首页 > 资讯 > CBS Top News｜一项研究发现，儿童早餐麦片变得越来越不健康

CBS Top News｜一项研究发现，儿童早餐麦片变得越来越不健康

泰然健康网
2025-08-13 00:19

Breakfast cereal is often appealing for being easy, kid friendly and sweet. But a recent study found that children's breakfast cereals have been getting sweeter, fattier and less nutritious.

In a study published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open , researchers from the University of Kentucky and Louisiana State University say they analyzed the nutritional value of cereals between 2010 and 2023 specifically those marketed toward children aged 5 to 12.

In those 13 years, 1,200 cereals were launched, which includes new products, new formulations and new packaging. The researchers found that during that time, the total fat per serving increased 33.6% on average in the cereal brands.

Sodium content increased 32.1% from 156.0 mg to 206.1 mg. The recommended daily serving of sodium for kids aged 5 to 8 is less than 1,500 mg and for kids aged 9 to 13, it is less than 1,800 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic .

Total carbohydrates remained relatively stable with the average of 27.32 g in 2010 and 28.45 g in 2023. Sugar content increased by 10.9%.

Protein and dietary fiber two necessary nutrients decreased. While protein fluctuated between 2010 and 2020, with an average 1.97 g per serving, it decreased in 2023 to 1.69 g per serving. And dietary fiber was also steady until it showed a decrease from 2021 to 2023: 3.82 g to 2.84 g per serving.

In a statement to CBS News, Shuoli Zhao, an assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at University of Kentucky and co-author of the study, told CBS News breakfast is a critical meal for kids and impacts their energy and concentration for their learning throughout the day.

"If a common breakfast choice like cereal is trending towards lower nutritional quality in its newest iterations, as our study suggests, it potentially makes it harder for parents to ensure their children are getting a healthy start to the day," Zhao said. "I also feel these findings contribute to the broader discussion about the overall 'food environment' that children are exposed to, as often times, working families may have limited 'bandwidth' and time on grocery shopping, which leads to unintended suboptimal decisions in food choices."

Zhao said what is available at the supermarket shelves is important, and he hopes the research sparks a conversation on how food industry stakeholders can create healthier options for kids.

Zhao declined to share which brands were studied and which showed the biggest decrease in nutritional value. The study used data from a database on food and beverage launches managed by Mintel, a market intelligence and research agency.

A 2014 study found that some cereals can be a part of a nutritious diet. Those that are whole grain or high in fiber can be important sources of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, according to the study published by the National Institutes of Health.

However, while these cereals could even be the most important sources of whole grains in one's diet, they could also contain salt, sugar and saturated fat, raising uncertainty about their nutritional benefits, the researchers say.

A 2023 study published by NIH found that those who ate cereal for breakfast had a better nutritional intake and diet quality. The researchers say 28% of children and 12% of adults are ready-to-eat breakfast consumers.

Kids who eat cereal for breakfast have higher intakes of several nutrients including carbohydrates, dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, potassium, B vitamins, vitamins A and D, and whole grains, according to the study.

They also said there was no difference between kids who eat cereal for breakfast and those who eat other foods for breakfast when it comes to added sugar, saturated fat or sodium intake.

Zhao told CBS News via email the researchers would like to conduct a similar survey looking at the nutrition of cereals marketed toward adults. "It is a research topic in need," he said, citing a 2014 report by the Environmental Working Group that found that children's cereals contained, on average, 40% more sugar than those marketed to adults.

早餐谷物因其方便、儿童友好和甜美而常受青睐。但最近的一项研究表明，儿童早餐谷物越来越甜、脂肪含量越来越高，而营养价值却越来越低。

在周三发表于《JAMA Network Open》的一项研究中，来自肯塔基大学和路易斯安那州立大学的研究人员表示，他们分析了2010年至2023年间针对5至12岁儿童销售的谷类食品的营养价值。

在过去的13年中，共有1200种谷物食品被推出市场，其中包括新产品、新配方和新包装。研究人员发现，这段时间内，谷物食品品牌的每份总脂肪含量平均增加了33.6%。

根据梅奥诊所的数据，钠含量从156.0毫克增加到206.1毫克，增幅为32.1%。根据梅奥诊所的建议，5至8岁儿童每日的钠摄入量应少于1,500毫克，9至13岁儿童每日的钠摄入量应少于1,800毫克。

总碳水化合物含量在2010年的平均值为27.32克，在2023年为28.45克，保持了相对稳定的状态。糖分含量则增加了10.9%。

蛋白质和膳食纤维，这两种必需营养素的含量均有所下降。尽管在2010年至2020年期间，蛋白质的含量在每份1.97克左右波动，但在2023年降至每份1.69克。而膳食纤维则保持稳定，直至2021年至2023年期间出现下降，从每份3.82克降至每份2.84克。

在向CBS新闻发布的一份声明中，肯塔基大学农业经济学系助理教授、该研究论文的合著者赵书立（Shuoli Zhao）告诉CBS新闻，早餐对孩子们来说是一顿重要的餐食，会影响他们一整天的学习精力和专注力。

赵教授表示：“如果像谷类食品这样的常见早餐选择，正如我们的研究所示，在最新版本中其营养质量呈下降趋势，那么这可能会使父母更难确保他们的孩子获得健康的开始。我认为这些发现也有助于更广泛的讨论，即儿童所接触到的整体‘食物环境’。因为很多时候，工作家庭在购物时间上可能‘带宽’有限，这导致在食物选择上做出意想不到的非最优决定。”

赵表示超市货架上提供的食品很重要，他希望该研究能引发一场关于食品行业利益相关者如何为孩子创造更健康的选择的对话。

赵（Zhao）拒绝透露哪些品牌被研究以及哪些品牌在营养价值上显示出最大的下降。这项研究使用了由市场情报和研究机构Mintel管理的食品和饮料上市数据库的数据。

2014年的一项研究发现，一些谷物可以作为营养饮食的一部分。根据国家卫生研究院发表的研究，全谷物或高纤维的谷物是维生素、矿物质和抗氧化剂的重要来源。

然而，虽然这些谷物可能是个人饮食中全谷物最重要的来源，但它们也可能含有盐分、糖分和饱和脂肪，这引发了对其营养益处的不确定性，研究人员表示。

2023年，美国国立卫生研究院（NIH）发布的一项研究发现，早餐吃谷物的人有更好的营养摄入和饮食质量。研究人员表示，28%的儿童和12%的成人是即食早餐的消费者。

根据这项研究，早餐吃谷物食品的孩子摄入的营养素含量更高，包括碳水化合物、膳食纤维、钙、镁、铁、锌、磷、钾、B族维生素、维生素A和D以及全谷物。

他们还表示，就添加糖、饱和脂肪或钠的摄入量而言，早餐吃谷物食品的孩子与早餐吃其他食物的孩子之间没有区别。

赵通过电子邮件告诉CBS新闻，研究人员希望进行一项类似的调查，研究针对成年人的谷物产品的营养成分。他表示：“这是一个需要研究的课题”，并引用2014年环境工作组的一份报告，该报告发现儿童谷物产品中含糖量平均比针对成年人的产品高出40%。

举报/反馈