Monday 20 August 2012

Workers Swap ‘Processed Grain Stuffed Full Of Sugar’ For….

….Oh. More of the same?
Pity the poor cereal manufacturers.
Really?
After decades of growth, with Britons crunching and sucking their way through bowl after bowl of heavily processed grain made palatable by salt and sugar and afforded spurious claims of nutrition by "fortifying" vitamins, something has changed. Sales of Crunchy Nut are down 15% by volume in the last year alone, Special K by almost 10%. Even Corn Flakes have suffered a drop.
So, what are people eating instead?
Instead, people are apparently buying yoghurt drinks, cereal bars, pastries and "breakfast biscuits", ingesting these in front of computer screens…
Ah.
There are two possible factors at play here. One is the explanation offered by the cereal industry: that so shackled are we to our precariously held jobs, none of us have time to tinkle some flakes into a bowl and slosh a bit of milk on them..
Odd explanation, as most big offices provide fridges or microwaves.
The second explanation – and the one I prefer – is that more people are realising what overpriced, unhealthy junk most breakfast cereals are.
But, wait! Aren’t they…?

Yes. Yes, it appears they are…
The problem is that many of the new, popular, time-saving breakfast foods – such as cereal bars – are often of dubious nutritional value and almost always jacked with sugar and salt.
Whoops! So…what do you suggest?
It shouldn't be difficult to eat a quick and healthy breakfast midweek. Mine are usually oat-based: muesli for most of the year (I used to make my own in a fit of expensive, tie-dye madness, but now buy Jordan's), porridge in winter.
Riiiight…
A ripe avocado or a fat tomato in summer, a pinch of salt and a little olive are lovely, healthier alternatives to sugary spread. Smoked salmon still feels like a treat, especially on a rainy Tuesday. Homemade granola is far easier than you might think and keeps for weeks.
Back to the McDonald’s Breakfast Wrap for me!

11 comments:

Bucko said...

Homemade Granola? I'll get right on it...

Anonymous said...

Let them eat muesli.

dearieme said...

I mix my own muesli. That way there's no added sugar. And I must say it's pretty good. In winter, porridge - I find that stirring in half a banana, sliced, is pretty good too. No sugar other than that, though.

Anonymous said...

Mc D's breakfast wrap are revolting, the wrap just doesn't go with the filling. I like fruit and fibre with extra fruit and nuts added.

DJ said...

Half the Guardian's output seems to boil down to the lefty equivalent of lighting big cigars with a £50 note.

Noggin the Nog said...

I usually just have a large scotch. When I'm on a health-kick I will pour it into a glass first.

Tatty said...

Mine's a Scouse Breakfast; large coffee, two ciggies (at least).

I'm still alive...gosh !

Woman on a Raft said...

My special treat is tinned grapefruit - the pink ones - in juice.

I always mean to eat half a tin and then the other dish later, and then after five minutes I find it is later and guzzle the lot.

Tinned grapefruit is one of the few things which are better than the original because somebody else has done all the wrangling AND you get extra juice. Juice, not syrup. Syrup is slimy.

In winter I chop in a knob of stem ginger but that's too hot for the summer.

Anonymous said...

What is it with people wanting sweets first thing in the morning? Blech!

Normal people eat a fry-up, a curry or a bowl of pilchards in garlic mayo and so on. Protein rules! :)

ivan said...

Are they trying to make the classic case for fruits and nuts for the nuts and fruits?

Breakfast should always be at least two very large mugs of coffee with milk and sugar followed by smoking a good pipe.

JuliaM said...

"Mc D's breakfast wrap are revolting, the wrap just doesn't go with the filling."

I have them leave out the egg and sauce, and it's quite pleasant. And less greasy than the McMuffin.

"Half the Guardian's output seems to boil down to the lefty equivalent of lighting big cigars with a £50 note."

Lucky for them 'Autotrader' still brings in the £50 notes. The 'Guardian's' circulation sure doesn't...

"I always mean to eat half a tin and then the other dish later, and then after five minutes I find it is later and guzzle the lot."

Freeze the leftovers?