Cereal is a popular breakfast choice for many of us in Britain and for good reason – it’s tasty, takes minutes to prepare, and doesn’t require any fancy recipes or ingredients.

However, it might not be as healthy as you think. There are certain things you should consider when choosing your cereal, as one doctor has issued a warning.

Doctor Deborah Lee from Doctor Fox Online Pharmacy has lifted the lid on the healthiest and unhealthiest cereals. Her advice comes after Kellogg’s chief executive, Gary Pilnick, was criticised for suggesting that people with less money should eat cereal for dinner to save cash, reports the Express.

Mr Pilnick told CNBC: “Consumers are under pressure… so we’re advertising about cereal for dinner if you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that’s going to be much more affordable.”

So, which cereals are the healthiest and which ones should you avoid? According to Dr Lee, porridge is the best option.

“You can’t beat a bowl of porridge oats,” she said. “Oats are a type of whole grain this means the grains are unrefined. Each kernel still contains the three components the germ, the bran and the endosperm. Oats are regarded as unprocessed foods.

“If they do undergo any form of processing, this is only minimal. Steel-cut oats have simply been sliced into smaller pieces, and rolled oats have been steamed and flattened to reduce their cooking time.

“Instant oats are rolled oats that have been precooked, flattened and dried. We should all be eating less processed and ultra-processed food.”

For a breakfast that’s packed with nutrients, Dr Lee recommends making your porridge with milk since it contains calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and protein.

She continued: “Adding fresh fruit such as bananas or berries is a great way to start getting your five a day, and adds healthy antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and fibre.

“Nuts and seeds, when added to porridge, provide healthy unsaturated omega-3 fats, as well as vitamins B and E, zinc, magnesium and more fibre.”

For those who enjoy a bowl of granola, there’s some bad news as she advised against choosing ones with chocolate added in. Dr Lee declared: “The unhealthiest breakfast cereals are breakfast cereals loaded with sugar and fat, with a high-calorie content.”

“The British Heart Foundation has identified granola with chocolate as the least healthy cereal option. A 50g serving of granola with chocolate contains 227 calories, and 6.8g of saturated fat.

“But add 125ml of full-fat milk, and this is another 81 calories and 4.6 g of fat. In total 308 calories and 11.8g of saturated fat.”

A bowl of chocolate granola is equivalent to half a child’s daily saturated fat intake and their entire recommended sugar intake, increasing the risk of obesity.

Dr Lee added: “Children (and adults) need to choose sugar-free, high-fibre cereals, containing unsaturated healthy fats. These can be a great source of nutrition and give a slow release of energy throughout the day, helping them not to feel hungry so they can concentrate at school, and work and play.

“Chocolate should only be eaten in small quantities occasionally as a treat and is definitely not needed in breakfast cereal.”

Is cereal a good choice for dinner?

In response to Mr Pilnick’s controversial remarks, Dr Lee said: “Eating a bowl of healthy cereal is a way of obtaining good nutrition, and can be the main meal of the day, but with a few provisos.

“Cereals do not contain all the essential amino acids your body needs for protein metabolism. They are often deficient in lysine, threonine and tryptophan.

“We all need to eat our fruit and veg – five-a-day – some say 10-a-day. Cereal itself does not contain fruit and veg (apart from dried fruit which is high in sugar).”

The expert also highlighted that fruits and vegetables boast healthy antioxidants essential for human survival – and while you can get these from wholegrains, it’s important to choose the right cereal, preferably adding some fresh fruit, nuts and seeds.

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