Good old cereal is a staple in the breakfast of many people. Most cereals on the market, however, don't seem to have the nutritional needs of vegans in mind. And if you are following a plant-based diet, these regular cereals may not be your best bet.
Does it mean it's time for you to part ways with the delight of crunching something tasty for breakfast?
Not at all.
There's no shortage of vegan cereal options to choose from. Our guide will help you learn more about vegan cereal. And uncover what you need to know to pick the best one.
What Exactly Is So Wrong with Regular Cereals?
Many people who eat cereal on a daily basis don't follow any specific diet. And they go about their day not paying much attention to what they eat. No wonder why they never notice how inferior most regular cereals are.Vegans can't afford to exercise the same ignorance. Being conscious of what you eat is at the core of the vegan way of life. Once you look at what goes into most regular cereals, you'll realize they're anything but healthy.
Most regular cereals are:
- Highly processed It's no secret that the ingredients in most regular cereals go through a lot of processing. But processed foods are notorious for being very poor sources of nourishment. With many nutrients snatched by processing, there's not much regular cereal can offer to your body.
- Full of high-glycemic ingredients From plain processed sugar to synthetic sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup, regular cereals are stuffed with high-glycemic components. Eating even a small portion of cereal that has them can easily send your insulin through the roof.
- Extremely low in protein Starting your day with some amount of protein is a good idea. Most regular cereals, however, contain little to no high-quality protein. Their protein content is almost entirely made up of gluten, which isn't a type of protein the body can utilize.
- Not animal-free Just because all cereals are based on grain products doesn't mean they're automatically free of animal source components. Many regular cereals end up with traces of dairy products as a result of cross-contamination at processing facilities.
At this point, we have a grasp of why most regular cereals are an inferior choice for vegans.
Let's take a look at what kind of cereal we can consider as vegan.
How Are Vegan Cereals Different from Regular Ones?
It goes without saying that vegan-friendly cereals must be free of animal source ingredients. They must also be made with the use of manufacturing practices that are cruelty-free. But are there any other features that make for a vegan cereal?On top of being animal and cruelty free, vegan cereals are in tune with the needs of a plant-based diet:
- Include whole grain ingredients Compared to their processed alternatives, whole grain ingredients are a healthier choice for everyone and not just vegans. Whole grain foods come with more vitamins and minerals and are a lot more nutritious for your body.
- Have low glycemic index Plant-based diets are well-known for their ability to maintain steady levels of blood sugar. And vegan cereals don't undermine this ability. Free of high-glycemic ingredients and made with wholesome foods, they digest slower and trigger no insulin spikes.
- Are rich in protein Vegan cereals must use the types of grain that are rich in high-quality protein. This implies the use of gluten-free grains, such as oats and rice. Many vegan cereals walk the extra mile of including additional sources of plant-based protein, like seeds and nuts. Protein supplier can be found on the internet, do check online.
- Use sprouted food sources Some vegan cereals make use of sprouted foods. Much like fermenting, sprouting boosts the nutritional value of foods. Foods from sprouted sources have a higher digestibility rate, letting the body make full use of protein, vitamins, and minerals.
As you can see, opting for vegan cereals instead of regular alternatives has many unique benefits.
Not every vegan cereal can deliver these benefits to the fullest, though.
What Makes for a Truly Decent Vegan Cereal?
Besides the features we've covered earlier, a vegan cereal that has superior quality must ideally be:Gluten-free Vegan cereals of supreme quality steer clear of grains with gluten, such as wheat and corn. Instead, they make use of naturally gluten-free grains, like oats and buckwheat. And they have no cross-contamination with gluten either.
Non-GMO In this day and age, GM ingredients plague many food products. And some cereals can be badly contaminated with GMOs. Since GMOs are linked to a variety of adverse health effects, healthful vegan cereals must not include anything genetically modified.
Organic Not every vegan cereal on the market is organically sourced. But the best vegan cereals use only organic components and come free of toxic pesticides as a result. As you can tell, eating an organic vegan cereal prevents you from ingesting these harmful substances.
Natural Top-quality vegan cereals don't use any artificial ingredients. This is especially so with sweeteners. Lower-grade vegan cereals employ toxic artificial sweeteners, such as sucralose and aspartame. Higher-grade options have natural sweeteners, like honey and maple syrup.
Luckily, most vegan cereals on the market meet many of the criteria we've covered and if you want suggestions, there are several brands you can try.
Top Vegan Cereal Brands for You to Try
These brands make some of the best vegan cereals on the market:- Cascadian Farm.
- Cap'n Crunch.
- Barbara's.
- 365 Everyday Value.
- General Mills.
- Kashi.
- Quaker.
- Kellogg's.
- Nature's Path.
