Low-glycemic cereals can help control blood sugar levels. Look for cereals with nuts, seeds, and little or no grains. Sugar substitutes and milk substitutes can also help.
The glycemic index is a scale that measures the effect a food has on blood sugar levels, and cereal is often thought of as a food that can drive blood sugar to very high levels in some people. Nuts and seeds are important ingredients to look for in a cereal if you want to control blood sugar, as they can help lower the glycemic index of a meal. Finding a low-glycemic cereal that contains a small amount of grain, or none at all, will also ensure healthy blood sugar levels. Choosing a cereal with no added sweeteners, using sugar substitutes instead, will also help avoid blood sugar spikes after eating.
A low glycemic cereal should contain a low amount of grains, such as rice, oats and wheat, as these ingredients are relatively high on the glycemic index. Because grains are primarily carbohydrates, they break down into sugar much more quickly in the body, causing blood sugar and insulin to spike faster than fat and protein. Choosing a cereal that doesn’t include grains, but does include ingredients like nuts and seeds, as well as freeze-dried fruit, can be helpful. Avoiding a grain that contains puffed corn or refined rice or wheat will ensure you’re getting a low-glycemic grain.
Nuts and seeds add bulk to a low-glycemic cereal without affecting blood sugar, so choosing a cereal where most of the ingredients are walnuts, almonds, or other nut and nut products can be helpful in glycemic control. The natural fats and proteins found in nuts and seeds actually help lower the glycemic index of a meal, making these ingredients important additions if you want to control your blood sugar after eating. Chia seeds and flaxseeds may be available in low glycemic cereals, as these ingredients contain high amounts of fiber which also aid in blood sugar regulation. These ingredients not only help control blood sugar but also offer a wide range of other nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.
Choosing a low glycemic cereal that contains a sugar substitute as a sweetener is ideal, if an overall sweetener is even needed. Most cereals that contain real sugar can be problematic for blood sugar levels, so it can be helpful to find a cereal that uses natural or artificial substitutes. If a cereal has added sugar, it’s important to make sure there’s enough fat, protein, and fiber from the nuts and seeds to help reduce the risk of adding sugar to your bloodstream too quickly. Using a milk substitute like almond or coconut milk will also ensure that the overall cereal is low in calories and blood sugar-raising carbohydrates.
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