Feature

Wed 4 Jul, 12:53 am UTC

Nutrition - Cereals for cyclists

By Dr Chris Fenn

Time is precious and if you live life at a fast pace, you probably like to grab a quick snack in-between rides or before cycling to work. However, if your idea of refuelling is to eat a bowl of breakfast cereal, you may be getting a lot less nutrition than you might think.

Stroll down a supermarket aisle and there is plenty to choose from. A recent survey carried out by Which studied the nutritional content of 275 different breakfast cereals. Most are targeted at children, to entice them to eat something first thing in the morning, but the clever marketing and phrases such as 'full of goodness', 'with added vitamins' and 'gives you energy' will also appeal to cyclists.

Despite their healthy image, most cereals are highly processed and contain a large proportion of sugar and salt. The Government want cereal and other food manufacturers to use the traffic light system on the label to indicate levels of nutrients and help individuals make a healthy choice. The system relies on colour-coded red, amber and green logos on the front of packs to show if a product is high, medium or low in fat, sugar and salt.

Not surprisingly, the system has been rejected since most labels would carry the red warning. The survey found that 76 per cent of the cereals scored red for a high-sugar content - as much as four teaspoons per recommended serving, which is as much sugar as a chocolate bar. A fifth had high levels of salt. The worst offenders were Kellogg's All Bran and Nestlé Golden Grahams. Despite their healthy image, these cereals contain 2.5g salt per 100g, which is much higher than the 1.6g per 100g of ready salted crisps each day

Avoid the sugar coated, over processed cereals. The traditional wheatbased ones, Shredded Wheat and Weetabix, are better choices. The former is simply 100 per cent wheat (available as organic in Bitesize version), and Weetabix Organic is 95 per cent wheat with a little malted barley extract, sugar and salt.

Avoid the granola type cereals with crunchy nut clusters that are stuck together with vegetable oil and glucosefructose syrup. These are both poor quality ingredients. Honey is a pure but expensive ingredient. Although it is shown dripping over the cereal in the picture on the packet, if you study the list of ingredients, honey amounts to a mere four per cent.

The term 'vegetable oil' implies the damaging trans fats. These are to be avoided if you care about putting good oil into your body as well as on your bike chain. Marks and Spencer recently announced that it has taken out hydrogenated fats from its entire range, and other supermarket own-brands are following close behind with this policy. Alternatively, look for organic versions, since the organic standards do not allow the use of hydrogenated fat.

Good quality muesli contains sugars in the form of dried fruits, and fat in the form of nuts. Both of these nutrients are in their natural form and in quantities that make an ideal recovery snack after a hard training session, or convenient at your desk after riding to work. The combination of cereals, dried fruits and nuts is a fabulous mix.

The addition of milk will boost the protein content of the snack and provide an almost ideal high quality carbohydrate/protein balance. Half a pint of milk will provide 10g of protein, effectively doubling the protein content of the mixture. You have a choice of whole, semi-skimmed or skimmed milk which contains 4%, 2% and 0.3% fat and 400, 300 and 200 calories per pint respectively.

Apart from the fat and calorie content, these milks contain similar amounts of calcium and protein, although semiskimmed and full-fat milk contain more of the fat soluble vitamins A and D (which is useful since cereals tend to be lacking in these vitamins). Soya milk is similar to semi-skimmed milk.

If you are sensitive or mildly allergic to wheat, or even if you're not, porridge is the perfect alternative. Don't be tempted to grab the highly processed sachets which just need a few seconds to 'cook' in a microwave. Seek out the real thing - organic oatmeal, porridge or rolled oats - and cook for about 10 minutes. Add raisins or banana to sweeten for the original wholesome cereal at any time of day.

User Comments

There are 18 comments on this post

Showing 1 - 18 of 18 comments

  • I wonder what the author would made of home made flapjack slice as a means of refuelling...

  • [url]http://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/[/url]

  • http://www.dorsetcereals.co.uk/

  • a glass of orange, 3 weetabix or 3 oatabix in the morning, with a ton of sugar and some wholemeal toast. best way to start a biking day by a long way.

  • Better yet, save your money and buy bulk cereals like oatmeal. All you need is 5 minutes, a little pot, and water. I add whatever supplements I feel like such as hemp, sunflower, or flex seeds, or fresh fruit.

    Quinoa is similar with a higher protein content for days after workouts.

  • I' liek to add to this infornation: You can add oat bran to porridge/oatmeal for extra fibre. If you make your own muesli, buying the flakes (oats, spelt, quinoa, etc) you can chose your own ingredients to suit you, rather than having to make do with something that doesn't. Seeds are a good addition to home made muesli if you can't eat nuts. I'd like to point out that most bought muesli has a wheat flakes in it so people who are allergic or intolerant cant eat it. Also the fruiti content in bought muesli makes it a very high sugar cereal, regardless of what it may say about added sugar on the label. You will find that muesli bthat says it contains 'no added sugar' will have a higher dried fruit content instead, order to sweeten the cereal, which isn't a good thing if you need a low GI or low sugar diet. Often even when a cereal says is contains 'no added sugar' it will have maltodextrin or fructose or other syrup, or even highly concentrated apple juice added to it, to sweeten it. These are all added sugar, no matter what is says on the label. It is best to make your own muesli, and it's cheap.

    If you really must sweeten porridge, I'd reccommend using ground cinnamon, another sweet spice, such as nutmeg, or a few drops of pure (unsweetened) vanilla axtract instead. You haven't mentioned toasted out bran, but I find this to be a good substitute for other breakfast cereals if you're intolerant or allergic to wheat, but you want to have a change from eating porridge every day. Also I would not like to reccommend the use of soya milk, due to the possible health risks that may be associated with it, but you can substitue it with oat milk or rice milk, which, as yet, haven't had any nasty effects linked to them.

  • I READ THE REPORT ON CEREALS WITH INTEREST. I LIVED AND TRAINED IN SOUTH AFRICA UNTIL RECENTLY. THERE I GOT MY HANDS ON A CEREAL THAT MADE ME GO LIKE A BOMB.

    IT WAS ONLY VERY CHEAP AND WAS MARKETED AT THE LOCAL INDIGINIOUS POPULATION. IN FACT I HAD HEARD THAT IT WAS AN EXCELLENT PRODUCT, GOING BACK MANY YEARS, FOR PEOPLE CONVERLESING IN HOSPITAL. SO ANYWAY I THOUGHT AT THE TIME, I'LL GIVE THAT A GO. AND GO I WENT.

    MY CONTEMPARIES (ALL WHITE) IN THE TEAM, WERE MORTIFIED TO SEE ME EATING SOMETHING THE BLACKS ATE. BUT THE PROOF WAS IN THE PUDDING, OR THE CEREAL IN THIS CASE. IT WAS FILLING AND CONTAINED ALL OF THE CRITERIA TO PERFORM WELL ON THE BIKE. MIXED INSTANTLY WITH COLD FULL CREAM MILK, THE TASTE WAS ACQUIRED, BUT WHEN I GOT USED TO IT, EXCELLENT TASTING.

    IT WAS BASED AROUND A CEREAL THAT I HAVE NOT MANAGED TO FIND HERE IN THE UK - SCORHAIUM MEAL (NOT SURE OF THE SPELLING). THIS IS SOME KIND OF MAIZE TYPE CEREAL THAT IS RARE HERE.

    I HAVE TRYED EVERYWHERE TO FIND ANYTHING LIKE THIS IN UK AND FAILED.

    THE BRAND NAMES, AVAILABLE IN PICK N' PAY AND SPAR IN SA WAS MORVITE. THERE IS ANOTHER MORE REFINED PRODUCT CALLED PRONUTRO ALSO.

    LIKE I SAY, I CAN'T FIND IT HERE.

    AND WOW IF YOU COULD, YOUR CYCLING WOULD IMPROVE, I DON'T LIE.

    THANKS TOM.

  • Are any cold cereals good? If not please say they all are bad; If so please list a few

  • As a sufferer of occasional constipation caused, possibly, by dehydration on a regular basis, I have started sprinkling some omega 3 seed mix on my cereals .Initially I thought "just a coincidence" but my wife started using them with the same result.You can find them at the usual outlets (Julian graves or Holland&Barrett)Ahrr! too much information! I can hear you saying.Hey, better out than in.

  • In what way does Organic make it more nutrious?!

  • What works for me after a 1hr commute:

    1 cup NON TOASTED muesli (toasted is bad 'cause means oil = fat) (I use Aldi which is yum)

    drown it in Brekky juice with added calcium (Mixed juice we get in Sydney Australia)

    Let it soak 1 hr at least. (Gives ingredients a chance to swell making them easier to digest therefore I understand more nutricious / beneficial)

    Consume.

    I'm not afraid of the fructose & added sugars because I've just done an hours workout! I need to replace the spent energy.

    Why not milk? Personal choice - my body tells me to feed it Vitamin C & fructose. The juice mentioned comes with added calcium for that calcium hit. Tastes pretty ordinary by itself but with muesli you'd never know!

    Oh - don't forget the obligitory cup of GOOD coffee!

  • Wake up at 5 am - drink 2 x espresso and will have some SPC or Del Monte fruit pieces in No Added Sugar version. Wake up reading the forum.

    Get on bike at 6.15 - ride 23 miles at an average of 16 mph in winter and 18+ in summer. At work I have a bowl of porridge with sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and goji berries on top. If plain porridge I add a little salt too.

    The porridge fills me up a treat until at least 1030 and then I have some peanuts.

    At lunch time I have another porridge - just the small packets that you add a measure of milk too. They are ace.

  • " At lunch time I have another porridge - just the small packets that you add a measure of milk too. They are ace. "

    Actually they are over processed garbage ... stick to the real stuff.

  • Porridge oats with a few raisens, soak it overnight in Oatly (oatmilk), in the morning chuck some mixed nuts, chop up fruit if you have got it. Done! tasts great it's waiting for you when you get up so you aren't tempted b y Coco Pops

  • Porridge oats with a few raisens, soak it overnight in Oatly (oatmilk), in the morning chuck some mixed nuts, chop up fruit if you have got it. Done! tasts great it's waiting for you when you get up so you aren't tempted b y Coco Pops

  • fruit and fibre works for me, straight after waking up. I then make sure i consume a pint of water in the 20 mins before i do my morning commute (20 miles) to work.

    I have a SIS recovery drink whilst i go have a shower and start work. 1.5 hours later i have some rice with tuna or a jacket potato / tuna..

    i know we need the glycogen hit, but i always try to make surethat theres plenty of water and proteins as well

  • I just eat food....

  • Every once and again I like to treat myself to a hard boiled egg and a goldeny brown, perfectly toasted, sourdough english muffin with just a baby's breath of butter.

  • 1

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