Alice Head
·2-min read
For years we've avoided sugary breakfast cereals, swapping them for protein-based foods like eggs - but a new study suggests we've got it all wrong.
The study, by researchers in Boston, shows that we should be starting our day with a big bowl of cheerios - as they're a healthier option than protein-based meals such as eggs.
Huh? If you're as baffled as us - here's how they came to their conclusion. The Food Compass study, which took place at Tufts University, Massachusetts, ranked foods on their overall health properties - looking at 54 different attributes, which are linked to chronic diseases.
Each food is then given a score between 0 and 100, with 100 being the healthiest. And while eggs only got a scoring of 61, cheerios came out near the top, with a score of 95.
So, should we be swapping our eggs for our favourite 90s breakfast cereal? ‘Cereals aren’t inherently bad. In fact, if they have a high whole grain content then they will get a good score for that, and if they don’t have added sugar, they won’t lose any points,’ said one of the study's authors Professor Jeffrey Blumberg.
In fact, cheerios are pretty healthy - with high fibre content and a low sugar level a bowl of those tasty little loops is a welcome alternative to our usual breakfast options.
But, what else surprised us in the study? The research, where they looked at 8,000 different types of food and drink also showed that some fruit and vegetables like canned peaches and dried cherries aren't as healthy as you'd expect - both scoring below 60.
Other surprises included muffins scoring higher, at 51, than cooked pasta - which came in at just nine points, while chicken breast, although full of protein, only scored 61 - and that's with no skin.
Some foods which came out on top included salmon, ceviche, dried apricots and vegetable curries. On the other end of the scale, the study suggests we should avoid breakfast pastries, energy drinks and hot dogs - give them all low points.
But, with so many ways to eat healthily already, why did the authors conduct the study? ‘Once you get beyond ‘eat your veggies, avoid soda,’ the public is pretty confused about how to identify healthier choices in the grocery store, cafeteria, and restaurant,’ explained Dariush Mozaffarian, one of the researchers of the study, explained.
‘Consumers, policymakers, and even industry are looking for simple tools to guide everyone toward healthier choices.’
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