One of the worst offenders is Kellogg Co.’s Honey Smacks, which packs a whopping 56 percent of sugar by weight.
By Lisa Rennie, Daily Digest News
Children in the U.S. are eating more than 10 pounds of sugar a year just from having a bowl of cereal every morning.
A new report from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzed over 1,500 breakfast cereals, included 181 that are specifically marketed to kids.
Of these, 84 cereals that were studied in a previous report in 2011 were re-examined, and were found to have an average sugar content of 29 percent. Compared to the sugar content found in 2011, many cereals were discovered to have an increased sugar content.
None of the 181 cereals that are marketed for kids were free of any added sugars. The EWG says kids’ cereals contain an average of 40 percent more sugar than those marketed for adults.
Dawn Undurraga, an EWG consultant and a co-author of the report, wants more to be done to protect the health and well-being of children.
“Cereals that pack in as much sugar as junk food should not be considered part of a healthy breakfast or diet. Kids already eat two to three times the amount of sugar experts recommend,” said Undurraga in a statement.
One of the worst offenders is Kellogg Co.’s Honey Smacks, which packs a whopping 56 percent of sugar by weight.
Aside from obvious junk food, like cookies, ice cream, candy and soft drinks, children’s cereals are the biggest source of added sugars in the diets of kids under eight years of age.
The EWG believes manufacturers should not be marketing breakfast cereals that have six grams or more of sugar per serving to children.