Are Cheerios As Healthy As You Think?

“Are Cheerios Really a Healthy Choice?”

Cheerios are an iconic breakfast cereal eaten by millions of american ’ south every sidereal day, owned by stem GMO fancier General Mills. These millions of Americans have been told by General Mills that Cheerios are a healthy breakfast and bite detail that brings the benefits of wholesome oats, low sugar, and essential vitamins and minerals into their diets .
While GMO Inside recognizes that whole grains like oats, easing of sugar, and balanced consumption of vitamins and minerals are surely part of a healthy corrode plan, a thick search at Cheerios uncovers that their claimed benefits are besides accompanied by a high hazard of GMOs, amazingly controversial ingredients, and a less than stellar overall nutritional profile .
Taking a careful look at Cheerios, GMO Inside would like to help consumers answer the question ; Are Cheerios really a healthy choice?
Let us start by breaking down the ingredients for the stallion Cheerios line. GMO Inside has bolded the likely GMO ingredients in each kind below.

Cheerios : whole grain Oats ( includes the oat bran ), Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Wheat Starch, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness .

Honey Nut Cheerios : unharmed grain Oats ( includes the oat bran ), Modified Corn Starch, Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Natural Almond Flavor, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness .

Multi Grain Cheerios : Whole Grain Corn, Whole Grain Wheat, Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Rice, Corn Starch, Brown Sugar Syrup, Corn Bran, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Color Added, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness .

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Apple Cinnamon Cheerios : unharmed Grain Oats, Sugar, Brown Sugar, Corn Meal, Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Apple Puree Concentrate, Salt, Cinnamon, Trisodium Phosphate, Sodium Citrate, Vanillin, Wheat Starch, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness .

Chocolate Cheerios : Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cocoa Processed with Alkali, Whole Grain Oats, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Salt, Color Added, Dried Corn Syrup, Corn Bran, Barley Malt Extract, Trisodium Phosphate, Vanillin. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness .

Dulche de Leche Cheerios : Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Whole Grain Oats, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Corn Syrup, Caramel Syrup ( caramelized sugar, urine ), Salt, Brown Sugar Syrup, Corn Bran, Trisodium Phosphate, Color Added, Natural Flavor, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness .

Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter : Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Peanut Butter ( peanuts, monoglycerides ), Whole Grain Oats, Whole Grain Sorghum, Whole Grain Barley, Whole Grain Rice, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Salt, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Peanut Oil, Color Added, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness .

Cinnamon Burst Cheerios : Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Corn Bran, Corn Meal, Soluble Corn Fiber, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Whole Grain Oats, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Cinnamon, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Color Added, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness .

Frosted Cheerios : whole grain Oats ( includes the oat bran ), Sugar, Corn Meal, Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Salt, Trisodium Phosphate, Color Added, Brown Sugar Syrup, Vanillin, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshnees.

Fruity Cheerios : Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Whole Grain Oats, Corn Syrup, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Pear Puree Concentrate, Salt, Corn Starch, Dried Corn Syrup, Corn Bran, Trisodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Color ( loss 40, yellow 6, blue 1, and early color added ), Sodium Citrate, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) BHT and Ascorbic Acid Added to Preserve Freshness .

Yogurt Burst Cheerios : whole granulate Oats ( includes the oat bran ), Sugar, Naturally Yogurt Flavored Coating ( sugar, fractionated handle kernel oil, dextrose, corn starch, dried strawberries, dried nonfat yogurt [ hotness treated after culturing ] ( cultured nonfat milk ), color added, soy lecithin, nonfat milk, natural flavor, maltodextrin ), Corn Meal, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Salt, Trisodium Phosphate, Brown Sugar Syrup, Color Added, Wheat Flour, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness .

Banana Nut Cheerios : Whole Grain Corn, Sugar, Whole Grain Oats, Brown Sugar Syrup, Corn Syrup, Canola and/or Rice Bran Oil, Salt, Dried Corn Syrup, Banana Puree, Corn Bran, Corn Starch, Trisodium Phosphate, Color Added, Sodium Citrate, Natural Flavor, Natural Almond Flavor, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) and BHT Added to Preserve Freshness .

once again, all of the Bolded ingredients above are likely GMOs .

Analysis

presently on the Cheerios web site, General Mills claims their adieu varieties are a separate of a goodly diet because they are gloomy in impregnate fat, naturally cholesterol free, can help lower cholesterol, are made with whole grains like oats, and provide all-important vitamins and minerals .
Over the years public sensing has been shaped by these and similar claims so that Cheerios cereals have become widely considered to be a healthy choice that is first gear in boodle, unrefined, and made with natural ingredients .
But what is true, and what is fabrication ? Let ‘s break it down .

Are Cheerios Made with Wholesome Grains and Oats?

in the first place called “ Cheerioats ”, the Cheerios identify was selected so the cereal would be associated with the taste and wholesome entreaty of oats. One of the main nutriment angles that General Mills exploits is the use of natural oats in Cheerios, however, in seven out of the twelve Cheerios varieties presently sold in the U.S. market, oats are not even listed as the foremost ingredient ( remember, ingredients are listed in order of abundance by weight within a product ) .
All Cheerios cereal varieties are made with wholly grains and do have at least 8 grams per serve, but whole grains establish into flour, do not have the like health benefits as unrefined whole grains. On the Cheerios web site they say that their march is simply mixing, cook, shape, and toasting. While that sounds decent, the concluding intersection – uniform and indistinguishable O ’ s – bears little resemblance to whole oats or any other whole grains. Cheerios are indeed made with wholly grains, but “ processed whole grains ” would be a more appropriate list .

Are Cheerios Low in Sugar?

In terms of Sugar – only unconstipated Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios, and Dulche De Leche Cheerios have less than 9 grams of carbohydrate per serving. The nine early Cheerios varieties have a sugar content that is much excessively high to be considered low or healthy when compared to other accessible breakfast cereal options. The american english Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 grams of add carbohydrate per sidereal day, and no more than 38 grams for men. The average sum of sugar per serving ( 1 or ¾ Cups depending on diverseness ) across all varieties of Cheerios is 7.92 grams per cup or quarter cup .
According to the nutritional data on the Cheerios web site, the serve sizes are not reproducible across the wholly Cheerios line. The serving size is 1 cup for both regular Cheerios, which has 1 gram of sugar serve, and for Multi Grain Cheerios, which has 6 grams of boodle per serve .
conversely, the more sugary varieties of Cheerios : Honey Nut Cheerios, Apple Cinnamon Cheerios, Banana Nut Cheerios, Chocolate Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter, Fruity Cheerios, and Yogurt Burst Cheerios – have a smaller serving size of ¾ Cup. This is not something that Cheerios advertises a broadly as the other aspects of its cereals, credibly because it would draw attention to the fact that even though you are supposed to be eating less of these Cheerios varieties, you are still getting more sugar. Since this is not as wide publicized, then there are about surely consumers who are unaware of these unlike serve sizes and are starting their days off with an even higher amount of unexpected carbohydrate .

Do Cheerios Reduce the Risk of Heart Disease and High Cholesterol?

Cheerios are ill-famed for their heart healthy claims and for being low in impregnate fat and cholesterol. The brand in the past pushed these claims thus heavily that in 2009 the FDA had to send a letter asking General Mills to alter Cheerios market strategies because of “ unauthorized health claims ” and because said claims would mean that Cheerios would fall under the label of an “ unapproved new drug ”. Cheerios has since reworked their market and health claims into the message that Cheerios CAN be a separate of a healthy diet that COULD reduce the risks of heart disease .
It is crucial to note that part of what allows Cheerios to claim that it can be function of a diet that could reduce the hazard of heart disease is the cereals ’ character and whole grain content. We already covered the whole ingrain aspects of Cheerios, and when looking at character it appears that ONLY Regular Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, and Yogurt Burst Cheerios hold soluble fiber, with Cheerios having just 1 gram per serving, Honey Nut Cheerios having 0.75 gram per suffice, and Yogurt Burst Cheerios with “ less than 1 gram of soluble fiber ” .
Concerning insoluble character, listed on the boxes as dietary character – alone Regular Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios, Multi-Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter, and Cinnamon Burst have over 2 grams of Dietary Fiber. The remaining 8 out of the 12 varieties are entirely at an inadequate 2 grams per serve .
The buttocks line for this is that if you are eating grain for breakfast and we were only paying attention to fiber numbers, then regular Cheerios is the only kind of Cheerios that would provide an adequate sum of roughage to start your day in a healthy manner .

What about the other ingredients in Cheerios that are not bolded because of a high risk of being GMOs?

BHT is Butylated Hydroxytoluene a food additive used to preserve freshness in some products, but in scientific studies it has been shown to be possible carcinogen. As shown above, BHT is used in Chocolate Cheerios, Dulche De Leche Cheerios, Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter, Cinnamon Burst Cheerios, Fruity Cheerios, and Banana Nut Cheerios .
other ingredients used in some or all of the Cheerios varieties that have raised red flags for health conscious consumers include : Trisodium Phosphate, Artificial Colors, Natural Flavors, Vanillin ( man-made Vanilla ), Corn Syrup, Soy Lecithin, Maltodextrin, and Glycerides. Each of these ingredients have been possibly linked to negative health impacts by studies in recent years and many health conscious consumers have put these ingredients on their do-not-eat lists .

Do Cheerios Contain GMOs?

The most common GMO crops to look out for in the U.S. are Soy, Corn, Cotton, Canola, Sugar Beets, and Papaya. Foods that distinctly have these words in their component lists are all at risk of being GMO if they are not certified organic or Non-GMO .
General Mills sources its corn from the United States, where 88 % of the crop is genetically modified, and our ingredient breakdown showed that corn-based ingredients are a park ingredient in all Cheerios varieties. While the corn whiskey ingredients are easy to spot and flag, some other high GMO risk ingredients that have been bolded are a short more inconspicuous. For example, Vitamin E is in each and every one of the Cheerios products, and is a hidden GMO ingredient that many consumers are unaware of. Vitamin E in Cheerios comes from Mixed Tocopherols which are most normally derived from soy, corn, or cotton –the most extensively genetically engineered crops. For a list of other GMO ingredients that are normally hidden in processes foods, Non-GMO Shopping Guide has built this highly utilitarian list .
As a refresher, If you were to sample each and every Cheerios product –since General Mills does not make organic Cheerios or allow GMO testing – the come are the probable GMOs you would be consuming : Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols), Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Canola Oil, Natural Almond Flavor, Whole Grain Corn, Corn Starch, Corn Bran, Corn Syrup, Dried Corn Syrup, Caramel Syrup made from Caramelized Sugar, Natual Flavors, Peanut Butter made with Monoglycerides, Dextrose, Corn Meal, Soluble Corn Fiber, Sodium Citrate, Ascorbic Acid, Soy Lecithin, Maltodextrin .
Multi Grain Cheerios are the lone Cheerios variety that has equitable one likely GMO component in its first three ingredients listed. The likely GMO ingredient however is its first-listed and most abundant ingredient : Whole Grain Corn. This Whole Grain Corn is about surely genetically modified .
Besides Multi Grain Cheerios, the ingredients tilt for every single other variety of Cheerios starts with at least two out of its most abundant ingredients as probably GMOs. Taking this a step further – each of the first three ingredients for both Chocolate and Multi Grain Cheerios Peanut Butter are likely GMOs, and all of the first six ingredients in Cinnamon Burst Cheerios are very probable to be made from GMOs .

Conclusions

Cheerios of all types are loaded with probably GMOs, and the brand across the dining table does not live improving to the positive public percept and alimentary message that General Mills has cultivated through years of advertisements, at large health claims, and public relations strategies .
For people matter to in eating for optimum health, consuming whole foods and staying away from processed products are dependable basic guidelines to follow. The extension of the Cheerios ingredient lists and the inclusion of unrecognizable celluloid ingredients, unnecessary and controversial food additives, cheap sweeteners, and unwholesome ingredients are directly inconsistent with those basic health rules. After reading the labels, it should be clear that there are decidedly safer and less work sources for your breakfast roughage, vitamins, and hale grains .

What Can We Do?

If you are an individual concerned about the risks of GMOs and the health of your families and the environment, GMO Inside invites you to reach out to General Mills through our prayer and let Cheerios know what you think of their function of GMOs on their Facebook Page .
We besides invite you to become a GMO Insider by signing up for our e-alerts about GMOs or by connecting to us on Facebook .
If you have any questions about GMOs or comments about how some of these ingredients are at high risk of being a GMO, please leave a gossip below !