These breakfast cereals have the highest sugar content in SA
Which of these cereals do you have in your grocery cupboard?
We all fall for the advertising and marketing when it comes to associating a sense of taste with feeling. Because, ultimately, when it comes to food, it's all about being emotive - creating a sense of nostalgia is what is considered good branding.
When you think about chocolate, you think about the feeling you get when you eat your favourite chocolate, you think about a memory associated with the action and it brings a sense of personalisation. Yes, it might sound 'out there', but it's how the ad industry works. It is ultimately why we get those 'feelings' or 'cravings' because of a smell or when we see an advert.
So when it comes to those sugary treats that your kids get hypnotised by, we can't really blame them. Marketers prey on their ability to be attracted to bright colours, shiny paper, and the cartoon characters that are linked to the design and the story.
So when it comes to Snap, Crackle, and Pop, the kids are attracted to the characters associated with the brand. Sometimes it doesn't really matter whether the cereals taste good or not, but rather the fact that they are riddled with loads of sugar, masked with a fun story, and sometimes contain novelty prizes.
"At least five cereals in South Africa have more than 30 grams of sugar for every 100 grams of cereal. And every serving of more than ten cereals in South Africa contains, on average, at least 25 grams of sugar," Business Insider reports.
Those numbers may not seem bad if you look at it at face value, but think about the serving portion your child is eating, think about them opening up the cereal box and eating it as a snack, think about the amount of sugar that they consume holistically...
Did you know that childhood obesity in South Africa is a real thing. Yes, a country that is still battling with poverty is also facing a generation of unhealthy eating. We are successfully coerced into believing that many cereals are filled with vitamins, nutrients, and fibre, so we give in when shopping. But the effects aren't beneficial to your kids in the long run...
Read more: PARENTS: Nestlé products slammed by experts who say they are dangerous for children's health
"Most leading cereal brands for sale in this country continue to advertise the inclusion of vitamins, minerals, iron, multigrain, fibre, or even probiotics. Some leave the interpretation of common phrases like 'high in', 'source of', and simply 'with' up to the consumer. Others, like several Kellogg's cereals, make a direct claim that some of their breakfast cereals may aid with 'growth' and 'development'," Business Insider adds.
What got us shocked was that of the many products that were checked by Business Insider South Africa, the one that stood out was that "Pronutro had 25.8 grams of sugar per 100 gram, and a chocolate flavoured version of the same product targeting parents with toddlers had 23.4 grams."
The shock lay in this: "This sugar content per 100 grams in as many as 40 different breakfast cereals is higher than items that may be considered unhealthy or desert foods - like some vanilla ice-cream and even a typical Coke can."
We can talk about this with a cringed face but the truth is that many of us will still purchase these sugary cereals because we enjoy it. But the scary part is when experts reveal that less sugar can aid in better concentration and staying alert.
So if you find your child's behaviour is scattered and all over the place, assess the amount of sugar that they are having. It can't hurt to reassess your breakfast cereal choice and perhaps bring in a healthier version.
The cereals with the top amounts of sugar are (Business Insider):
- Bokomo Otees Originals Creme Soda - 34.2
- Kellogg's Strawberry Pops - 33.1
- Kellogg's Coco Pops - 33.1
- Bokomo Weet-Bix Bites Chocolate - 31.7
- Bokomo Weet-Bix Bites Honey - 31.4
- Kellogg's Coco Pops Fills - 28.9
- Bokomo Otees Originals Apple - 28.4
- Kellogg's Froot Loops - 28
- Kellogg's Coco Pops Crunchers Chocolate - 27
- Bokomo ProNutro Pro-Light - 25.8
Image Courtesy of Unsplash Website