What better way is there to start the morning than with a bowl of hot breakfast cereal? If you choose a whole grain, it'll give you a nutritional edge over most of the heavily sweetened processed breakfast cereals that line grocery store shelves. One popular choice of hot breakfast cereal is Cream of Wheat. This cereal can be prepared in under three minutes making it convenient for busy mornings where time is a premium. But, is it a good choice when it comes to nutrition? Is Cream of Wheat healthy?

    What is Cream of Wheat?

    Cream of Wheat is a breakfast cereal marketed by B and G Foods that's made of ground wheat or farina. This cereal is prepared by boiling water and slowly stirring the farina into hot water until it thickens to a porridge-like consistency. Some people add additional flavorings and additives such as fruit, maple syrup, or nuts to create flavored Cream of Wheat.

    Nutritional Profile

    Cream of Wheat wins points for being low in calories. At only 120 calories per cup, it, at first, seem to be a good choice for those who are watching their waistline. It's also fat-free and sodium free which is positive in terms of heart health. It has a moderate amount of carbohydrates at 23 grams per cup, but the real health drawback is that it has no fiber. The bran is stripped from the wheat during processing which removes the natural fiber found in the wheat. Because it lacks fiber, it's also high on the glycemic scale, meaning it elevates blood glucose and insulin levels rapidly which isn't a positive for diabetics or anyone else concerned with maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Some experts believe that high glycemic foods like Cream of Wheat promote fat storage which can lead to weight gain. This means that despite its low calories, it still may not be good choice for people who are weight conscious. On the plus side, it has been enriched with the B vitamins, vitamin A, and iron.

    Is It a Good Choice for Breakfast?

    Cream of Wheat is a decent source of some vitamins and iron, but it lacks the soluble fiber that's so important for heart health. Plus, it's a processed carbohydrate that spikes insulin levels which can negatively affect overall health. If given a choice, you're better off sticking with a fiber rich cereal such as old-fashioned oats. Oatmeal is an excellent source of fiber and won't cause jumps in glucose or insulin levels. It's also relatively easy to prepare and is filling. When it comes to hot cereals, stick with oatmeal and, if you enjoy it, use Cream of Wheat as a special weekend treat.

    麥乳真的有益健康嗎？

    不少人每天早上都是喝上一碗熱乎乎的麥片粥然后開始一天的工作，不過早餐還有沒有其他更好的選擇呢？如果是吃全麥面包的話，它的營養價值要遠遠高于那些在任何一個小零售部貨架上都隨處可見的甜得發膩又過于精細的早餐麥片。麥乳就是一種很暢銷的早餐麥片。因為這種麥片不到三分鐘就能泡好，所以對于那些早上沒時間的人來說真的很方便。但是，如果說到營養價值的話那它還算是個好的選擇嗎？麥乳真的有益于健康嗎？

    什么是麥乳？

    麥乳是一種早餐麥片，由B&G食品股份有限公司推出，主要成分是研磨過的小麥以及淀粉。沖這種麥片要用開水，然后慢慢攪拌直到淀粉融入水中變成稠糊糊的粥狀物就可以了。有些人還會加一些其他的東西在里面來調節口味，例如加點水果、糖楓汁或者堅果，這樣一杯好喝的麥片粥就做好了。

    營養狀況

    麥乳的卡路里極低，這一點給它大大加分。首先由于每杯麥乳中只含120個卡路里，這在那些時刻關注自己腰圍的人看來似乎是個不錯的選擇。而且麥乳不含脂肪也不含鈉，對人們的心臟很有好處。但是，它的碳水化合物含量不高，每杯只有23克；而且對人體健康最不利的一點就是它基本上不含纖維素。因為在麥片制作過程中人們會把麥麩去掉，這樣一來麥子中天然含有的纖維素也就沒有了。由于麥乳缺乏纖維素，而它自身的含糖量又很高，那么喝麥乳就會迅速增高人體血糖含量，血液中的胰島素含量也會隨之大幅升高，這對于糖尿病患者以及想保持血糖穩定的人來說可不是個好消息。有些專家認為像麥乳這樣可以讓血糖迅速升高的食物會促進脂肪堆積進而讓人發胖。也就是說，雖然它的卡路里很低但是對于減肥人士來喝麥乳可能不是個好的選擇。不過從另一方面講，它的維B,維A和鐵的含量還是挺高的。

    拿它當早餐是一個好的選擇嗎？

    麥乳富含多種維生素和鐵元素，但是它不含對心臟健康極為重要的可溶纖維。此外，由于麥片里的碳水化合物經過了加工處理，會迅速提高血糖含量，所以對人體的整體健康相當不利。如果有的選擇的話，大家最好還是選富含纖維素的老式燕麥片。因為纖維素含量高就可以避免血糖及胰島素的含量急劇升高的情況出現。而且它做起來也很方便，還能讓人產生飽腹感。即使有麥片粥，你還是選燕麥粥吧，不過如果你愿意，可以周末的時候喝喝麥乳就當調節口味了。