nowadays! lol.
And yeh..i realise my best friend is a loaf of bread! lol. i like baked goods.
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