Nutritionists Reveal the Best and Worst Breakfast Cereals

The NOVA food classification system has caused unnecessary confusion about “ultra-processed” foods. It was developed by the Center for Epidemiological Studies in Health and Nutrition at the School of Public Health at the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and groups foods based on their level of processing and recommends avoid “ultra-processed foods” like candy and soda. All breakfast cereals are grouped into the ultra-processed category. This has sparked debate among nutrition experts.

Registered dietitian (RD) Courtney Pelitera believes the NOVA scale is misinterpreted. “Processing simply refers to all physical, biological and chemical methods used during the food manufacturing process, including the use of additives. This classification system was never intended to determine “food safety,” as has become popular on social media.

According to RD Kelly Toups LeBlanc, vice president of nutritional programming at Oldways, not all ultra-processed foods are created equal. “Some ultra-processed foods, like whole-grain breakfast cereals, contain important food groups recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Other ultra-processed foods, like candy bars and soda, don’t.

She takes issue with the way the NOVA list categorizes foods, particularly whole grain cereals.

“For example, refined grains like all-purpose flour, degermed cornmeal, and white rice, which have been processed to remove their healthy bran and germ, are somehow considered minimally processed, placing them in the same category as fresh broccoli – although packaged. 100% whole grain breads and whole grain breakfast cereals are considered ultra-processed,” LeBlanc said.

The truth is that whole grains can play an important role in nutritional assistance programs, providing valuable nutrition to vulnerable populations. “In a 2023 USDA study, government scientists designed a nutritious, 2,000-calorie, seven-day diet in which 91% of calories came from ultra-processed foods,” LeBlanc said.

What does a dietitian look for in breakfast cereals?