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CNN Live At Daybreak
Some Doctors Say Eating Breakfast Can Help Beat Obesity
Aired March 12, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, turning to news for your health now, some doctors say eating breakfast can help beat obesity and other diseases. But some healthy sounding breakfast foods are, in fact, far from a dieter's dream.
Our favorite nutritionist, Lisa Drayer, is back with us.
And, Lisa, what you got for us?
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Well, as you mentioned, a lot of breakfast foods on the market these days sound a lot healthier than they are. For example, Dunkin' Donuts whole wheat glazed cake donut...
WHITFIELD: Yes?
DRAYER: ... should really be called the whole fat donut. It has 19 grams of fat, the most fat out of all of the Dunkin' Donuts, including six more grams of fat than a chocolate cream filled donut.
WHITFIELD: No way.
DRAYER: Also, whole wheat flour is the fifth ingredient after the bleached flour, which is stripped of its nutritious components.
Also, whole wheat bagels, they sound healthy, but, in fact, they're not a hundred percent whole wheat. They're usually made with half whole wheat flour and half white flour. The more whole what flour, the heavier the taste. That's why less is often used.
WHITFIELD: Well, I'm not so surprised about the whole what donuts, though. That didn't sound, that sounded like a trick anyway.
DRAYER: Exactly. Also...
WHITFIELD: All right, well, how about low and reduced fat muffins and scones?
DRAYER: Exactly. Watch those reduced fat claims. Dunkin' Donuts reduced fat blueberry muffin does have less fat than a regular blueberry muffin. However, it will still cost you 450 calories.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
DRAYER: Similarly, Starbucks' low fat lemon poppy seed scone will cost you 480 calories. In other words, you'll gain a pound each week if this is eaten in excess of your daily needs. And watch those low fat bakery muffins. They don't have to be on the nutrition facts labels, so if they can't provide the information to back up a claim, you really can't trust what you're seeing.
Also, Thomas's new raisins bran English muffins say that they're...
WHITFIELD: OK, that's one of my favorites.
DRAYER: Now, they say that they're a good source of seven vitamins and minerals.
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK.
DRAYER: In fact -- but if you look at the nutrition facts label, you will see only 10 to 15 percent of our daily needs for the B vitamins. Better than the other English muffins, but certainly not as good as what you would get from a multi or even from fortified cereals. And speaking of cereals, we see a lot of these fruit-filled cereals such as Cheerios new Berry Burst, the triple berry. If you look at the ingredient list, the freeze dried berries are actually number six on the list after the sugar and the corn syrup.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's good.
DRAYER: So there's more sugar.
WHITFIELD: I haven't even tried those yet. Are those really tasty, actually?
DRAYER: You know, I haven't tasted them. I just looked at the label and I was shocked at what I saw, 11 grams of sugar.
WHITFIELD: Whoa.
DRAYER: The same thing with Kellogg's new Fruit Harvest. The apples come after the sugar.
And finally, those egg white omelets. You know, we think they're so healthy. In fact, you do need to ask how they are prepared. Oftentimes they're prepared using a lot of butter and just one tablespoon of butter will cost you a 100 calories and 12 grams of fat. So just be careful. Read those labels carefully. Ask a lot of questions. And if it sounds or tastes too good to be true, it probably is.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I know. That's the old trick. But, you know, butter tastes so good and white egg omelet? I mean you've got to have some flavor in there so.
DRAYER: Well, add some low fat cheese.
WHITFIELD: There's the trade-off.
OK, well, that's a good trade-off.
All right, thanks a lot, Lisa. Good to see you.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired March 12, 2003 - 06:51 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, turning to news for your health now, some doctors say eating breakfast can help beat obesity and other diseases. But some healthy sounding breakfast foods are, in fact, far from a dieter's dream.
Our favorite nutritionist, Lisa Drayer, is back with us.
And, Lisa, what you got for us?
LISA DRAYER, NUTRITIONIST: Well, as you mentioned, a lot of breakfast foods on the market these days sound a lot healthier than they are. For example, Dunkin' Donuts whole wheat glazed cake donut...
WHITFIELD: Yes?
DRAYER: ... should really be called the whole fat donut. It has 19 grams of fat, the most fat out of all of the Dunkin' Donuts, including six more grams of fat than a chocolate cream filled donut.
WHITFIELD: No way.
DRAYER: Also, whole wheat flour is the fifth ingredient after the bleached flour, which is stripped of its nutritious components.
Also, whole wheat bagels, they sound healthy, but, in fact, they're not a hundred percent whole wheat. They're usually made with half whole wheat flour and half white flour. The more whole what flour, the heavier the taste. That's why less is often used.
WHITFIELD: Well, I'm not so surprised about the whole what donuts, though. That didn't sound, that sounded like a trick anyway.
DRAYER: Exactly. Also...
WHITFIELD: All right, well, how about low and reduced fat muffins and scones?
DRAYER: Exactly. Watch those reduced fat claims. Dunkin' Donuts reduced fat blueberry muffin does have less fat than a regular blueberry muffin. However, it will still cost you 450 calories.
WHITFIELD: Wow.
DRAYER: Similarly, Starbucks' low fat lemon poppy seed scone will cost you 480 calories. In other words, you'll gain a pound each week if this is eaten in excess of your daily needs. And watch those low fat bakery muffins. They don't have to be on the nutrition facts labels, so if they can't provide the information to back up a claim, you really can't trust what you're seeing.
Also, Thomas's new raisins bran English muffins say that they're...
WHITFIELD: OK, that's one of my favorites.
DRAYER: Now, they say that they're a good source of seven vitamins and minerals.
WHITFIELD: Oh, OK.
DRAYER: In fact -- but if you look at the nutrition facts label, you will see only 10 to 15 percent of our daily needs for the B vitamins. Better than the other English muffins, but certainly not as good as what you would get from a multi or even from fortified cereals. And speaking of cereals, we see a lot of these fruit-filled cereals such as Cheerios new Berry Burst, the triple berry. If you look at the ingredient list, the freeze dried berries are actually number six on the list after the sugar and the corn syrup.
WHITFIELD: Oh, that's good.
DRAYER: So there's more sugar.
WHITFIELD: I haven't even tried those yet. Are those really tasty, actually?
DRAYER: You know, I haven't tasted them. I just looked at the label and I was shocked at what I saw, 11 grams of sugar.
WHITFIELD: Whoa.
DRAYER: The same thing with Kellogg's new Fruit Harvest. The apples come after the sugar.
And finally, those egg white omelets. You know, we think they're so healthy. In fact, you do need to ask how they are prepared. Oftentimes they're prepared using a lot of butter and just one tablespoon of butter will cost you a 100 calories and 12 grams of fat. So just be careful. Read those labels carefully. Ask a lot of questions. And if it sounds or tastes too good to be true, it probably is.
WHITFIELD: Oh, I know. That's the old trick. But, you know, butter tastes so good and white egg omelet? I mean you've got to have some flavor in there so.
DRAYER: Well, add some low fat cheese.
WHITFIELD: There's the trade-off.
OK, well, that's a good trade-off.
All right, thanks a lot, Lisa. Good to see you.
DRAYER: Thank you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
