Fit Tip of the Week

You know Count Chocula isn't the Breakfast of Champions. But with so many seemingly nutritious options, how can you tell if you're picking the best cereal? Jackie Newgent, R.D., a culinary nutritionist in New York, recommends checking the label for:

• Three or more grams of total fiber per serving.
• One or more grams of soluble fiber, which may help lower cholesterol and keeps blood sugar stable. (Whole-oat cereals are especially good sources.)
• Fewer than two grams of saturated fat and no trans fats, both of which contribute to heart disease risk.
• Fewer than 10 grams of sugar, unless it has dried fruit, which contain natural sugars.

Our Picks:  General Mills Fiber One Honey Clusters, Kellogg's All Bran Bran Buds, and Cheerios.

Originally published in FITNESS magazine, September 2006.