We all remember the Life cereal TV commercial that debuted in 1972 featuring three young brothers at the breakfast table. The two older brothers push a bowl of Life back and forth.

"I'm not going to try it. You try it,'' they argued.

"Hey, let's get Mikey to try it,'' said one. "He hates everything."

The freckled-faced 4-year-old digs in.

"He likes it! Hey Mikey!''

	THE AISLE FILES This is the third in a series of reviews of the grocery store aisles and how to make wise choices while shopping. Installments will be published on the last Tuesday of the month. Last month: Dairy Overload (April 27, 2004) March: Attacking the Snacks (March 30, 2004) Next month: Meats and proteins.

A nutritious cereal that tastes good? In 2004, that combination is almost as elusive as it was in 1972. Look at any cereal aisle in an American supermarket and, for the most part, you have your choice of:

Boxes of the high-high-sugar/low fiber varieties emblazoned with cartoon characters to appeal to the younger set.

The high-protein, high-fiber healthy brands: think cardboard.

Muffins or cookies that have morphed into cereals. (Oreo O's, Reese's Puffs, Cranberry Almond Crunch)

There are few choices that have it all -- relatively low sugar (which translates to low calories), good taste, lots of protein and fiber. And often those brands are on the pricier side.

Even Life cereal, although low in sugar, has only two grams of fiber.

Finding the right breakfast cereal is a challenge for consumers who want to lose or maintain their weight, said Madelyn Fernstrom, director of the UPMC Weight Management Center, who has been guiding Your Health through the supermarket aisles monthly to help consumers make wise choices.

Eating breakfast is imperative. Study after study shows that people who skip breakfast with the hope of saving those calories end up gaining weight instead of losing it.

"Adults become over-hungry and they end up eating a lot of high-calorie snacks later in the day,'' she said "It always backfires.''

It's important to have a breakfast with some fiber, protein and fat to feel contented until lunchtime. But at the same time, "it's a waste of calories and energy to eat anything you don't like,'' she said.

A lot of people have trouble stomaching breakfast, which is one reason there are so many high-sugar varieties: to make cereal inviting and appealing. And grocery store shelves are stacked to draw your attention to the sugary cereals, marketing experts say. The boring, tasteless stuff is at the very bottom or very top, not at eye level. And the brands aren't alphabetized to force consumers to look over a multitude of cereals when making their choice.

In the wake of the concerns over obesity, however, cereal companies are trying to downplay that sugar content. Kellogg's Sugar Pops and Sugar Smacks came on the market in the 1950s, but the names of both brands have been changed to Corn Pops and Smacks, respectively, she said.

Late last month, Kellogg's rolled out the ¹*₃ reduced sugar varieties of Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes. They reduce the sugar content from roughly 12 grams to 8 grams per cup.

"It's a little step in the right direction,'' said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nonprofit health advocacy group in Washington D.C.

"But it's still white flour and white sugar and some vitamins. It would be better to take the vitamins without the cereal,'' he said. "As a first step in choosing cereal, l would stick with whole grains like Total or Wheaties. If you have 5 grams of sugar per ounce, that's reasonable.''

Fernstrom also looks for the "reasonable" choices, and figures that a cereal with as much as 12 grams of sugar is acceptable -- though the less, the better, of course -- as long as there are high amounts of fiber and protein. A half-cup of skim milk at 45 calories rounds out the nutrition. (As a comparison, a 12-fluid-ounce can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar.)

Don't be fooled by healthy-sounding names: Apple Jacks contains 17 grams of sugar per serving; Post Raisin Bran has 190 calories per cup and a whopping 19 grams of sugar. But with 7 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein, Raisin Bran could be considered a one-stop cereal. A serving of Kellogg's Smart Start has 190 calories, but only 3 grams of fiber.

With the zillions of varieties, Fernstrom urges consumers to mix and match to get the right fit.

If you can't stand the cardboard flavor of All Bran Extra Fiber, sprinkle a quarter-cup of All Bran over Special K (choosing the Special K version with freeze-dried strawberries is even better) or even the 1/3 less sugar versions of Froot Loops or Frosted Flakes. The fiber cereal adds just 25 calories, but 7 grams of fiber -- about a third of a day's recommended fiber allotment -- to the 110- to 120-calorie bowl of regular cereal, a perfectly acceptable breakfast, she said.

Be careful with the sweetened cereals that appear to be fiber-rich: Honey Nut Shredded Wheat, for example, has 200 calories, but only 4 grams of fiber. You're better off creating your lower-calorie combo.

And read labels carefully. Serving sizes on cereals can range from 3/4 cup to 1 1/4 cup, giving the impression there might be fewer calories than other brands, or more vitamins than other brands.

Sometimes cereals make better snack foods than breakfast foods. Avoid cereals such as Oreo O's for breakfast, but because of the added vitamins, a small plastic bag of Oreo O's makes a better choice as a snack later in the day than a bag of cookies or a Snickers candy bar. The cereal contains 110 calories in 3/4 cup.

Although there were some good choices in the organic cereal aisle, some brands were just as caloric and sugar-laden as regular cereal.

Fernstrom also looked at breakfast bars, a market that has grown in the last few years. There were w, particularly her view of the seemingly supremo health food: granola bars. "It's just a candy bar alternative,'' she said. "It's not a good breakfast substitute.''

So, the bottom line on calorie control: Look for a cereal, cereal combo or other breakfast product with between 100 to 200 calories, several grams of fiber and protein, a little fat, but also something that will taste good.

"The body needs some protein and fat,'' Fernstrom said. "And something fiber-rich is a good start for the day.''

The best vs. the worst

Here's a look at some of the choices you might make in the cereal aisl, characterized by sugar, fat, fiber and protein content. Our shopping guide, UPMC's Madelyn Fernstrom, includes a "realistic" category to help folks who can't bring themselves to eat the lowest-calorie foods. You can find other healthy eating tips at www.upmc.edu/weightloss:

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1. Cold cereal

Best

Any high-fiber/low-sugar cereal, such as Shredded Wheat, 100 percent bran cereals, Kashi Good Friends, Kashi Go Lean Crunch! or Barbara's Puffins (in the organic aisle).

Realistic

Mixes such as these: 1/4 cup of high-fiber cereal mixed with sweetened or low-sugar varieties, including 1/3 reduced sugar Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops. Or a similar mix of All-Bran Extra Fiber with Special K with freeze-dried strawberries, for example. Also low-sugar cereals such as Kix, Cheerios, Life and Total.

Worst

Any high-sugar, high-calorie, low-protein, low fiber variety. Some versions, such as Oreo O's, may be "a worst" for breakfast but would make a better afternoon snack than a bag of cookies because of the fortified vitamins.

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2. Breakfast bars

Best

Pria, Balance or any high-protein bars containing 100 to 200 calories.

Realistic

Milk & Cereal bars.

Worst

Nutri-grain bars, Pop-Tarts (even the plain versions), Granola bars, "They're just glorified candy bars; they're not a good breakfast substitute."

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3. Hot cereals

Best

Regular plain oatmeal. (That's why they're stocked at the very bottom or the top of the shelf -- so nobody sees them.)

Realistic

Flavored oatmeal, Cream of Wheat, Cream of Rice (these products are better if fresh fruit is added), grits.

Worst

Quaker Oatmeal Breakfast Squares (with icing).

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4. Frozen waffles

Best

Special K fat-free Eggo.

Realistic

Regular Eggo.

Worst

Items such as Pillsbury Toaster Strudel.

Note: With waffles, you'll save mucho calories by choosing the sugar-free, low-calorie syrups that are sweetened with a sugar substitute: Two tablespoons of regular syrup contains as many as 100 calories; there are only 15 calories in the same amount of the sugar-free version. And try a dollop of peanut butter instead of butter/margarine to add protein.