Growing up, I loved having cereal. So did my dad. While I had the super sugary marshmallow ones, my dad would eat the healthier options with whole grain, fibre and nuts. I use to think to myself why anyone would choose that over my delicious chocolate flavored, round puff.
Fast forward to today, I still love a bowl of cereal every morning. But unlike the sugary frosted, chocolate one I use to have, I steer myself towards choices in the cereal aisle to something a little healthier and green.
The average North American eats 160 bowls of cereal per year, I probably eat around 200, putting cereal consumption at almost 3 billion pounds every year. It’s no wonder why we take our cereal so seriously! But which ones are best for our health? And which ones are grown in ways that do not harm the environment?
As part of a green lifestyle you may want to eat mainly organic cereals and grains because they are better for your health and definitely better for the environment. You may also want to include a high percentage of whole grain foods because they are generally nutritionally superior, especially to bleached and highly processed supermarket products.
In 2009, Sierra Club Magazine decided to take on the challenge of taste testing 25 eco-conscious cereal brands. To qualify for the tasting, a cereal had to be planet-friendly, preferably organic, made with renewable energy, or produced by a company that donates to environmental causes. The top brands were:
1) Early Bird Granola: Aloha Recipe
2) Cascadian Farm: Organic Kids Cinnamon Crunch
3) Mom’s Best Naturals: Honey Grahams
4) Tie — Bola Granola: Crunchy Almond
5) Nature’s Path: Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch
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