Cereal and Milk – a Unique Contribution to the Daily Diet

Cereal and milk is a leading source of nutrients in people’s diets, making it one of the most nutrient dense choices for the number of calories it provides.¹ A bowl of breakfast cereal and milk (which boosts calcium intake) makes an important nutritional contribution: a bowl of Kellogg’s breakfast cereal with milk provides at least 25% of recommended intake of 6 B-group vitamins (thiamin (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, folic acid), Vitamin D (in kids and family cereals) and at least 15% of the recommended intake for iron, and less than 300 kcal in every single bowl (with milk).

Protein: Cereal and milk provides protein to help rebuild losses from daily protein breakdown

Calcium: Breakfast is an important time for milk consumption particularly as breakfast cereal is often consumed with milk. Teenagers and adults who eat breakfast cereals regularly consume more milk at breakfast than others. Milk intake varies across the Arab Gulf - for example, just 37% of school-aged children in Bahrain are reported to consume milk daily², compared to 49% of Omani women.³ Calcium is needed for the maintenance of healthy bones, and eating cereals with milk is an effective way of increasing daily calcium intake.

B-Group vitamins: Breakfast cereals can make a significant contribution to overall daily vitamin intakes. B-group vitamins are essential for a variety of functions in the body, including metabolism, cell development, and the maintenance of a healthy nervous system.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps absorb calcium, so it plays an important part role in bone growth and maintaining bone health. This is especially relevant in the UAE, where 78% of the population have a Vitamin D deficiency⁴, and KSA⁵ where studies show a high prevalence of Vitamin D deficiency despite adequate exposure to sunlight.⁶ Check the nutrition label on the breakfast cereal to ensure that it contains Vitamin D.

Iron: Iron-fortified breakfast cereals make a valid contribution to iron status - important throughout the Arab Gulf, where 25-35% of the population is affected by iron deficiency anaemia.⁷ Eating foods rich in Vitamin C with iron-rich foods improves iron absorption, so include an orange or a glass of orange juice for instance with breakfast cereal and milk to help enhance iron absorption. On the contrary, tea consumed at breakfast may decrease iron absorption.⁸

Click here to download a factsheet on Vital Vitamin D