A newlywed Sleuth was quite disconcerted to be greeted at the breakfast table by the racket of her spouse crunching through a bowl of Grape Nuts in the morning.

Mr. Sleuth, it seems, was somewhat ahead of his time in recognizing the value of high-fiber cereal, which includes protecting against heart disease and colon cancer, among other benefits.

According to the National Academy of Sciences' Institute of Medicine, targets for fiber in the diet are:

• For women, 21 grams for those 51 or older, 25 grams for those younger than 50.

• For men, 30 grams for those 51 or older, 38 grams for those 50 and younger.

The federal government's reference amounts are 11.5 g fiber per 1,000 calories; thus, the Daily Value is 25 g.

Finally, a note on soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber binds with fatty acids and helps lower cholesterol; insoluble fiber helps keep food moving through the intestines. The American Dietetic Association recommends that 5-10 grams of total fiber intake be soluble fiber.

These three high-fiber cereals go a long way toward meeting those goals -- but are they fabulous or just fiber-full?

All-Bran Yogurt Bites

Cost: $3.99 per 14.7 ounces

The label says: Natural Wheat Bran High Fiber Cereal; 40 percent daily value of fiber.

Nutrition: Per 1 ¼ cup serving: 190 calories, 3 g fat (5 percent of daily value); 1.5 g saturated fat (8 percent daily value); 240 mg sodium (10 percent daily value); 7 g sugars; 6 g protein; 10 g dietary fiber (40 percent of daily value); 1 g soluble fiber.

The verdict: These flakes looked the most appetizing and least like cardboard; ''tastes a bit like Wheaties,'' one said. Two tasters thought the yogurt bites tasted a bit ''unnatural, though not necessarily unpleasant,'' while another said they added ``a new dimension.''

Grade: B+

Fiber One Honey Clusters

Cost: $3.99 per 14.25 ounces

The label says: With whole grain guaranteed; 51 percent daily value of fiber; bestlife approved.

Nutrition: Per 1 cup serving: 160 calories; 1.5 g total fat (2 percent daily value); 0 g saturated fat; 280 mg sodium (12 percent daily value); 6 g sugars; 5 g protein; 13 g dietary fiber (51 percent of daily value); 3 g soluble fiber.

The verdict: Four of the five tasters ranked this tops because the flakes had a nice, sweet flavor, without being high in sugar. ``The clusters are nice but relatively few.''

Grade: A

Kashi Good Friends High Fiber Cereal

Cost: $3.69 per 13 ounces

The label says: Nearly 50 percent of your daily fiber needs.

Nutrition: Per 1 cup serving: 170 calories, 2 g fat (3 percent daily value), 0 g saturated fat; 130 mg sodium (5 percent daily value); 9 g sugars; 5 g protein; 12 g dietary fiber (47 percent daily value); 1 g soluble fiber.

The verdict: Had the least flavor of all the cereals tested, our tasters agreed unanimously. It did have good crunch and texture, and the Sleuth thought it was greatly improved by the addition of sliced strawberries when she ate it after the testings.

Grade: C

The bottom line: The kids might not give up their Cocoa Puffs for these, but you're a grown-up. These high-fiber cereals mostly look like cardboard, but they taste pretty good, so crunch up that nutritional profile at breakfast.

Join the discussion

Note: If this is your first time using our NEW commenting system, you will have to LOG OUT and then LOG BACK IN.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.

     Showing: Oldest first Newest first Most-recommended first Least-recommended first

@Nyx.AuthorDisplayName@ wrote on @Nyx.PostedAtTime@:

@Nyx.CommentBody@

@Nyx.Recommender@ @Nyx.AbuseReporter@