Bonus: Behind The Box
Sticking with store-bought cereal? Here's how to tell if your morning fave is really a diet derailer.
1. Unrecognizable ingredients: Words like "maltodextrin," "BHT," or other mystery nouns mean you're filling up on chemicals.
2. Hidden sugars: "Crunch" or "clusters" in the product name is code for extra sucrose. Nix any brand that lists sugar as the number-one ingredient or contains the sweetener in its processed forms, like maltose or high-fructose corn syrup.
3. Wimpy grains: "Bran," "multigrain," "100% wheat," "cracked wheat"—all indicate refined products, which have fewer nutrients. The one word you want to have listed in front of any grain: "whole."
Shopper beware: Are you falling for these 10 food label lies?