Cereal is a product intended for children's breakfast that, in addition to containing seeds or fruits, has sugar, salt and other additives.
The term cereal comes from the Latin cereālis and is used to name grass plants that produce farinaceous fruits . Cereals are also used to refer to these same fruits, to the set of seeds from these plants and to the foods made from these seeds.
In the structure of the cereal we can recognize the germ (which appears in the nucleus of the seed and allows the development of a new plant), the endosperm (a starchy or floury structure that surrounds the germ), the testa (the outer layer that covers the grain) and the husk (another layer, which covers the testa and protects it).
Cereal components
Cereals contain starch, lipids, cellulose, gluten and various proteins. All of these components are essential for human nutrition . Furthermore, oils and resins can be produced from cereals such as corn, for example.
The main cereal species are corn , wheat , oats , rice , rye , barley , sorghum and millet , among others. Depending on the treatment given to these cereals, different types of food can be obtained.
Its importance in human nutrition
Since ancient times, the existence of cereals that are now part of our diet has been known. Thus, for example, in the case of Spain, rice has become an essential food because it is not only eaten as a soup or in a salad but also as a fundamental ingredient in making one of the typical dishes of the country's gastronomy: paella.
It should also be noted that in China rice is also an essential cereal in their diet.
In the case of rye and wheat, it should be noted that they are two cereals that are also known as bread-making cereals. This is a term used to make it clear that both can be used, and are used, to make bread and all kinds of bakery products.
Rice is one of the most consumed cereals worldwide.
Cereals, gluten and flour
Among the most prominent elements that are part of cereals, we should highlight, for example, gluten, which is very present in both of the aforementioned cereals and in barley. An element that is not accepted by the body of all people, so there are individuals who are celiac , which means that they cannot consume any type of food that contains gluten. In this case, it is common to replace the aforementioned with corn or rice, among others.
Flour , for example, is the fine powder obtained from ground cereal. Bran , on the other hand, is the result of another part of the grinding of cereal grains.
Products intended for children's consumption
Finally, it should be noted that certain foods intended for breakfast and which are usually recommended for children to eat are known by the name cereals. They are not natural cereals, but rather have additives such as sugar and salt .
Likewise, we must not forget that when we refer to cereals we are talking about everything related to or belonging to the Roman mythology goddess Ceres, who acted as the deity of the earth and agriculture.