Kellogg’s recently introduced two new products to their breakfast line. One is a Morning Shake, the other is a Flatbread Morning Sandwich. Neither of which I’m particularly enthusiastic about, as both a dietitian and as a person who eats breakfast on a daily basis.

The shake lists sugar as its second ingredient (water is the first). Apparently the large amount of sugar doesn’t make the shake sweet enough though as there are also three non-nutritive sweeteners added as well. The only other ingredients appear to be proteins, oils, and stabilizers. Mmm… Sugar water with protein… Not exactly what I would recommend for a balanced breakfast.

The flatbreads brag that they have less than 250 calories each. They’re basically a frozen, low-fat, egg muffin-type thing. I know many of us are hard pressed for time in the morning but really, a precooked frozen breakfast sandwich? Yuck. Also, I don’t think that 250 calories is anything to brag about. There are very few people who would need that few calories in the morning. Most of us need more than that to provide us with a solid start to the day and to avoid overeating later. And lest you think that this is the same as what you’d get making your own egg sandwich for breakfast, here’s the ingredient list:

Scrambled egg patty (whole egg, modified milk ingredients, egg white, vegetable oil, modified corn starch, dicalcium phosphate, salt, baking soda, xanthan gum, guar gum, citric acid, spice), multigrain flatbread (water, whole grain whole wheat flour, wheat flour, yeast, sugar, wheat gluten, oat hull, wheat bran, modified wheat starch, vinegar, vegetable oil, salt, cultured wheat flour, rolled wheat, cultured wheat starch, rye nuggets, corn grits, rolled oats, monoglycerides, rye flakes, sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, triticale flakes, brown rice flour, monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, guar gum, barley flakes, hulled millet, whole flaxseed, calcium propionate), fully cooked ham (ham, water, sugar, salt, sodium lactate, sodium phosphate, natural flavour, sodium diacetate, sodium nitrite), processed pepper jack cheese (modified milk ingredients, water, sodium phosphate, green and red jalapeno peppers, salt, colour, enzymes).

The egg alone has 12 ingredients!

Don’t be sucked in by the allure of low-calorie quick breakfast options. Not only will your home made breakfast be healthier it will also be a whole lot cheaper in the long-run. If you’re in a rush in the morning try preparing items in advance like a big batch of steel-cut oats, boiled eggs, or whole grain waffles. Other quick and nutritious breakfasts include: Greek yoghurt with fruit (fresh or frozen) and muesli or home made granola, yoghurt and fruit smoothie (toss in some greens like spinach for added nutrients), whole grain toast with nut butter and a piece of fruit, or a cereal (look for sugar to be in the single digits and go for whole grains with the least number of ingredients, my choice: shredded wheat and bran).