Are corn flakes good for me?

[Happy Lendervedder]

I've been loving me some corn flakes lately. I'll have a couple of bowls at night for dinner every other day or so, and I've been feeling pretty good in the knowledge (or assumption, rather) that I'm doing my body some good.

But am I?

I imagine they're not bad for me like a chocolate doughnut deep-fried in dollar store vegetable oil might be, or a heroin brownie might be, but are they in any way good for me?

I found this source that says they're not recommended: http://www.drmirkin.com/nutrition/N180.htm

But this guy does recommend Cinnamon Toast Crunch and Golden Grahams of all things, so I just don't know what to believe.

[KneadToKnow]

It looks like Dr. Mirkin's objection to corn flakes is that they are too refined. I prefer my breakfast a little slutty, also, so I can't argue that point. However, "good for me" covers an awful lot of ground. Can you be more specific?

[Sapo]

Mythbusters did a segment comparing Corn Flake's nutritional quality to the box in which they came. It came ahead, but not by a whole lot, IIRC.

Corn Flakes are good for you if they substitute a three egg omelette with bacon and chocolate milk, of course. If you upgrade to Special K, Total or one of those super enriched cereals with 100% of your daily requirement of all vitamins, it is even better.

[Happy Lendervedder]

Corn Flakes are good for you if they substitute a three egg omelette with bacon and chocolate milk, of course. If you upgrade to Special K, Total or one of those super enriched cereals with 100% of your daily requirement of all vitamins, it is even better.

Dr. Mirkin, from the link, says to avoid Special K as it contains trans fats. However, I had always thought like you that Special K was good for you (I also assumed corn flakes were good for you too, so what do I know.)

However, "good for me" covers an awful lot of ground. Can you be more specific?

Do they provide any benefit to me and my body?

[KneadToKnow]

Do they provide any benefit to me and my body?
Unequivocally. I can predict with 100% certainty that you will survive longer on a diet of corn flakes alone than on nothing at all. :D

[OldGuy]

Mythbusters did a segment comparing Corn Flake's nutritional quality to the box in which they came. It came ahead, but not by a whole lot, IIRC.

Corn Flakes are good for you if they substitute a three egg omelette with bacon and chocolate milk, of course. If you upgrade to Special K, Total or one of those super enriched cereals with 100% of your daily requirement of all vitamins, it is even better.

In Mythbusters they only looked at the caloric value of corn flakes and the box (and I'm not sure it was corn flakes they used). I'd think the actual cereal would have vitamins and minerals added or occuring naturally. Certainly Total Corn Flakes does According to: http://www.calorie-count.com/calories/item/8246.html

Total Corn Flakes are:

Very low in saturated fat
No cholesterol
Very high in calcium
Very high in iron
Very high in niacin
Very high in pantothenic acid
Very high in riboflavin
Very high in thiamin
Very high in vitamin B6
Very high in vitamin B12
Very high in vitamin C
Very high in vitamin E
Very high in zinc

[John Mace]

It depends on what your metabolism is like and what you're weight goals are. Corn flakes are highly refined carbohydrates which are not particular good for keeping your weight down. You might as well eat an equivalent caloric amount of sugar.

This (http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20Od.html) is a great site for evaluating the nutritional value of food, and it even contains links to substitutes which you can select by what your goals are (eg, weight loss or gain).

[Baldwin]

You might be better off taking a multivitamin than relying on your bowl of cereal to meet those needs. I pay more attention to whether a cereal is made with whole grains, how much sugar is added, that kind of thing.

[Einmon]

This (http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20Od.html) is a great site for evaluating the nutritional value of food, and it even contains links to substitutes which you can select by what your goals are (eg, weight loss or gain).Thank you, that's a very interesting site! (Even if a bit depressing - the only food I've been able to find so far that's apparently conducive to weight loss is raw celery...)

[Hello Again]

For breakfast, I'm a cottage cheese and cantaloupe girl. Melon is a 4-star weightloss food on that site, its yummy and nutritious (it has little sugar compared to how sweet it tastes: 12g pr cup), and relatively easy to deal with in the morning. Cottage cheese for lean protein and calcium... it works for me.

As compared to corn flakes, Special K has more protein, which helps you feel full longer. I'm not a huge fan of cereal for beakfast though.

[Happy Lendervedder]

Thank you, that's a very interesting site!

I agree; I've been surfing there for going on a half hour now.

[DrDeth]

Meh. Not enough fiber for a breakfast cereal, but more or less harmless. Much better than muffins, do-nuts, bacon & eggs, and the like.

What you want in a cereal is: Low fat, OK taste and decent fiber. Corn flakes has two of three (at least to you), better than some (like granola with high fat). Don't worry about vitamins or carbos. You can get your vitamins from better sources and cereal is carbs.

If you like 'em; go for it.

[Mr. Moto]

Well, you have to take the Corn Flakes the way the Kellogg brothers originally intended.

Of course, that means no alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, spicy foods or sex.

[Duckster]

Well, you have to take the Corn Flakes the way the Kellogg brothers originally intended.

Of course, that means no alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, spicy foods or sex.


Hmmm.

Corn flakes and sex.

The strawberries, bananas and blueberries I can understand. So where does one pour the milk?

[John Mace]

Meh. Not enough fiber for a breakfast cereal, but more or less harmless. Much better than muffins, do-nuts, bacon & eggs, and the like.
More or less, yeah. It's not bad for you, except if you're trying to lose weight.

What you want in a cereal is: Low fat, OK taste and decent fiber. Corn flakes has two of three (at least to you), better than some (like granola with high fat). Don't worry about vitamins or carbos.
Not quite. There's fat and then there's fat. Most of the fats you find in granola* is from nuts (like almonds) and that's good for you, as long as you don't overdue it. The bad part about most commercial granolas is the high sugar content. What you want in a breakfast is low refined carbs and a decent amount of protein and (good) fats. I usually do yogurt and berries with a half bagel and a few slices of lean ham.

Americans get way too much carbs, especially the highly refined type. I'm not saying go Atkins (where you don't worry about fat), but most Americans need to cut waaaaay down on the refined carbs. I'd recommend everyone out there to go thru their pantry and throw away everything that has "high fructose corn syrup" listed as one of the first 3 ingredients.

*I'm think of good quality granola here, not some cheap-o stuff fried in trans fats.

[Thudlow Boink]

Americans get way too much carbs, especially the highly refined type.Which is pretty much what Corn Flakes consist of, right? Kind of like eating white bread?

[yabob]

Well, you have to take the Corn Flakes the way the Kellogg brothers originally intended.

Of course, that means no alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, spicy foods or sex.
Not to mention the daily enemas. It is strongly suspected that they served John Kellogg as a substitute for the last item on the list (your word for the day is Klismaphile).

[John Mace]

Which is pretty much what Corn Flakes consist of, right? Kind of like eating white bread?
Yes. Lots of empty calories. Not bad for you, per se, but not particular nutritious. Just as importantly, not filling-- so you're going to be hungry again shortly. As I said before, you might as well just eat an equivalent caloric amount of sugar (and add a tiny bit of protein).

But it's hard to talk about the goodness or badness of any particular food outside the context of what else you're eating. In a typical American's diet, corn flakes are worthless. Better to eat something with more nutrients and more of an ability to satisfy your hunger for a longer period of time.

[Walloon]

Just want to pipe in that dietary fat is not a major factor in body fat. Refined carbohydrates — starches and sugars — play a much larger factor.

[Common Tater]

Mythbusters did a segment comparing Corn Flake's nutritional quality to the box in which they came. It came ahead, but not by a whole lot, IIRC.

Corn Flakes are good for you if they substitute a three egg omelette with bacon and chocolate milk, of course.

Sez who? /s

[Sapo]

Sez who? /s
It would depend on your lifestyle, of course but, as others have posted above, daily breakfast with cereal is normally better than breakfast with sausage and beer.

[Ximenean]

How come Kellogg's don't sell Fruit'n'Fibre in the US? I could live on that stuff, it's delicious and nutritious.

[Mr. Moto]

Round here that cereal was most recently sold by Post, but was recently discontinued.

Regional and specialty cereal makers may still carry variants. Bob's Red Bill, just for one, has at least a couple of varieties.

Also, the Cheerios, Special K, Total, and other mainstream cereal lines have added varieties with dehydrated strawberries or other fruits in them

America does love its cereal.

[John Mace]

How come Kellogg's don't sell Fruit'n'Fibre in the US? I could live on that stuff, it's delicious and nutritious.
Just out of curiosity, what makes you sure that it's nutritious? I'm not doubting you, I'd just like to see what an independent analysis says (ie, not what's on the box).

[Scumpup]

Well, you have to take the Corn Flakes the way the Kellogg brothers originally intended.

Of course, that means no alcohol, caffeine, tobacco, spicy foods or sex.

No meat, either.

[KneadToKnow]

that means no ... spicy foods or sex.
Regular sex is still okay, though, right?

[Mr. Moto]

Nope. John Harvey Kellogg was married to his wife for over 40 years, but they slept in separate rooms and never had sex.

Outspoken as he was against sex, he was even more outspoken against masturbation, believing the practice to cause every kind of moral and physical decay.

His substitute for these pleasures were the aforementioned abstemious diet, sunbathing, exercise, and enemas so vigorous that one machine in his employ could introduce fifteen gallons of water in mere minutes.

In addition to all this, Kellogg was naturally an advocate of "race strengthening" and eugenics.

He and his brother gave us Corn Flakes. When I was a kid I would eat them at the breakfast table with my pap, before we went fishing.

I still eat them today. The nice people who make them have little connection to the nasty ones who invented them, and I generally think more of my pap when I eat them than I do of Wellville.

[yabob]

Nope. John Harvey Kellogg was married to his wife for over 40 years, but they slept in separate rooms and never had sex.

Outspoken as he was against sex, he was even more outspoken against masturbation, believing the practice to cause every kind of moral and physical decay.

His substitute for these pleasures were the aforementioned abstemious diet, sunbathing, exercise, and enemas so vigorous that one machine in his employ could introduce fifteen gallons of water in mere minutes.

...
If you read the bio of Kellogg, you may become convinced that Anthony Hopkins' seemingly over-the-top portrayal in "Wellville" was actually tastefully restrained. Kellogg on the subject of masturbation:
A remedy [for masturbation] which is almost always successful in small boys is circumcision...The operation should be performed by a surgeon without administering an anesthetic, as the brief pain attending the operation will have a salutary effect upon the mind...In females, the author has found the application of pure carbolic acid to the clitoris an excellent means of allaying the abnormal excitement.

[John Mace]

Well, if everyone refrained from sex, he wouldn't have much of a market anymore, what with cereal being generally a kid's food and all.

[Cervaise]

So where does one pour the milk?In the butt, Bob.

[Myglaren]

Nope. John Harvey Kellogg was married to his wife for over 40 years, but they slept in separate rooms and never had sex.

Outspoken as he was against sex, he was even more outspoken against masturbation, believing the practice to cause every kind of moral and physical decay.

His substitute for these pleasures were the aforementioned abstemious diet, sunbathing, exercise, and enemas so vigorous that one machine in his employ could introduce fifteen gallons of water in mere minutes.

In addition to all this, Kellogg was naturally an advocate of "race strengthening" and eugenics.

He and his brother gave us Corn Flakes. When I was a kid I would eat them at the breakfast table with my pap, before we went fishing.

I still eat them today. The nice people who make them have little connection to the nasty ones who invented them, and I generally think more of my pap when I eat them than I do of Wellville.

That's not an enema - that's a car wash, that is!

[tdn]

Yes. Lots of empty calories. Not bad for you, per se, but not particular nutritious. Just as importantly, not filling-- so you're going to be hungry again shortly.
Just to elaborate on this a little, whole grain carbs are more filling, meaning you eat less, and the starches are converted to sugars slowly. Refined carbs convert quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar and triggering hunger -- meaning you eat more. Whole grains are also great at preventing colon cancer.

[John Mace]

Just to elaborate on this a little, whole grain carbs are more filling, meaning you eat less, and the starches are converted to sugars slowly. Refined carbs convert quickly, causing a spike in blood sugar and triggering hunger -- meaning you eat more.
Yep. And don't be fooled by "whole wheat". It's mostly a marketing term and does not mean "whole grain".

[tdn]

Yep. And don't be fooled by "whole wheat". It's mostly a marketing term and does not mean "whole grain".
Correct. And even some packages of bread will say "whole grain" on the front, but it carries as little weight as if it said "Tastes yummy!" Read the ingredients. I look for fiber content, myself.

[Ximenean]

Just out of curiosity, what makes you sure that it's nutritious? I'm not doubting you, I'd just like to see what an independent analysis says (ie, not what's on the box).
Blimey, "delicious and nutritious" was a just light-hearted reference to the sort of spiel they use to sell these things. I didn't expect to be asked for a cite. And surely all food is nutritious, by definition? Anyway, my store brand Fruit & Fibre (not the real Kellogg's deal, but close enough) has 7.7g per 100g fibre by AOAC analysis, whatever that is. Not too shabby. That figure is from the nutritional information on the box, but I see no reason to doubt it.

[John Mace]

Blimey, "delicious and nutritious" was a just light-hearted reference to the sort of spiel they use to sell these things. I didn't expect to be asked for a cite. And surely all food is nutritious, by definition? Anyway, my store brand Fruit & Fibre (not the real Kellogg's deal, but close enough) has 7.7g per 100g fibre by AOAC analysis, whatever that is. Not too shabby. That figure is from the nutritional information on the box, but I see no reason to doubt it.
Oh, I thought you were being completely serious. In that case, never mind!

[Happy Lendervedder]

So I guess I'm going to make the leap from Corn Flakes to Wheaties, as Wheaties (http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts-C00001-01c20PG.html) offer a bit more fiber.

[ouryL]

'ell
Switch to corn groats then. :mad:

[DrDeth]

Anyway, my store brand Fruit & Fibre (not the real Kellogg's deal, but close enough) has 7.7g per 100g fibre by AOAC analysis, whatever that is. Not too shabby. That figure is from the nutritional information on the box, but I see no reason to doubt it.

Very good fiber content.