Is Pizza Really Healthier than Cereal?

Below, Susan (RD) responds to the article Pizza is a Healthier Breakfast Than Most Cereals by The Daily Meal. It’s so important to dive deeper than what this appears to be on the surface!

 

Cereal or Pizza for Breakfast?

Together, a slice or two of the right kind of pizza can be a balanced meal. There is a catch though: not all pizzas provide this balance. A thick-crust cheese pizza is not as nutritionally balanced as a whole-grain, thin-crust veggie pizza, which offers much more fibre, vitamins, and minerals. In a similar way, breakfast cereals may or may not be nutritionally balanced. For example, delicious muesli with nuts, oats, and fruit swimming in a bowl of milk or yogurt can be balanced. The nuts provide healthy fats and protein, with additional protein from the milk or yogurt. Team this up with the oats and fruit for some carbohydrates and a balanced breakfast is easily achievable. Of course, a cereal made with only sugar, food coloring and refined carbohydrates will not fit the bill.

It appears the concept within this article is based largely on a major generalization. While it is tempting to make assumptions, it is important to remember that they are exactly that—assumptions. Not all pizza is the same, just like not all cereal is the same. Pizza can pack a bigger nutritional punch than cereal, and in some cases the opposite can be true. What matters most is that you enjoy your breakfast. Ideally, it would be great if five out of seven days of the week included a breakfast that packs the more powerful nutritional punch. But it is also important to understand that no matter what you choose to have for breakfast, you should not feel the need to defend your choice or seek validation for it.

 

By Susan Sommerville – Registered Nutritionist/Dietitian

Revive Wellness is a team of skilled and passionate Registered Nutritionists specialized in nutrition and wellness coaching for the Edmonton area.

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