Not as it seems

To say a continental breakfast is simple, is tantamount to saying fire is hot. No duh. Depending on where you spend the night, this mainstay of hotels and motels might present you with coffee, tea, assorted juices, rolls, yogurt, bagels, pastries, and cereal. Periodically, its menu might include sausage, pancakes, or pre-portioned cups of waffle batter and a waffle maker in which to cook it. (Point of interest: They are called "continental breakfasts" because they are the breakfast of choice on The Continent, also known as Europe.)

If it's going to be a while before your next meal however, be wary of the ubiquitous continental breakfast because the primary foodstuffs served in these breakfasts contain a whole lot of empty calories. Count on a rumbling, empty belly and low energy a few hours hence.

So, with that in mind, ever-conscious (some might say "obsessed") with taking care of myself and watching my weight, I walk the aisle of offerings before making my decision, taking a casual glance at what is available. Too many calories and too much fat in sausage; too much sugar in the waffles; not in the mood for a mushy apple; what to do?

At the end of the line up, the inn has two dispensing machines that provide two different types of cold cereal. In the front of each dispenser, there is a picture of the box from which they come. I presume they do this so you can tell which cereal is which. However, at first blush, the decision to the health-conscious appears obvious. Note use of the word, "appears."

The same company manufactures both products; yet the similarity ends there. One bin is full of red, yellow, blue, and purple loops caked in sugar. Its container, emblazoned with a loud, cartoonish font, is decked out with a caricature of a varicolored, large-billed bird from Central America, who with gleeful abandon is devouring a bowl of the fruity rings.

The other container, I presume is opting to appeal to the "more mature" morning diner as it consists of a multi-grain granola with chunks of assorted nuts and raisins. Its package cover is more demure, adorned with a wholesome, unrefined, typeface; and instead of a cartoon character, there is an enlarged photograph of a spoonful of the salubrious mixture, showing detail of its nourishing goodness. Across the top of the box, above the brand, it boldly proclaims, "Low Fat."

With credit to the manufacture, nutritional information is clearly printed on the top of each box, and that's what caught my eye. The low fat cereal, had three grams of fat and the sugary cereal had only one.

"Odd," I thought, and inspected further.

In addition to more fat, it had 230 calories compared to 110. It had 150 grams of sodium versus 135, and it had 18 grams of sugar instead of only 12 for the happy bird.

At first blush, the sugary cereal appears to be the healthier alternative. However, years of learning to avoid such items could not be overcome. I opted for a hard-boiled egg.