Who would have thought that breakfast cereals would have come in for as much opprobrium as junk food? We all know that a daily dose of burgers, chips and soft drinks puts us on the road to dietary perdition, but the most important meal of the day also needs some careful revision.

Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper

“Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dine like a pauper” is a counsel of perfection beyond the reach of most of us, so it is natural to reach for the box of breakfast cereals.

However, the results of a recent US study suggest we might more readily describe them as ‘breakfast sweets’. Some of the cereals most popular with children contain the equivalent of four teaspoons sugar in one helping; Kellogg’s Honey Smacks are 56 per cent sugar; Kellogg’s Frosties have 11.1g sugar per 30g serving – a very small serving, Nestlé’s Honey Cheerios have 10.53g of sugar.

In fact, we do not need an expensive scientific study to tell us this. Walk down the cereal aisle of any supermarket and pick a box off the shelf. Look at the ingredients list. Scary. So we turn instead to something like cornflakes. Beware. The sugar content may be lower but Kellogg’s Corn Flakes have more salt, per 30 g bowl, than a packet of ready salted Walker’s Crisps.

The best way to choose a breakfast cereal is to look at the list of ingredients and choose one where the first ingredient is cereal, whether wheat or oatmeal. Ingredients are always listed in order of quantity. Weetabix and Shredded Wheat relatively low in sugar, for example.

Beware commercial granola; its healthy image of dried fruit and nuts and toasted oats and other flaked cereals is overlaid with an ‘appetising’ sweet crispness as the cereal is coated in oil and honey before being toasted.

However, it is easy, although a little time-consuming to make your own, and that way you know exactly what the ingredients are. I would make it when the oven has been on for other cooking, so perhaps make up a week’s supply on Sunday afternoon or evening after cooking lunch. Making your own muesli is easy, too, and this requires no cooking.

The best way to choose a breakfast cereal is to look at the list of ingredients and choose one where the first ingredient is cereal

But breakfast is about more than just cereals. A serving of protein is a good plan, as this aids concentration, so not only useful for school-age children, but for all of us.

One of the simplest protein-rich breakfasts is peanut butter on toast. Again, look at the ingredients on the jar. Peanut butter needs no salt or sugar. If you cannot find what you want, make your own, better still, get the family to help you.