Why Cheerios is better than coffee for breakfast, new study claims

When it comes to healthy eating, there seems to be new advice every week.

Get the eggs. After being demonized for being high in cholesterol, they gained hero status when high-protein diets became the holy grail of weight loss. No wonder we’re so confused.

But a new study may be the ultimate guide we’re all looking for.

US researchers have developed the Food Compass, which they believe is the most comprehensive system ever designed for assessing the nutritional value of what we eat. The Boston team spent three years studying more than 8,000 foods and beverages, from melons to McDonald’s, and used advanced science to classify them according to 54 different characteristics.

They gave each food a score between 1 and 100 – the higher the score, the healthier the food. Foods with a score between 100 and 70 are encouraged, those between 69 and 31 should only be eaten in moderation, anything below 30 is bad news.

Some of the top-rated foods will come as no surprise. Legumes, nuts and seeds (average score of 78.6), fruits (73.9) and vegetables (69.1) are all good. Salty snacks and sweets (average score 16.4) are not allowed.

But there are some surprises. Sweet potato chips score 69, the same as bulgur, which is generally considered a healthy grain. The vitamins and minerals in both are similar. But if you break it further, other factors come to the fore.

Sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A and potassium and are low in sodium.

Bulgur wheat has more protein and fiber than sweet potatoes, but it also has more starch (a bad thing) and less healthy fat.

And those of you who ditched cereal in favor of eggs for breakfast might be surprised to find that Cheerios (95) and Shredded Wheat (83) not only score high in the cereal category, but also rank higher than a solid cooked cereal. egg (51). .

Cereals are not necessarily bad. In fact, if they’re high in whole grains, they score well and don’t lose points if they don’t add sugar,” said Professor Jeffrey Blumberg, co-author of the study.

Are you addicted to coffee? Oddly enough, an espresso (55) isn’t the best choice, according to Food Compass

Also, while eggs are a great source of protein, they may not contain as many nutrients as, for example, vitamin- and mineral-fortified cereals, so they score the lowest.

Want to give your diet a boost? Here’s what to choose, with the Food Compass ratings in parentheses.

BREAKFAST

For juice, opt for celery (100), which contains a host of vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium and calcium, or tomato (100), which is an excellent source of the antioxidant lycopene.

Are you addicted to coffee? Oddly enough, an espresso (55) isn’t the best choice. The healthiest option is a low-fat milk cappuccino, which contains some protein and doesn’t have as much saturated fat as the whole wheat version (58).

When it comes to cereals, Special K might seem like a good option, but with 18 points it’s comparable to Cornflakes (19) and not much better than Frosties (15).

By itself, poached or poached eggs would only be 51. But make an omelet and you can push it up or down depending on what you put in it. A ham and cheese omelet cooked in butter will score 15, but a protein omelet with vegetables will get you 59. If toast is your thing, toss the jam on the white (1) for fat-free peanut butter on whole wheat (63).

LUNCH

Pure sashimi (thinly sliced ​​seafood) is a good choice (100), while a California-style sushi roll (1) offers almost no health benefits thanks to starchy rice, sweetened vinegar, and crab sticks.

White rice noodles (17) may seem healthy, but they’re almost empty calories. But if you choose whole wheat spaghetti (70), you’ll get a lot more fiber, as well as iron and potassium. Add a tomato-based sauce with seafood and vegetables and you get 78.

Regardless of the filling, sandwiches are not a good choice. Even a lean veggie submarine sandwich gets only 14, and roast beef only gets 11. If you need a sarnie, opt for grilled chicken on a whole wheat bun with lettuce and tomato (68). Unfortunately, but predictably, cakes (1) and cookies (4) are not recommended.

DINNER

It won’t surprise you that a McDonald’s cheeseburger (8) isn’t very nutritious. Eliminate meat and starchy carbohydrates in favor of seafood: it’s rich in protein, low in saturated fat, and rich in vitamins and minerals.

Try the mussels in tomato sauce (95) or the tuna salad with light mayonnaise (73). For a high score, choose a seafood salad with lettuce, tomatoes, carrots, and other vegetables. The bad news is that to get a perfect 100, you have to keep the dressing.

If you can give up meat, curry isn’t a bad option. Vegetable curry is 90 points, beef curry is only 51 points.

Finally, a sundae with chocolate sauce and whipped cream scores 10 points, while you can still get a chocolate flavor: chocolate frozen yogurt made with skim milk scores an impressive 81 points.