Review of Glucerna Cereal for Diabetics

Over the last 6 months I have been able to lose 18 pounds, but am starting to put a few back on. I also suffer from irregularity and really enjoy my raisin bran cereal every morning, but even with skim milk, it is full of sugar. So much so that the USDA will not even reimburse me for feeding raisin bran to my daycare kids. Hmmm. I used to think that raisin bran was a healthy cereal!

What to do. I decided to pick up a box of cereal made specifically for people with diabetes, made by Glucerna. There are several varieties of Glucerna, mine is the Cruncky Flakes ‘n Raisins.

The front of the box clearly states some health benefits of consuming Glucerna cereal, and they are quite impressive. This is what swayed me to give it a try. The box states:

Clinically shown to help manage blood sugar levels. 1.5 carb choices, 110 calories and 5 grams of fiber.

Taste

I don’t mind admitting that I was very skeptical that I’d like this cereal, it was a gamble. However, I am quite pleased with the taste. The flakes are crunchy, and there are lots of plump juicy raisins. It has a distinct vanilla flavor that I find unusual yet tasty.

Comparison of Nutrition Facts

I did a head to head comparison between my raisin bran and the Glucerna cereal. Here is how it breaks down:

Glucerna (3/4 cup serving)
Calories: 150
Total fat: 0.5g
Carbohydrates: 28g
Dietary fiber: 5g
Sugars: 10g
Protein: 3g

Raisin Bran (1 cup serving)
Calories: 240
Total fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 47g
Dietary fiber: 8g
Sugars: 18g
Protein: 6g

Vitamins In Glucerna
One serving gives you:
20% vitamin A
15% calcium
25% iron
15% vitamin D
30% thiamin
40% riboflavin
25% niacin
25% vitamin B6
25% folic acid
35% vitamin B12
30% zinc
6% copper
25% chromium
30% molybdenum
50% manganese
15% magnesium
20% phosphorus

Ingredients

Wheat bran, whole wheat flour, raisins, sucromalt, fructose, corn bran, barley malt, soy protein isolate, salt, natural and artificial flavor, corn oil, natural vitamin E to preserve freshness.

Thoughts

I gave you the above information because I am a label reader. I knew that the USDA would not let me serve any cereals over 11 grams of sugar per serving, so when I saw my brand contained 18 grams, I was shocked.

Glucerna cereal is more expensive, this box was around $4.50 for 11.1 ounces. However, if you are a diabetic or someone watching their sugar intake, I think it’s worth the added expense.

According to the American Diabetes Association, carbohydrates affect blood sugar levels, and Glucerna uses a special blend of carbs to help minimize blood sugar spikes. The cereal also contains chromium picolinate to work in a synergistic manner with your body’s insulin. The 5 grams of fiber make this a good choice if you want to add fiber to your diet.

The back of the box has some very helpful information for diabetics. They claim that in clinical trials involving diabetics, Glucerna cereal did produce a significantly lower blood glucose response when compared to a leading corn flake cereal.

I don’t plan on buying this cereal all the time, but I would like to try the strawberry variety. It is a tasty cereal, plenty sweet if that’s what you like in a cereal. There’s certainly no need to use an artificial sweetener on it. If I were managing a condition such as diabetes, I would definitely make this a big part of my breakfast routine.

Reference:

• www.americandiabetesassociation.com/