If you live by the diet bible, you’re probably a strong believer of starting your day with a hearty breakfast. It’s a great practice – not just for people trying to maintain or shed their weight, but also for those trying to stay fit and healthy in general. After all those hours of sleep, you’ve got to feed your body with all the right stuff. This way, you can equip yourself with all the energy and positive emotions that you will need to tackle your day.
This is why you need to try Cream of Wheat. However, before we start telling you why it makes for the perfect breakfast, let’s take a look at what it is, to begin with.
What Is Cream Of Wheat?
Just as Kleenex is the popularly accepted brand name for tissue wipes, Cream of Wheat is actually the brand name for farina. Farina is a type of milled wheat, produced by cracking the grain gently and then using air purification methods to separate most of the lighter-weight bran particles from the heavier endosperm, or the part of the seed that stores food.
Farina is quite fine in texture, and when cooked with water or milk on a stove, farina takes on a creamy, more mellow consistency, and becomes a sweet tasting porridge which is sold as Cream of Wheat.
How Is Cream Of Wheat Different From Oatmeal?
It is the creamy texture that sets Cream of Wheat apart from oatmeal, which is more on the chunkier, chewier side. Oatmeal is made with oats rather than wheat – which is the main difference between these two types of cereal. Also, oatmeal can be gluten-free, while Cream of Wheat comes loaded with gluten.
Why You Should Start Eating Cream Of Wheat For Breakfast
Here are some reasons that make Cream of Wheat a great way for people of all ages to start their day.
1. Calcium
Cream of Wheat is a very rich source of calcium carbonate. One single serving containing about 3 tablespoons of dry Cream of Wheat, provides the body with approximately 235 milligrams of calcium. If you add a cup of nonfat milk – it would add another 316 milligrams of calcium. This means a total of 551 milligrams each day. Being a mineral that is beneficial for improving bone density and helping with muscle contraction, calcium is one of those essential minerals that your body can’t do without.
2. Iron
Cream of Wheat comes with a fairly high dose of ferric phosphate, a source of iron. This further improves the nutritional content of this cereal and provides the body with approximately 11 milligrams of iron per serving. Iron is also an essential mineral, found mainly in red blood cells. It bears the hefty responsibility of efficiently managing the transport of oxygen to each of the million cells in your body. An iron deficiency leads to anemia, where your body reports a less than normal red blood cell count. By starting your day with Cream of Wheat, you can rest assured that you’ve given your body a good amount of iron to work with.
3. Carbohydrate And Protein
Cream of Wheat is an extremely good source of completely natural, whole-wheat carbohydrate. As mentioned earlier, this cereal is made from the endosperm – the center and the largest part of the kernel. It is rich in carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins, and minerals – all of which are essential to fuel the growth of the baby grain. One single serving of Cream of Wheat can provide your body with up to 24.15 grams of carbohydrate and 3.83 grams of protein.
4. B Vitamins
Enriched with thiamine (vitamin B1) niacinamide, riboflavin (vitamin B2), and folic acid, Cream of Wheat also makes for a good source of B vitamins. The vitamins are responsible for converting the carbohydrates you eat into glucose that gives your body the energy to carry out all its functions efficiently.
It is important to remember that these vitamins are water-soluble, therefore, your body isn’t able to store them. Instead, it uses up these vitamins on a daily basis. It is, therefore, essential that your body is given its daily dose of vitamin B. For this reason, eating Cream of Wheat for breakfast is a good way to give your body a decent amount of this vitamin right at the beginning of the day.
Note: Cream of Wheat may be a very healthy dietary choice since it comes packed with so many vitamins, minerals, and nutrients. This, however, does not mean that you can remain complacent about getting your daily recommended intake of each vitamin, mineral, or nutrient, just because you’re eating Cream of Wheat for breakfast or for any other meal every day.
The daily recommended intake will vary from person to person – depending on a number of factors such as age, health condition, and quality of lifestyle. For instance, a person who spends most of his day sitting in front of his computer working wouldn’t want more than 100 grams of carbohydrates per day, while someone who spends all his waking hours practicing a sport would need up to 150 grams at the very least. Similarly, if you’re pregnant, you may need much more folic acid in your diet as compared to someone who isn’t, in order to bring down the risk of spina bifida, cleft palate and many other kinds of neural tube defects.
Therefore, make sure to talk to your doctor or nutritionist and do some groundwork on your own before you set out a diet plan for yourself. You want to make sure that you’re eating smart and healthy so that you get just the right daily intake for each vitamin, mineral, or nutrient that is best suited for your body and lifestyle.
