Cereal the healthy way to start your day? Fat chance

EATING a bowl of cereal might not be as healthy as you think.

A study has found a bowl of some cereals is similar to having five chocolate chip cookies for breakfast.

Many brands at the luxury end of the market were found to have high levels of sugar and saturated fat and low levels of fibre. In a number of cases, the cereals were nutritionally similar to eating chocolate sponge cake or biscuits. The Food Commission, which carried out the study, is worried consumers may be buying the cereals in the belief that they are a healthy way to start the day.