It’s no secret that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Yet with the rise of trends like intermittent fasting and the fast-paced nature of modern life which often leaves us without time for a morning snack, breakfast is in danger of becoming obsolete.
It’s easy to think that skipping a meal will help you on your journey to achieving your desired weight, but this simply is not the case. Any doctor or healthcare professional will explain that you not only need three healthy, balanced meals a day for your body and mind to thrive, but to kickstart your metabolism properly.
When you ‘break the fast’ after sleeping for (hopefully) a full eight hours, introducing wholesome sustenance to your body is akin to blowing the dust off a machine’s gears and powering it back up after a little while on standby. Just like an old computer, your body needs to start running before you embark on any taxing tasks, or you run the risk of upsetting the hardware.
Metaphors aside, let us break down what this means in more scientific terms. If you can recall GCSE biology, you might just remember the definition of metabolism. Metabolic processes are a series of chemical reactions that help us to live by delivering energy from the food we consume to our cells, thereby helping them to function properly.
Having a faster metabolism helps you to burn calories quicker throughout the day, while your body takes in the key elements of the food you consume, converts it to glucose, and gives you energy to tackle whatever life throws at you. On the flipside, having a slower metabolic rate burns fewer calories, which results in more calories getting stored as fat in the body.
Without a well-functioning metabolism, not only will your body be unable to absorb the wholesome nutrients from the food you eat, but you won’t be able to expel any energy either – leaving you feeling lethargic.
Now that we’ve explained why getting up early for a decent breakfast is so important, let’s get into exactly what kind of cereal you should be looking for when on a weight loss journey:
- Wholegrains: Wholegrains are chock-full of fibre, vitamins and minerals. They are known to help lower cholesterol, blood pressure and the risk of diabetes while helping to improve the microbial diversity of your gut. Wholegrains include barley, bulgur, quinoa, wheat and rye. You might also be surprised to learn that oats are a wholegrain! While certain weight loss cereals are fantastic, you don’t need to switch out your classic rolled oats if you’re content with a bowl of porridge in the morning.
- Protein: Protein takes far longer to digest than other nutrients, which can help you to feel satiated for longer. If you’re pairing healthy eating with a daily dose of movement, eating a decent amount of protein can also help to lower body fat and retain lean muscle.
- Low sugar: It goes without saying that eating cereal which is low in refined sugars is beneficial for all aspects of your health, whether weight loss is the ultimate goal or not. Eating wholegrain cereals doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some delicious, healthy toppings. Make your morning meals more interesting with a dollop of microbiome-boosting Kefir, a handful of antioxidant-rich blueberries and some sweet agave syrup which is free from refined sugars.
Keep scrolling for a round-up of the best cereals for weight loss.
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Kellogg's Special K Protein Nuts, Clusters & Seeds
Starting off strong with a nationwide classic, Special K Protein is filled to the brim with fibre, vitamin B12, iron, vitamin D - and of course - lots of protein. These crunchy, multigrain flakes contain clusters of seeds and nuts which give this cereal an almost granola-like texture.
Buy now £3.00, Ocado
Weetabix
Weetabix is a brilliant way to start your day no matter your age or weight. Made up of 100 per cent wholegrain and packed with fibre, you can customise your Weetabix each and every morning depending on your mood. You might fancy some banana and honey one day, or some apple and strawberry with a sprinkling of cinnamon the next - the choice is yours.
Buy now £3.50, Ocado
Rude Health Honey Spelt Puffs
When we see the word ‘honey’ on a box of cereal, it’s hard not to imagine that it’s filled to the brim with unhealthy added and refined sugars. Not with Rude Health. Made up of just two ingredients - 86 per cent wholegrain spelt and 14 per cent honey - a bowl of this cereal a day will keep your tummy happy and your mind at ease.
Buy now £2.55, Ocado
Flahavan's Irish Porridge Oats Original
Porridge oats have been a breakfast favourite for centuries. Oats are a fibre-full wholegrain which helps to keep your metabolism functioning properly. The low-calorie breakfast option is also full of brilliant minerals including iron, copper and manganese. Before you exclaim, “but porridge isn’t a cereal!” we’re happy to inform you that it is, in fact, a hot cereal. Delish.
£2.75 will get you 1.5kg of these buttery soft rolled oats from Ireland. Now that’s a bargain.
Buy now £2.75, ASDA
Bio&Me Granola Low Sugar, Naturally Gut-Loving Prebiotic Granola
A wonderfully versatile snack, we love this Bio&Me gut-loving granola, not just for its name, but for its fabulous nutritional value. A simple oaty flavour with no bells and whistles is naturally low in sugar, high in fibre and full of those lovely prebiotics. Fill up a bowl with some oat milk, or snack on it dry.
Buy now £2.77, Ocado
Essential Fruit & Fibre Wheat Flakes
Fruit and fibre cereals have been around for as long as we can remember, and for good reason. Though it might not be the most exciting breakfast on the market, it comprises a healthy daily serving of metabolism-boosting goodness and is extremely budget-friendly.
Buy now £1.85, Waitrose
Surreal High Protein Cereal Cocoa 240g
Punny name aside, Surreal’s cocoa cereal is a brilliant way to feel like you’re snacking on your favourite chocolatey childhood breakfast without any of the guilt. High in protein, low in carbs and shockingly containing zero grams of sugar, a bowl of Surreal a day will keep the doctor away.
Buy now £24.00, Holland & Barrett
ProteinWorks Superfood Breakfast Bowl
Though a breakfast cereal containing quinoa might not make sense in your brain at first thought, adding the tasty wholegrain to your breakfast mix is a brilliant way to increase fibre intake. The Superfood Breakfast Bowl by ProteinWorks also contains heart-healthy, slow-release fibres such as oats and couscous, as well as healthy fats including sunflower seeds, chia seeds and flaxseeds.
Available in three delicious flavours: apple and cinnamon, double chocolate and summer berry feast.
Buy now £16.99, ProteinWorks
