Grape Nuts v. Cheerios

heycal

Hall of Fame
Which do you think are better for you in terms of both weight control and general health, Grape Nuts (nuggets, not flakes) or regular Cheerios?

I LOVE Grape Nuts, and have a eaten at least one cup (2 servings) of them every morning with whole or 2% milk for years. But I'm thinking of making the switch to Cheerios.

Cheerios's serving size is different, and I think that's a psychological help to possibly eating less. If I can live with two cups of Cheerios each morning, as opposed to the one cup of Grape Nuts I'm used to, i will eating 40 grams of carbs and 200 calories of cereal each morning instead of the 96 grams of carbs and 400 calories of cereal I was eating each morning. That's got to be better for fat control, yes?

Am I missing anything here in terms of weight control or general health? Any other factors worth considering?
 

JoeR

New User
I'm a huge fan of the Trader Joe's Organic High Fiber Joe's Ohs.

They're full of both soluble and non-soluble fiber, and are sweetened with just a touch of evaporate cane juice (sugar).

I usually start my day out with a bowl of them and soy milk...
After about six months or so of healthy eating, my total cholesterol dropped from over 300 to 176.

If they're too much for you, the regular Trader Joes Cheerio-type cereal are really good as well. Really good sweetened with a touch of honey... it's what my GF usually starts her day with.

You won't ever want to go back to Cheerios after them. Promise.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
I'd go with either Quarry or Colon Blow for breakfast.

What about little chocolate donuts?

I'm a huge fan of the Trader Joe's Organic High Fiber Joe's Ohs.

They're full of both soluble and non-soluble fiber, and are sweetened with just a touch of evaporate cane juice (sugar).

I usually start my day out with a bowl of them and soy milk...
After about six months or so of healthy eating, my total cholesterol dropped from over 300 to 176.

If they're too much for you, the regular Trader Joes Cheerio-type cereal are really good as well. Really good sweetened with a touch of honey... it's what my GF usually starts her day with.

You won't ever want to go back to Cheerios after them. Promise.

Maybe I'll try this stuff someday, but I'm trying to keep it simple right now with stuff I can buy at a bodega or Walgreens if need be. I ain't going over to Trader Joe's, by golly. So Grape Nuts or Cheerios is the question at hand.
 

crosscourt

Professional
Every morning I tell my son that Grape Nuts are better for him than Cheerios. I am not convinced that he thinks I know what I am talking about.
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
Grape Nuts is the Lance Armstrong of breakfast cereals --- no grapes, no nuts, a total deception. Made largely from wheat and barley, no particular health benefits. Cheerios are made from oats, well known to help lower cholesterol and raise HDL, also contains the type of soluble fiber believed to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Grape nuts when wet degrade quickly into a heavy sludge reminiscent of heavily used kitty litter. To me, the choice is clear.
 

purple-n-gold

Hall of Fame
I do a mix of grape nuts and kashi crunch. I'll have the honeynut cheerios occas as a treat, to me theyre more like a sweet snack.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
Grape Nuts is the Lance Armstrong of breakfast cereals --- no grapes, no nuts, a total deception. Made largely from wheat and barley, no particular health benefits. Cheerios are made from oats, well known to help lower cholesterol and raise HDL, also contains the type of soluble fiber believed to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Grape nuts when wet degrade quickly into a heavy sludge reminiscent of heavily used kitty litter. To me, the choice is clear.

Yes, but there's something addictive in that kitty litter sludge, I swear... Taste issues aside, if Cheerios are that much better for you, how come Grape Nuts seems to be considered a fairly healthy choice that ranks with cheerios on various "good" cereal lists I've seen?

I do a mix of grape nuts and kashi crunch. I'll have the honeynut cheerios occas as a treat, to me theyre more like a sweet snack.

Honeynut cheerios are like crack. I don't think I could have them in the house. (You know, along with keeping the crack out of the house...)
 

North

Professional
I guess you are talking about plain Cheerios. That's the only kind I can keep in the house. I love the Apple Cinammon Cheerios but wind up eating too much cos they are like a snack.

The plain Cheerios are good because they are not like eating hay, which is what a lot of whole grain cereals are like to me lol, and the Cheerios make me feel more sated.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
^^ such lists are meaningless unless you know what objective criteria were used to create them.

Meaningless? I doubt that. One can make a reasonable guess that they are using reasonable criteria. If you come across a list of greatest cricket players ever, aren't you going to assume it was compiled in some sort of reasonable way and include the very best players, even if you knew nothing about cricket?

I guess you are talking about plain Cheerios. That's the only kind I can keep in the house. I love the Apple Cinammon Cheerios but wind up eating too much cos they are like a snack.

The plain Cheerios are good because they are not like eating hay, which is what a lot of whole grain cereals are like to me lol, and the Cheerios make me feel more sated.

Yes, plain cheerios. The uninteresting kind. I agree nothing else is safe to keep in the house.

For whatever strange reason, I find Grape Nuts highly delicious and addictive, and highly filling as well. They keep me sated for a long time (once I manage to walk away from the box after a couple of bowls, that is.) I'd be surprised if Cheerios have that kind of staying power.

In fact, one of the reasons I'm suspicious of the health benefits of Grape Nuts is because I enjoy and crave them so much. Something that addictive has got to have something bad about it...
 
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ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ No. Never. We see lists of best whatever of the year, best whatever of the decade, see these all the time and many are garbage. Assuming they are valid for no good reason is intellectual bankruptcy.
 

slowfox

Professional
I dunno, but I think most of the major brand cereals have a bunch of health no-no's in them. Next time I'm in the supermarket I'll actually read the ingredients to be sure. When I think of Grape Nuts or Cheerios, I think Froot Loops would be just as good/bad.

Cereal - I always go for the "natural, organic" crap. Oddly enough, they cost about the same. But not as colorful or tasty as Froot Loops.. :)
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ You dunno, indeed. Grape Nuts contains wheat flour, barley flour, salt and yeast. Period. Not exactly a load of crap. Cheerios comparable albeit with a small amount of sugar, and the preservative in Cheerios is in fact mixed tocopherols, also known as vitamin E. The problems arise with the dopey kid cereals (like Fruit Loops) where the sugar content goes way up and food colorings come into play.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
Assuming they are valid for no good reason is intellectual bankruptcy.

Assuming they are worthless is the true intellectual bankruptcy. In fact, the benefit of the doubt should go WITH a given list, not against it, unless and until proven otherwise. Don't believe it? You should: if you were to examine for yourself the criteria used to create "best of" lists in 100 different categories, you'd probably reach much the same conclusions as the list-makers did 95 of those times.

You think it's sheer coincidence that Grape Nuts keep showing up on "healthy" cereal lists while Froot Loops never do? Or that Rod Laver consistently shows up on greatest tennis players of all time lists, while Tim Henman never does? We don't really need to know the criteria used to accept the findings most cases.

Unless you have reason to be suspicious of any "best of" list, its wiser to assume it's valid than to assume it's "garbage".

But not as colorful or tasty as Froot Loops.. :)

If there's a heaven, they will be serving Froot Loops every morning, yes siree.
 
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crosscourt

Professional
Grape Nuts is the Lance Armstrong of breakfast cereals --- no grapes, no nuts, a total deception. Made largely from wheat and barley, no particular health benefits. Cheerios are made from oats, well known to help lower cholesterol and raise HDL, also contains the type of soluble fiber believed to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Grape nuts when wet degrade quickly into a heavy sludge reminiscent of heavily used kitty litter. To me, the choice is clear.

Except that it is better that they are made from wheat and barley than from grape nuts. Cheerios may have traces of oats in them so we can draw some parallel with Lance who has traces of many things in him, or has at different times. Cheerios go soggy very quickly and tend to be thrown away quite quickly. Crack may be better value for money.
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ Ahh, if only it were made from grape nuts, or at least grape seed. Grape seed extract has been one of the supplements in my daily regimen for years, lots of data suggesting it may ward off skin cancers, a good thing for tennis players. One study done 5 or six years ago at University of Alabama with mice showed extraordinarily strong benefit.
 

crosscourt

Professional
^^ Ahh, if only it were made from grape nuts, or at least grape seed. Grape seed extract has been one of the supplements in my daily regimen for years, lots of data suggesting it may ward off skin cancers, a good thing for tennis players. One study done 5 or six years ago at University of Alabama with mice showed extraordinarily strong benefit.

This question may miss the point but why not just eat some grapes?
 

WildVolley

Legend
Dump the cereals and eat a real breakfast.

I suggest eggs and bacon with some fruit and vegetables (for the carbs).
 

jhhachamp

Hall of Fame
There's plenty of better tasting and healthier cereals than both. Whole foods has a great selection, but you can get Barbaras shredded oats or puffins at Trader Joes and those are awesome.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
Dump the cereals and eat a real breakfast.

I suggest eggs and bacon with some fruit and vegetables (for the carbs).

There's plenty of better tasting and healthier cereals than both. Whole foods has a great selection, but you can get Barbaras shredded oats or puffins at Trader Joes and those are awesome.

Why is it always so hard for posters to address the question asked around here? If I started a thread entitled something like "which is a better place to vist, California or Florida?" 9 out of 10 replies would be along the lines of "Why not visit Colorado or Arizona instead?"

Happens every time, regardless of subject.
 

slowfox

Professional
Why is it always so hard for posters to address the question asked around here? If I started a thread entitled something like "which is a better place to vist, California or Florida?" 9 out of 10 replies would be along the lines of "Why not visit Colorado or Arizona instead?"

Happens every time, regardless of subject.

I'm willing to bet that nobody (well, perhaps a few) here are trained nutritionists. Hence, all you are gonna get here are opinions...from a bunch of people you don't know. Do you really want some guy on the internet tell you how to live your life?

Okay fine, Grape Nuts.
 

WildVolley

Legend
Why is it always so hard for posters to address the question asked around here? If I started a thread entitled something like "which is a better place to vist, California or Florida?" 9 out of 10 replies would be along the lines of "Why not visit Colorado or Arizona instead?"

Happens every time, regardless of subject.

We can't help ourselves.

I'd eat the grape nuts rather than the cheerios because they are less mushy if you eat them quickly. I don't know there is a lot of nutritional difference between the two.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Dump the cereals and eat a real breakfast.

I suggest eggs and bacon with some fruit and vegetables (for the carbs).

I had spam and eggs this morning. I have some Filipino friends and they swear by it. It's pretty damn good, but gives you high blood pressure on contact.

As for Grape Nuts, I've known them by another name since I was a kid: Sand.

On a similar note, I saw in the supermarket the other day that Cracklin' Oat Bran is back!!! This is the cereal that got caught up in all the "palm oil is bad for you, eat hydrogenated vegetable oil instead!!" BS during the early 90's. Crazy expensive though.
 

dman72

Hall of Fame
Why is it always so hard for posters to address the question asked around here? If I started a thread entitled something like "which is a better place to vist, California or Florida?" 9 out of 10 replies would be along the lines of "Why not visit Colorado or Arizona instead?"

Happens every time, regardless of subject.

Because, as I'm realizing on some other forums, half of the people who make large quantities of posts on internet forums are certifiably deranged, I mean bat**** crazy. There's one guy in this forum who posts on another section dozens of times daily who is definitely a nut.
 

maleyoyo

Professional
Nearly all of my young, attractive, and impressionable female friends say I look good with Grape Nuts.

So, Grape Nuts it is.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
We can't help ourselves.

I'd eat the grape nuts rather than the cheerios because they are less mushy if you eat them quickly. I don't know there is a lot of nutritional difference between the two.

Perhaps the Grape Nuts are more fattening?

I had spam and eggs this morning. I have some Filipino friends and they swear by it. It's pretty damn good, but gives you high blood pressure on contact.

As for Grape Nuts, I've known them by another name since I was a kid: Sand.

I think they're laced with cocaine or something. Something makes them highly addictive.

Because, as I'm realizing on some other forums, half of the people who make large quantities of posts on internet forums are certifiably deranged, I mean bat**** crazy. There's one guy in this forum who posts on another section dozens of times daily who is definitely a nut.

Who is it?

Nearly all of my young, attractive, and impressionable female friends say I look good with Grape Nuts

My gf calls them "Carb Nuts" after seeing that there are 48 grams per serving.
 

r2473

G.O.A.T.
Why is it always so hard for posters to address the question asked around here? If I started a thread entitled something like "which is a better place to vist, California or Florida?" 9 out of 10 replies would be along the lines of "Why not visit Colorado or Arizona instead?"

Happens every time, regardless of subject.

Donuts

....
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
Less sugar.

A bit less. A bit more carbs. Are these significant differences though? And I guess Ollinger would say the Cheerios offer something helpful whereas the grape nuts don't?

The best argument I can make for eating Cheerios myself everday instead of Grape Nuts is that, because the portion sizes are so different, I can live with eating less calories and carbs with Cheerios than with Grape Nuts, the latter which packs a wallop in a small amount.

Hell, just look the at the difference in the size of the boxes and you'll get an idea of the pyschological differences.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
Why not just eat both? Alternate days. You're giving this too much thought... :)

I don't want to alternate. I want to find the better of the two and stick with it. And since I plan to eat this almost every morning for years (as I've done with Grape Nuts for the past, oh, 20 years), one can hardly give it too much thought.
 

JoeR

New User
I've got to ask... if you've been eating grape nuts every morning for years, for the last 20 years... why would you change things up now?
 

SteveI

Legend
Grape Nuts is the Lance Armstrong of breakfast cereals --- no grapes, no nuts, a total deception. Made largely from wheat and barley, no particular health benefits. Cheerios are made from oats, well known to help lower cholesterol and raise HDL, also contains the type of soluble fiber believed to reduce the risk of colon cancer. Grape nuts when wet degrade quickly into a heavy sludge reminiscent of heavily used kitty litter. To me, the choice is clear.

Been eating Cheerios for 53 years...never have had total cholesterol over 170.. you be the judge.
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
I've got to ask... if you've been eating grape nuts every morning for years, for the last 20 years... why would you change things up now?

Because if it would lead to any improvement in either health or appearance, I'm willing to do it. I drank whole milk for 47 years, and made the switch to 2% for the same reason.

I guess I'm become a believer in making small changes to stay fit as I get older. I'm probably fitter now at age 50, at least appearance-wise, than I've ever been in my life.

Been eating Cheerios for 53 years...never have had total cholesterol over 170.. you be the judge.

I wonder if would be any different had you been eating Grape Nuts for decades.

Will you try Grape Nuts for 10 years and report back to us?
 

jhhachamp

Hall of Fame
I don't want to alternate. I want to find the better of the two and stick with it.

If health is your goal, you are probably better off alternating between the two (or more ideally among several healthy alternatives). If you eat only a handful of different foods, you are likely to have deficiencies of several nutrients in your body which can lead to problems.

Both Grape Nuts and Cheerios (and lots of other cereals) seem relatively healthy, but both offer differ different ingredients and nutrients. Your body functions best if you eat a large variety of healthy foods (especially lots of plants).

Other cereals to try are pretty much anything by Barbaras, Nature's Path, Kashi (popular, although I personally think most of it tastes like crap), Arrowhead Mills, Uncle Sam's, Ezekiel, etc. A good alternative if you have a few minutes extra time is steel cut oatmeal (I add in fresh berries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of brown sugar).
 

heycal

Hall of Fame
If health is your goal, you are probably better off alternating between the two (or more ideally among several healthy alternatives). If you eat only a handful of different foods, you are likely to have deficiencies of several nutrients in your body which can lead to problems.

Both Grape Nuts and Cheerios (and lots of other cereals) seem relatively healthy, but both offer differ different ingredients and nutrients. Your body functions best if you eat a large variety of healthy foods (especially lots of plants).

Other cereals to try are pretty much anything by Barbaras, Nature's Path, Kashi (popular, although I personally think most of it tastes like crap), Arrowhead Mills, Uncle Sam's, Ezekiel, etc. A good alternative if you have a few minutes extra time is steel cut oatmeal (I add in fresh berries, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a bit of brown sugar).

go with oatmeal.

Of course, if the popular book "Wheat Belly" is be believed, ALL this stuff is horrible for you.
 

Posture Guy

Professional
I think both are relatively devoid of meaningful nutritional benefit.

But worse, both now contain GMO ingredients. The data coming out on GMO foods is flat out scary. Eat what you wish, I won't touch GMO stuff.
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ the data on genetically engineered organisms (GMO) are actually not very scary. One study of modified corn suggested possible carcinogenesis in a breed of rat known to have a high rate of spontaneous tumors, but the study was repudiated on many other grounds and deemed unacceptable science by the European Agricultaral Organization. Nobody has put forth any decent science showing clear harm from GMO food. There are some concerns about possible increased allergic reaction but this is mostly hypothetical at this point.
 

Posture Guy

Professional
Ollinger....yeah, that french study turned out to be poorly done.

And that speaks to one of the key issues that laymen have with this issue. I'm not a chemist or a biologist so my ability to see a study and then assess its validity is beyond limited. I read the laundry list of stuff like at this site:

http://www.responsibletechnology.org/gmo-dangers

and I'm concerned. Do I view any of that as definitive 'proof' of the dangers of GM foods? Nope. But it would seem to me that neither can its proponents demonstrate the safety of these foods. So, here we are in the midst of a grand, large scale experiment on the impact of GM foods on human health. The results of that experiment could very well be benign to positive, but those are not dice I'm willing to roll.

I thought this page always points to some nice resources. I'd be lying if I said I could fully assess the validity of the papers linked in this article, but they seem (to me) to raise points worthy of discussion.

http://www.ethicurean.com/2009/06/03/lotter-gmopaper/

http://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...-danger-of-genetically-modified-foods/251051/
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
Given the amount of starvation in the world, I think those dice have to be rolled. And when you really look at what GMOs do (modify animals so their meat has less fat, modify flaxseed to produce more omega 3, modify wheat to have more B vitamins, modify bacteria to produce insulin) it doesn't sound all that daunting at all. Much of the response to these things is ignorance and hysteria -- I read articles headlined "cereal given to children has GMO" as if it were poison. Reminds me that some people who use microwaves every day in their kitchens complain they would never buy "irradiated" food.
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
If it is as simple as that, why did these companies outspend the opposition by several times to prevent a labeling proposition from going forward in California? What are they afraid of?
 

ollinger

G.O.A.T.
^^ They're afraid of ignorance and hysteria, which are considerable. There are people who think that eating genetically engineered plants will turn you into a mutant and that eating irradiated food will make you glow in the dark. The articles I've seen in the popular press are ludicrous in how they churn up fears based on nothing. If I were running those companies, I think I'd rather not have to deal with all of that with labeling.
 
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