Milk flakes. Oatmeal: cooking.

Popular in the world since the 19th century. For the first time they appeared in the United States, as a dish based on corn flour. These "dry breakfasts" are very common among the ever-busy working population, because often they do not always have enough time to prepare a full breakfast. Remarkable qualities cornflakes   consist not only in their fast and simple cookingbut also a huge benefit to human health. Experts recommend them not only for adults, but also for growing children's organisms. The only caveat is that the flakes do not completely replace good nutrition, so they are advised to use as an additional source of vitamins in the intervals between the main meal.

The Benefits and Harm of Cornflakes

Initially, corn kernels are treated and freed from the shells. Then they are ground to the state of grit. Traditional corn flakes consist of sugar and malt syrups, proper corn, salt and water. The process of making flakes is quite complicated and consists of many stages: mixing, heat treatment, drying, conditioning, roasting thin sheets of flakes. Today, many ingredients are added to cornflakes: chocolate, frosting, caramel, dried fruit, milk, etc. Despite its rather high nutritional and vitamin value, flakes do not have high calorieHowever, in some cases it can be up to 300 kcal. They can be used by those who follow the diet, in particular for weight loss. But, nevertheless, you should not get involved in them either, since it is the icing that can trigger weight gain. A number of vitamins are present in cornflakes: A, PP, H, E, Group B. Mineral diversity is also high: zinc, cobalt, copper, magnesium, iron, molybdenum, chromium, potassium, sodium. In flakes, a high degree of fiber content that stimulates the activity of the digestive tract. The amount of nutrients in cornflakes due to the same properties of corn. The only difference is that in the form of corn flakes it is absorbed much faster and easier.

As part of corn flakes, there is an amino acid such as tryptophan, which in the body turns into serotonin or, as it is also called, “the hormone of joy”. In other words, with the help of cornflakes you can fight depression and nervous breakdowns. Cornflakes improve intestinal activity, therefore, they are recommended for people suffering from constipation, gastroenteritis and colitis. Glutamic acid in the composition of the flakes improves brain activity, optimizes metabolism, as a result, improves memory. There are also pectins in flakes, known for their anti-cancer abilities. Corn starch is involved in the growth of muscle tissue and nerve cells, which is very important for children and young people. For those who regularly use flakes, the elimination of toxins and slags from the organs is greatly accelerated. Flakes are indicated for gout, liver diseases, epilepsy. Harm flakes can also cause, if you do not follow certain recommendations. It is undesirable to use them for people with caries, as a sugar-containing product. Flakes can cause allergic reactions. In addition, it is necessary to carefully study the composition of the goods on the package to avoid low-quality products.

In the first edition of the Breakfast with Komsomolskaya Pravda project, we compared yoghurts from leading manufacturers. Today it is the turn of cereal.

Of course, flakes poured with milk, kefir or yoghurt are convenient, quick and tasty, but how useful is it? Do breakfast cereals for daily use in baby food? What is the difference between cereal for children and cereal for those who want to lose weight? Answers to these and other questions Komsomolka clarified along with the experts.

How it's done

Dry breakfasts are called products from corn, wheat, rice and other crops in the form of sticks, flakes, air grains, ringlets, asterisks, pads, etc., which can be consumed without any additional cooking. To improve the taste in the mixture add sugar syrup, caramel, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate pieces, often mixtures enrich with vitamins and mineral salts - calcium, phosphorus, iron. All this is intended to help the lazy, sleepy and always hurrying consumer in the morning.

Flakes manufacturing technology includes: removing shells from grains, separating germs, obtaining cereals, then boiling them in sugar-salt syrup, flattening them into thin petals and roasting them in a furnace to a crisp state, said the head of the product testing research center "Ukrmetrteststandard" Vladimir Semenovich. - Usually, flakes are eaten, pre-filling them with milk or yogurt ...

What does the manufacturer keep back

Cereals - a quick and nutritious breakfast, and this, of course, its advantages. But there are also disadvantages.

The main disadvantage is that, as a rule, flakes contain a lot of carbohydrates, including sugar. That is, these are sufficiently high-calorie foods and cannot be abused, says our expert. - Today, when the consumer has a wide choice, I would recommend to use unglazed flakes: they may not be so tasty, but the nutritional value   will be higher due to the smaller amount of sugar, which is known to contribute to the appearance of excess weight. In addition, domestic and foreign nutritionists have repeatedly said that this product contains a lot of salt, because, as mentioned above, according to the technology, it is boiled in sugar-salt syrup.

The expert told "Komsomolskaya Pravda" about one more thing that alarms him:

Consider two types of flakes produced under the brand name Nestle. Alone with all of their appearance indicate that they are intended for children: a bright colorfully painted box, tasks for children, interesting information, written in an accessible language for children. Other cereals - specialized: for those who want to lose weight. In the "children's cereal" we see the carbohydrate content of 79.7 g per 100 g, of which 34.6 g is sugar (this is indicated on the label). In those that are for weight loss - 76.4 g per 100 g, but at the same time, sugar is twice as low as in children’s - 17.1 g. In my opinion, what is recommended for children should contain the minimum amount of sugar ...

We have become accustomed to the fact that the “simpler” composition, the less dyes, emulsifiers and various food additives, the better. And, judging by our comparative analysis (see table. - Ed.), of the investigated flakes, a product from Belarus compares favorably with a minimum set of ingredients on its packaging. However, Vladimir Semenovich has a slightly different opinion on this matter:

On the flakes produced in Belarus there is not enough information about the composition - in my opinion, the manufacturer indicated not all that is really in this product. According to the technology, the flakes are fried, which means that the composition should contain fats. And in order for fats not to be rancid, the manufacturer adds antioxidants (and this, by the way, is indicated on all other packages), and they are not indicated on the packaging from Belarus.

Price range

The cost of breakfast cereal is more than doubled: 100 g of dry mixes can cost the consumer from 3.20 to 7.48 UAH. Those that are more expensive, as indicated on the package, are designed for weight loss, but it is difficult to conclude from the caloric content declared on the same package how easy it will be to lose those extra pounds. Judge for yourself: the calorie content of slimming flakes made from whole wheat is much higher than the caloric content of regular glazed flakes.

Only on the basis of the specified energy value it is difficult to conclude how this or that product is intended for weight loss, - explained to Komsomolka specialist in healthy eating, fitness nutritionist Vladislav SLASTIN.   - Agree: if there are more calories in a portion of salad than in a small bun, we will not conclude that a bun contributes to weight loss! Therefore, we must take into account everything: enrichment of the product with minerals and vitamins, recommendations for proper use, other factors ...

In addition, the expert debunked the myth that people who want to lose weight should limit the consumption of carbohydrates. According to him, fats are burned in a flame of carbohydrates, so people who are involved in, for example, fitness, carbohydrate consumption is necessary. Only this should be the so-called slow carbohydrates. (see GOOD TO KNOW) That is, those that are absorbed by the body gradually, sugar is released slowly, which means that the brain will not give a signal about hunger for a longer time.

GOOD TO KNOW

• wholemeal bread
• whole wheat pasta,
• all beans,
• porridge (except manna),
• vegetables (especially zucchini, spinach, cabbage),
• non-sugar fruits (apples, kiwi, grapefruits, cherries),
• mushrooms,
• onion.

Fast carbs:

• sugar,
• pastry shops and flour products,
• pineapples, raisins, watermelons, ripe bananas, cantaloupe,
• potato dishes
• carrot, pumpkin, turnip,
• brown and white rice,
• white bread, breadsticks,
• corn flakes and chopsticks,
• oatmeal   quick cooking.

COUNCIL "KP"

The main advice - carefully read the packaging - remains in force! Many manufacturers honestly warn that their products are not for everyone. For example, the manufacturer of cereals from whole wheat Fitness advises before consuming a product to consult with your doctor if:

You are pregnant or breastfeeding,

You are under 18,

You are taking medication

You want to lose more than 20 percent of the weight.

OPINION DIETOLOGY

Cereals in dry breakfasts are changed beyond recognition: they are often ground into flour and turned into flakes or various crispy figurines, says nutritionist Larisa BUTKOVA.   - And, as you know, the more crushed grain, so it is less useful. Whole grain preserves more vitamins, minerals, oils and, of course, fiber. It must be said that modern man lacks fiber dramatically: we eat a lot of refined and processed food, in which there is almost no fiber. Many consumers mistakenly believe that fiber is in breakfast cereals, but this statement is true only if the flakes are made from whole grains.

Breakfast is the earliest and most important meal of the day. Therefore, it is important to think it over. For most people, it can be balanced, but in the morning you don’t want to spend time on cooking, and many prefer to eat filling up with milk or kefir.

For those who follow the figure, the priority is no sugar. But nutritionists' reviews do not inspire optimism, since such products are considered fat and absolutely useless for humans.

What are you talking about?

Corn flakes without sugar often appear on the table of a modern person. This is a versatile snack, nutritious and tasty, with a large number of macro-and micronutrients. But usually we choose it not at all from considerations of advantage, but guided by advertising. Usually in the video there are slender smiling girls, for whom the flakes become almost best friend   and the main "accomplice" in losing weight.

And manufacturers also argue that eating flakes helps maintain the balance of vitamins in the body and reduce weight. Unfortunately, everything is not as simple as it seems. So before buying it is worth seriously considering the rationality of such an acquisition.

Technology

What are corn flakes? These are thin kruglyashi from corn flour. The flakes production technology belongs to the Americans - the Kellogg brothers, who accidentally roasted the dough in butter and were interested in the result of the guests of the nearby pension. The resulting hype was a great advertisement, and sales immediately began to grow. But the dish seemed bland, and the enterprising creators spiced up the flakes with sugar.

The technology is such that before being turned into flakes, the corn goes through several stages of cleaning, after which it is boiled in a sweet-salty syrup and roasted in the oven. Already in the final, it is mixed with fillers or icing.

For those who are on a diet

The most important question for those who love sugar-free corn flakes is calorie content. Is it high in a similar product? Immediately you need to scare lovers of cereal - comes out about 360 calories per 100 grams. And 80 grams of this amount - carbohydrates. Course for diet food   Such a delicacy with such indicators is not good at all, and it is necessary to significantly limit it. Moreover, there are almost no proteins in the flakes, as well as fats.

Therefore, you can safely refute the statement of advertisers that you can even stick to a diet on flakes. In a similar theory, there are a million reservations. Firstly, one daily meal is replaced with corn flakes without sugar. Calorie per 100 grams does not allow to eat a large portion, so you have to be content with dinner, consisting of 50-60 grams of cereal with skimmed milk. With such power you will not grow stout!

Secondly, the flakes do not saturate, and the person soon feels as if he did not eat anything at all. Feelings are deceptive, and thus we provoke ourselves to weight gain. Is it worth suffering a similar diet? Hardly!

About the composition

On the nutritional composition can not argue. Indeed, in the process of preparation, almost all the vitamins are eliminated, and at the output the consumer gets an “empty” product, flavored with preservatives, flavor enhancers, flavors and stabilizers. Lovers often disagree with this quick breakfasts. For them, corn flakes without sugar, which photos on the packaging attracts with associations with health and nature, seem to be the epitome of purity, naturalness and joy.

Benefit and harm

So, what's good and bad are our cereals? In the list of positive moments, you can record the cooking speed, delicious aroma, the ability to combine the product with milk, cocoa and jam. If your child eats flakes with natural juice, mineral water   or fruit pieces, then such a cocktail is certainly useful. The product has no more advantages!

Corn flakes without sugar do not contribute to weight loss, but, on the contrary, lead to obesity. So frivolous use of the product provokes an increase in appetite, as well as the appearance of allergic reactions. By the way, allergies can occur in absolutely everyone, if the composition has palm oil. People with poor health are at risk of developing chronic diseases of the cleansing, respiratory and cardiovascular systems of the body. The work of the stomach is impaired, and a whole galaxy of medics agree that the flakes affect the work of the endocrine system, the thyroid gland.

Alas, but flakes can provoke oncology! This is due to the fact that acrylamide forms during frying. It is a strong carcinogen that accumulates in tissues, forming a cancerous tumor. You should not be afraid of it, because such a result can be achieved with excessive use of flakes.

To health!

Considering all of the above, it is worth citing as an example at least one brand that produces flakes. What do corn sugar-free cereals offer for your health? Manufacturers position the product as a symbiosis of natural corn grits, sugar, honey. All this is based on vitamins and minerals. The brand has four varieties: glazed with sugar, unglazed, honey and with a sugar substitute. It is recommended to use the product for breakfast with yogurt, milk and kefir.

Many parents plan to buy their child a corn flake without sugar "For Health". Feedback from other consumers is perceived as a good motivation or anti-motivation to buy. There are almost no complaints about the flakes. Children note that the product is tasty, sweet and at the same time light. With such flakes, they are happy to drink milk and kefir, as well as cocoa, even when they do not like to drink. But the excessive sweetness does not always seem relevant, and therefore children do not put the product in a cult. Adult consumers respond rather neutral. The excessive sweetness and the fact that soon after breakfast you feel hungry again embarrasses you.

So, if your child (or yourself) still really want to pamper yourself and buy corn flakes without sugar, then follow some simple tips   nutritionists to purchase the product as harmless as possible.

First, read the composition and choose the product, where there are no artificial additives, and there are vitamins.

Secondly, do not position the flakes as a healthy food and talk to your child about the dangers of excessive consumption.

Thirdly, do not feed the child with flakes on an empty stomach, but save them to the dessert, accompanying with curds, yogurt, and juice. In this case, the useful product should be more than flakes. If you give your child corn plates, then other sweets can be excluded, otherwise there will be too much sugar. So the main thing is moderation, and any product will not be harmful!

Enjoy your meal!

Cornflakes is one of the most popular breakfast cereals among children and adults. They were invented in 1898 by the Kellogg brothers. For several years in a row, the media have been talking about the benefits of this product and the simplicity of its preparation.

Benefit

Cornflakes do not belong to the category diet products. By themselves, they have few calories, but various supplements make them high-calorie.
  Flakes contain vitamins A, B, E, PP, H, a number of micro and macronutrients. Among them, copper, magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron, etc. Tryptophan, which is contained in flakes and turns into serotonin in the human body, improves mood and helps in the fight against depression.
  This type of breakfast cereal contains a significant amount of fiber. And it helps to stimulate the digestive tract and proper digestion. Natural cornflakes help relieve constipation and intestinal lethargy. Thereby useful property   Flakes are recommended for people with colitis and gastroenteritis.
  In addition, the composition of cornflakes contains glutamic acid, which improves memory and normalizes metabolic processes in the brain.
  Pectins, also contained in the breakfast, have the ability to prevent the development of tumors.
  Corn starch is involved in building muscle fibers and nerve cells.
  If you use cornflakes regularly, then toxins and slags will be quickly eliminated from the body.

Harm

If earlier cornflakes were considered without a doubt useful product, now the opinions of nutritionists diverge. Recently, they have been artificially enriched with minerals, vitamins, glazes, honey, flavor enhancers, stabilizers and other, far from the most useful, substances.
  The research results showed that sugar in one portion of corn flakes can be as much as it is contained in chocolate cake. And this is part of the amount of sugar, which is permissible to use an adult during the day.
Italian nutritionists have concluded that frequent consumption of such flakes contributes to an increase in body weight. Children with such a daily “diet” may soon develop obesity. Corn itself is in no way associated with fat deposition. But cornflakes, and even with various artificial additives, do not have the best effect on the body:

• increase blood sugar;
• impair the functioning of the stomach;
• may cause nausea;
• stomach ache;
• can provoke the development of oncology (a substance formed in the manufacture of flakes and called acrylamide, contributes to the development and reproduction of cancer cells).

In addition, for the manufacture of cornflakes very often used genetically modified cereal. And according to the results of scientific experiments and research, which are trying in every way to "hush up" and not give publicity, GMO products are extremely dangerous for humans. They cause serious damage to the immune system, accelerate the aging process and lead to infertility.
  In a number of developed countries, cornflakes are included in the list of harmful products along with soda, chips and other snacks.
  Russian nutritionists have come to the conclusion that often feeding children with such a product is not just not safe, but harmful.
  Many girls and women, blindly believing in advertising and trying to get their shape in shape, eat cornflakes daily for breakfast. Dispel the myth will help the composition of the product indicated on the packaging. Most often there are listed: flour, sugar, butter and various food additives.
  As for vitamins and minerals, which are enriched in flakes - these are synthetic substances (the same as in the pharmacy).
  Sweet cornflakes contribute to the development of caries. And all sorts of food additives can cause allergies. Before buying a ready-made breakfast in the store, it is recommended to carefully read its ingredients indicated on the package.

Calorie content

100 grams of corn flakes contain 325.3 kcal. Of these: proteins - 8.3 grams (~ 33 kcal), fats - 1.2 grams (~ 11 kcal), carbohydrates - 75 grams (~ 300 kcal).

Contraindications

Cornflakes are contraindicated for people with diabetes.

This product should be excluded from the diet of people with high blood clotting, a tendency to form blood clots and those who have thrombophlebitis.

To exclude sweet cornflakes from the diet should be people who have caries.
Small children need to give flakes not often and in the form of snacking between meals, and not the main component of the diet.
  Pregnant women on dry breakfast is better not to lean. Natural vitamins and nutrients in them the minimum amount, and they give a feeling of satiety for a while.
  Nursing mothers can also eat flakes in small quantities, and they should not contain sugar and artificial chemical additives.

The nutritional value

Cornflakes - high-calorie product containing a large amount of carbohydrates.

Vitamins and Minerals

We know about the benefits of breakfast cereals for many years: advertising is created by very talented people, and usually, when it comes to food, they use the theme of family and young children - this works flawlessly. Breakfast cereals are actively advertised: wheat, rice, oats, corn, with various additives - they do not require cooking, and in recent years have become simply universal all over the world - they are eaten by pouring milk, juice, etc. More popular than others - perhaps because they talk about them more often than about others.

Cornflakes History

This product has a history beginning in the 19th century in the USA.

Brothers D.H. and V.K. The Kellogs, who owned a sanatorium in Michigan, decided to add cornmeal dishes to the patients menu. One of these dishes was prepared in the kitchen on the day when they had to urgently leave for a couple of hours on business, and they did not control the cooking process. Returning, they found that the dish was spoiled: the flour dough did not work out, everything was curled up in lumps and flakes. Cornmeal it was not enough, and it was a pity to throw it away, so the brothers used simple devices for rolling out, and then ground the resulting thin layers, and roasted them in oil. Suddenly, everyone enjoyed the dish very much: the flakes crunched, and with milk, marshmallow and sugar seemed very tasty to patients. One of the brothers was a doctor, and patented this recipe - the original cornflakes; then the brothers founded a new company and began their mass production.

Today, Kellogg’s company is over 100 years old, and it is the world's largest manufacturer of breakfast cereals, including cornflakes.

The Benefits and Harm of Cornflakes

Of course, we want to know what is more in this product that our children love so much - good or bad?   The quality of most products, as is known, does not depend on their usefulness or harmfulness, per se, but on the technology of their preparation. We will talk about the right technology - the producers tell about it.

First, shells and germs are removed from the corn kernels, and then they grind the obtained raw material into grains. In a safe product there should be only corn, salt, sugar and malt syrup and water.

First, all the ingredients are mixed with a mixer, and then they load the mixture into the cooking apparatus, where the grains are processed with steam — all the grains should turn golden brown.

After heat treatment, the mass is discharged to the conveyor and passed through a device that breaks up lumps: it separates the adhering particles of the grains, so that the drying is uniform. Then, in small portions, the product is sent to the dryer; it is further cooled to ambient temperature and subjected to a conditioning process in order to evenly distribute all the remaining moisture. As you can see, the process is not so complicated, and quite consistent: on a special machine, the raw material is flattened, getting thin flakes, and then roasted them for one and a half minutes in a special oven under the action of steam, at a temperature of 275 to 330 ° C.

There is another way - the extrusion method, in which the stages from the 2nd to the 6th are not required: the mixture is immediately forced through the holes of a special apparatus - an extruder; at the same time, it cools, and from the resulting dough, flakes are cut, which are then dried, ground and fried.

Previously, corn flakes were produced without additives, but now they have begun to enrich; to glaze, caramel, chocolate, sugar syrup; add in them dried fruits, fat, milk and other ingredients. At the same time, of course, E are also added: flavor enhancers, flavors, stabilizers, etc.

British nutritionists, researching some manufacturers, found that they are not as useful as they try to imagine.

Of course, manufacturers love to talk about the benefits of their products - they always need large sales, but you should not understand their assurances literally. The study showed that sugar in a portion of cereal can be no less than in a chocolate cake - that is, ¼ of all the sugar that can be eaten per day for an adult. But after all, corn flakes are eaten by children, and parents think that they are fed with a useful product, not suspecting that some manufacturers even use trans fats - they already know enough about their harm.

Italian nutritionists also drew attention to breakfast cereals, and today declare that cornflakes, especially with frequent use, can contribute to weight gain.

Scientists at a University of Florence monitored a group of children from 5 to 10 years old, and found that those who eat almost daily are obese. Moreover, obesity in children begins after a year of such nutrition, although corn itself has never contributed to the accumulation of body fat. Flakes also provoke fat deposition, sugar accumulation, worsen the work of the stomach and intestines, cause nausea, abdominal pain, development and other problems.

Our nutritionists also studied the health effects of cornflakes., and came to the conclusion that it is often impossible to feed them children - this is very harmful. Dry breakfasts are usually included in the diet of younger schoolchildren, and many women also find them useful, and they eat almost every day, wanting to tidy up the figure - because this is what is said in the advertisement. But carefully enough to consider the composition to understand that the flakes are very high in calories - this is flour, refined sugar, butter and nutritional supplements.