Are Honey Bunches Of Oats Bad For You?
Short answer
Unless you’re gluten intolerant, Honey Bunches of Oats is a safe breakfast choice when enjoyed in moderate amounts.
Recommended Alternative
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
View Full Grading System
Category 'A'
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Side effects are rare. Things rated an 'A+' are typically necessary for survival (for example, water).
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. A few harmful qualities may be associated, but only under certain circumstances such as an allergic reaction.
Very healthy and numerous health benefits. Harmful qualities may be associated, but aren't usually serious.
It is important to note that even the best things in life can become bad in immoderate amounts. So, although something may be rated an 'A+', overconsumption/overdoing can bring unwanted effects.
Category 'B'
Very beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B+' may have a few harmful qualities to pay attention to.
Overall beneficial to your health. Things rated a 'B' may have some harmful qualities to pay attention to.
More beneficial to your health than not. However, harmful qualities are most likely associated and shouldn't be overlooked.
The main difference between category 'A' and category 'B' is the harmful qualities typically present in 'B' items. Serious side effects are usually uncommon, but are still possible and should be taken note of.
Category 'C'
Both beneficial and harmful qualities associated. Things rated a 'C+' are typically a bit more on the beneficial side. Still, moderation is important.
A fairly even ratio of beneficial and harmful qualities. Moderation is important. Very general topics that can lean towards both sides of the spectrum will be placed here as well. Rice, for example, can be good or bad depending on the type.
More harmful than beneficial. Side effects are common, especially when consumed/done excessively. Moderation is very important.
Category 'C' usually denotes to both good and bad qualities. When it comes to this category, it is important to keep this word in mind: moderation.
Category 'D'
Harmful to your health. Although benefits may be associated, the bad most likely outweighs the good. Moderation is very important.
Harmful to your health. A few benefits may be associated, but the bad outweighs the good. Moderation is extremely important.
Harmful to your health. Very few, if any, benefits are present. Things in this category should be avoided as much as possible.
Category 'D' is typically for things that are more harmful than beneficial. While consuming/doing something unhealthy once in a blue moon shouldn't hurt, we definitely recommend eliminating 'D' items as a regular part of your routine/diet.
Category 'F'
Category 'F' is for things that fail to bring anything beneficial to the table, and are very harmful to your health. We recommend completely avoiding anything in this category. Long-term side effects of 'F' items are usually very serious.
Category 'N'
'N' stands for neutral. Things placed into this category are generally (a) neither good nor bad for you, or (b) lack the necessary evidence to reach any conclusions.
Long answer
What's in a breakfast cereal? Clemson University has a good rule-of-thumb guide for what a healthy cereal might have. They recommend you buy cereals with about 100-120 calories, a few grams of protein and fiber, less than eight grams of sugar, and between 10 and 25% of vitamins and minerals.
By that metric, Honey Bunches of Oats is a good choice for a breakfast cereal. There's some variety between sub-brands, but Honey Bunches generally has 120 calories per serving. Sugar is generally between 6 and 8 grams per serving, and protein and fiber are two or three grams per. Honey bunches has a lot of iron - around a third of your daily intake - and around 15% of the B vitamins that you need for the day.
That's particularly good news in the sugar department. Honey Bunches of Oats has relatively little sugar per serving compared to other cereals. Of the 24 grams of carbohydrates per serving, just six come from sugars. That's low - many cereals have much higher ratios of sugar to total carbohydrates. You're unlikely to get a big sugar rush or rot your teeth from consuming honey bunches on a regular basis.
Look at the ingredient list for Honey Bunches of Oats and you'll see "natural and artificial flavors" listed. This is a classic cop-out: it's an umbrella category that could include a whole range of strange, hard-to-pronounce additives and foodlike products. It's low on the list of ingredients, so the amounts in Honey Bunches are likely marginal, but remember to be prudent and cautious.
Honey Bunches is made with wheat. If you're incapable of digesting gluten, this should be a red flag: there's gluten in that wheat, and eating Honey Bunches will cause problems in your gut. Gluten sensitivity below the level of intolerance is still controversial - there's not much research which describes or establishes it as a phenomenon. If you consider yourself to be gluten sensitive, however, you'll also want to avoid Honey Bunches of Oats.
Ingredients to be aware of
Benefits
- fits the profile of a “healthy breakfast cereal” put out by clemson university
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good source of iron
Our Wellness Pick
(what is this?)
Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal
- Organic whole wheat
- Rich in fiber
- Non-GMO
- Authentic cinnamon flavor
- Heart-healthy choice
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