Healthy cereals make comeback in Atkins backlash

Published on Thursday 19 February 2004 00:00

BRITONS are increasingly rejecting the low-carbohydrate Atkins diet and rediscovering their love of cereal as a way of keeping trim.

Sales of "healthy" cereals, such as Kellogg’s Special K and Shredded Wheat, have soared in the new year, buoyed by campaigns promoting them as a low-fat alternative. Kellogg’s has promoted a number of cereals with a "Drop a Jeans Size" campaign, which encourages having cereal for lunch or dinner, while Shredded Wheat is being promoted as good for the heart.

The market for cereal bars, which have been dubbed "deskfast", grew by 31 per cent last year and is increasingly seen as a snack alternative to chocolate.

Anecdotal evidence from the industry suggests the healthy cereal sector has been buoyant in the first part of 2004.

Ian Martin, cereal buying manager for Asda, said: "This area is growing massively because people are switching into it because of dietary reasons. And I think they have addressed the final issue where you can have health and taste."

The traditional morning bowl of cereal has suffered from the success of the Atkins diet, which encourages the avoidance of carbohydrate-rich foods, including cereal.

Some cereals have also been criticised for their high sugar and fat content while a busier lifestyle results in many people skipping breakfast at home.

But a backlash against Atkins has seen a return to cereal as a healthy start to the day.

A Kellogg’s spokeswoman said that the Drop a Jeans Size campaign had been highly successful.