As a recently diagnosed diabetic, I asked myself a lot of questions about diabetic cereals or put another way, diabetes and cereals. I had a talk with my doctor about eating sugar free cereal versus low sugar cereal versus cereal that contains sugar. After a while it seems silly, because you end up asking the doctor about certain brands of cereal expecting him/her to know each and every brand on the shelf and how much sugar that particular brand has right down to the number of grams per serving size and the size of the serving. Look, your doctor can guide you, but you can make the decisions if you just use some common sense.
Ask yourself some questions and then answer those questions yourself based on the help you obtained from your doctor and some common sense. Let’s try a few. Do diabetics have to eat sugar free cereal? In plain and simple terms, of course not. The good news is that it is possible that one of your favorites does not contain sugar and you just never paid any attention to that fact. Just check the box for the appropriate information. It’s there. Can diabetics eat regular cereal or cereal that contains sugar? The answer here is yes, but it does get a little tricky. You’re going to find yourself doing a lot of reading. Some cereals have A LOT of sugar in them. Naturally, you’re not going to be eating these. Remember, common sense. And when you find a cereal you like that is low in sugar content it doesn’t mean you can eat all you want. Sugar content is expressed in the amount of sugar per serving and that serving size is defined for you. There are many regular cereals on the shelf at your local supermarket that have reasonably low sugar content, perhaps 3 or 4 grams per serving. Some may even have zero sugar content. If you are checking you blood sugar on a regular basis, the results you get will help you make a determination.
Maybe you still have some questions about diabetes and cereals such as; Are there diabetic cereals? What are the best diabetic cereals? The answer to the first question is, of course, yes and if you like them, eat them. Like your doctor, the writer here doesn’t know which diabetic cereal(s)are best. If they are cereals for diabetics they are naturally good for you as a diabetic. Which ones you prefer is just a matter of taste.
These are always good questions. Can you eat regular cereal if you have diabetes? What cereals can a diabetic eat? The answer to the first question was pretty much answered above, but just to restate the answer, sure you can. All you have to do is read the box. If the cereal has sugar, make sure the sugar content is minimal; say 3 or 4 grams per serving. And eat just one serving. Diabetics can eat regular cereals within certain parameters. The second question has essentially the same answer. Diabetics can eat any cereals that are either low in sugar content or have no sugar content. Always keep in mind that the determining factor for cereals containing sugar is the number of grams per serving.
Ok, let’s try these diabetes and cereals questions; What cold cereal is best for diabetics? What hot cereal is best for diabetics? With respect to the first question, shall we answer it as a group? We should all know the answer to this one by now. Diabetic cereal(s) or cereal(s) for diabetics lead the way, followed by any low sugar content cereal (i.e. 3 or 4 grams per serving) that can be regular cereal. On to the second question; anybody want to take a guess at this answer? RIGHT! It is the same as the previous answer. This stuff is getting pretty easy isn’t it. It’s all common sense. Here’s an example. There is a popular hot cereal on every supermarket shelf in America that you would all recognize immediately. In its’ basic and original form it has no sugar. Good, that means it is on the list of hot cereal a diabetic can eat. Now, it also comes in flavors, one of which is maple cinnamon. Don’t pick these flavored packets up and put them in your cart. Read the label first. You will be amazed at how the sugar content really goes up.
One last thought here about diabetes and cereals. When you ask yourself which sugar free cereals or low sugar cereals are good for diabetics now you know the answer or do diabetics have to eat sugar free cereal again, you know the answer. If at some point you don’t remember everything you read here and you begin to wonder can diabetics eat cereals that contain sugar or what cereals are best for diabetics or can diabetics eat regular cereal, just remember the answer is all in sugar content. And keep it low; 3 to 4 grams per serving. Take your blood sugar to determine any adverse effect the cereals you choose to eat may be having on you.
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