All-Bran Flakes, milk and coffee

RATING: 9 out of 10

User's comments:
"For breakfast: All-Bran Flakes (high fibre) with skim milk and a cup of coffee."

Expert's comments:
Well done, this is a great breakfast! Congratulations, firstly, for making breakfast part of your daily routine and, secondly, on your food choice. All-Bran Flakes with skim milk is an ideal low-fat, low-sodium, high-fibre breakfast.

What’s more, it is endorsed by the Glycaemic Index Foundation of South Africa as it also has a low glycaemic index (GI) and is low in saturated fats, trans fats and cholesterol. The low GI means that the food is digested and absorbed slowly, resulting in a gradual blood sugar increase and sustained energy levels throughout the morning.

For a bit of variety, add some fruit and/or seeds. Chunks of apple or pear, sliced banana, mixed berries or a handful of raisins will increase the vitamin, mineral and fibre content of your breakfast.

A cup of coffee, made with low-fat or skim milk and with very little or no added sugar is fine when taken in combination with the breakfast.

Other examples of great breakfast cereals include:

• Kellogg’s Hi-Fibre Bran
• Bokomo Wholewheat, Original and Apple Bake Pronutro
• Pick 'n Pay No Name Brand Shredded Bran
• Nature’s Source range of low GI mueslis – Mixed Berries, Orange & Spices, Apple & Cinnamon
• Bokomo Maximize cereal
• Fineform muesli
• Morning Harvest muesli
• Jungle Oat bran (raw)
• Bokomo or Pick 'n Pay No Name Brand Oats

* All should be served with low-fat or fat-free milk or yoghurt. Fruit, seeds and nuts can be added for variety.

We should all consume approximately 25-30g of fibre daily – a figure most of us fall way short of. To give you an idea, ½ a cup of All Bran Flakes provides you with about 4,8g of fibre, which is about a fifth of your daily requirements.

Fibre helps maintain normal bowel function, regulate blood glucose control as well as providing bulk which helps keep you fuller for longer. Fibre absorbs a lot of fluid from the body, so it is essential to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day.

Good sources of fibre include vegetables (raw or cooked), fruit (fresh or dried), legumes (peas, beans, lentils, baked beans, chickpeas), split peas, whole grain breads and cereals and seeds.