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Most breads and cereals are well liked. They are cheap and fit easily into meal plans. Some cost just cents per serving. Even though they are cheap, the whole grain or enriched products have good amounts of vitamins and minerals. One food study showed that just 12 cents of each food dollar went for flour, cereals and bakery products.
To help you get your money’s worth from breads and cereals, there are some things you should keep in mind. Whole-grain or enriched foods have much more nutrition than unenriched products. Most white bread is enriched. Some special breads, such as French, Italian, and raisin, and many other bake shop products are also enriched. Check the wrapper or ask the baker to be sure.
You should also know that it takes three pounds of unenriched bread, costing more than $1, to give the amount of thiamin that is contained in one pounds of enriched bread, costing 25 cents. The same is true of whole wheat bread, which costs only 40 cents for on pound. Also, a large loaf of bread does not always weight more or contain more food value than a small loaf. Compare prices of equal weights of bread to find the better buy. The weight is shown on the wrapper.
Spaghetti, macaroni and noodles in packages marked “enriched” are more nutritious and usually cost no more than unenriched ones. Enriched rice is more nutritious than white milled rice. It costs more but the extra food value it provides is well worth the cost.
Ready-to-serve cereals in packs of small boxes are expensive. They may cost two or three times as much per ounce as the same cereal in a large box. Pre-sugared cereals cost more per ounce than unsweetened ones. Sugared cereals have more calories but less food value. Cereals you sweeten yourself are a better buy. Cereals you cook yourself almost always cost less than the ready-prepared ones.
It may help to know that day-old bread and baked goods may be bought at a great saving. Ask or watch for these in stores where you shop. Baked goods made at home are a good idea. They often cost less than ready-baked products. When made at home with enriched flour, they may have more nutrition, too.
So the next time you shop, make sure you are getting the most nutrition for the least money.
