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So it’s really personal. If I was dealing with an athlete, who was going to go off for a run, on an endurance run, they might be better off with quite a sugary cereal, with little fiber because they don’t want anything in their tummy or something that’s going to hang around, ‘cause they might just throw up on their run, to be quite frank. Do you know what I mean? So it’s horses for courses. I think if you want to be fit and well, look for things that are wholesome, maybe check the food labels, if you want to reduce sugar and salt, look at that. Compare one against another and make the choice. And my feeling is, don’t buy it simply ‘cause you think you should. Always use and eat something you like. It’s really, really key.
Noel Lyons: Well, I guess I cover my bets, then, Penny, ‘cause I always mix and match mine. I have about three or four different, and I just put them all in together.
Penny Hunking: And that’s wonderful. It’s a bit like if you go, you know, to stay in a hotel and you see lots and lots of different cereals on the buffet bar, and you can have.
Noel Lyons: That would be me.
Penny Hunking: A little bit of this, a little bit of that, and quite frankly, then, you know, everyone talks about eating lots of fruit and veggies. You can put some fruit on the top, you know, some fresh fruit or some dried fruit. You can put milk on it, you can put yogurt on it. If you don’t want to do that, you can put fruit juice on it, you know what I mean? Really, let’s ring the changes, let’s be experimental, let’s try new things, and I think, you know, that’s a great start for people who are struggling with anything to do with their eating habits. You know, try and legalize all foods and enjoy what you’re doing – great message, I think, there.
Noel Lyons: The possible red flags with cereals would be the sugar and the hidden sugars, certainly in the first three of the ingredients, salts, and then any additives – would you agree?
Penny Hunking: Well, when you look at a label, you see, it’s a little bit confusing these days because, you know, there’s a whole new raft of food labeling coming in, you know, the Food Standards Agency is looking at the traffic light system. The food industry is looking at what we call GDAs, which says that in a portion it’s guideline daily amounts which means, you know, the bar on the front that says, “If you have a portion of this cereal,” or whatever food it is, “It will give you X percent of salt, sugar, and calcium,” or whatever is in there. And it guides the person to make a choice.
So I would say look at the ingredients list as well, because the things that it’s highest in will be listed first, and the things that it’s lowest in are listed at the end. So look very much at the ingredients just because I think sometimes it’s a little confusing, in terms of looking at the labels. And some people are getting a handle on these different labeling systems, and some of them are becoming quite clear. So again, I think, just think carefully before you buy, look at the food label terms, and make your own choice. You know, if you like a particular two cereals, turn them round and have a look and see what they offer.