Aisle by Aisle: Choosing Healthy Cereals
You could probably guess that most kids’ cereals are bursting with added sugar, but even some “healthy” cereals can be full of sugar and few nutritional benefits. Whether you have a bowl for breakfast or munch on some for a snack, here are tips for picking the best cereals.
Nutrition Basics
Many cereals — especially the “healthy” or “whole-grain” ones — are combos of grains, nuts, seeds and maybe some dried fruit. Servings of cereal (without milk) can range anywhere from 90 to 200 calories and 0 to 10 grams of fat.
Most cereals are low in sodium and free of cholesterol, saturated and trans fats. Added nuts will up the calories and fat, but at least they’re a healthy fat source. Dried fruits bring some natural sweetness and some extra calories, too. Then there’s the added sweeteners — anything from plain old sugar and highly processed corn syrup (I saw lots of high-fructose corn syrup in the boxes I checked) to less processed honey and maple syrup. Other common sweeteners you might find are evaporated cane juice, molasses, brown sugar, brown rice syrup and fruit juice concentrate. The bottom line for sweeteners: Most cereals have some, which is okay, but many are drowning in them! Since sweeteners add calories and few nutrients, stick to the cereals that contain the lowest amounts. Try looking for ones with less than 5 grams of sugars per serving (or slightly higher if some of that sugar is coming from dried fruit — more on what to look for below).
As for the milk, opt for nonfat or low-fat — whether you choose soy, cows’ or even rice milk — to help keep the calories and fat from getting out of control.
Read the Label
We can’t stress this enough — read your labels! When you look at the nutrition facts, start with the serving size. It’s so easy to unknowingly pour 3 or 4 servings into your bowl. Serving sizes vary greatly from cereal to cereal so check each box. If the serving suggests “1/2 cup,” that doesn’t mean that’s all you should have. Just remember that if you go for a whole cup, you’re getting twice what’s on the label. Aim for about 150 to 200 calories worth of cereal for a sensible portion.
Cereal is an easy way to start your day with some whole grains. Choose brands that have whole wheat, rice, oats, corn, barley, quinoa, kamut and millet in the mix. To make sure the grains are whole, check the ingredient list for the word “whole.”
The ingredient list will also tell you the type of added sweeteners. The USDA recommends no more than 8 teaspoons a day of added sugar. That comes out to roughly 32 grams — a bowl of sugary cereal can easily exceed this. Sometimes it’s tough to know how much good or bad sugar is there — especially if the cereal contains both added sugars (i.e. the granulated white stuff) and natural sugars from dried fruit. The total sugar count won’t differentiate between the various kinds, so if you pick a cereal with raisins for example, know that some of the total sugars listed on the label are coming from the fruit.
What to Choose
First, go for whole grains! Look for cereals with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving and the lowest amount of added sugars possible — the sweetener should be no higher than the third or fourth ingredient on the list. Finding high-fiber and low-sugar cereals that you’ll want to eat can be tricky. I browsed my market and here are a few favorites I found:
- Nature’s Path Heritage Heirloom Flakes
- Trader Joe’s Reduced Sugar Triple Nuts & Flakes (only 2 grams of sugar per serving!)
- Nature’s Path Envirokidz Cereals (great kid-friendly options)
- Kashi Heart to Heart
- Barbara’s Puffins
- Barbara’s Shredded Spoonfuls
- Cheerios (Original or Multigrain)
- Fiber One (Original)
- Quick & Easy Cereal Tips
- Eat out of small bowls to keep portions under control.
- Add your own low-calorie sweetness by topping your cereal with fresh fruit.
- Mix a favorite sweeter cereal with a low-sugar, high-fiber one to boost the nutrients.
- Steer clear of cereals with chocolate pieces or lots of sugary “clusters.”
TELL US: What’s your cereal of choice?
Post Great Grainsl mixed with Honey Nut Cheerios with skim milk. Maybe it's not the healthiest but it's better than a lot of them.
This is such a helpful article, thanks for posting. I always buy the original Special K. What are your thoughts on this cereal? It doesn't have the great whole grains or fiber like the ones you listed above, but the low calorie and low sugar content is something I benefit from greatly with this particular cereal.
I really like Total Cereal because it has so many nutritional benefits. I'll usually get a box of the original Total Cereal and a box of Fiber One cereal and mix them together in one bowl so I get the benefits from both cereals!
If one of the cereals is flavored (e.g cinnamon, raisin bran, etc.) I'll mix it with a plain cereal so it'll cut down on the amount of sugar I'm eating but I'll still get the yummy variety.
Hi Tilly,
I find Special K a "middle of the road" cereal. Sugar is listed as the third ingredient and there's some high fructose corn syrup in there too (as the 6th ingredient). Also, there's not a significant amount of fiber (less than 1 gram per serving). Dana made some better suggestions in the article with cereals that are a bit better choices, many with more fiber. Let me know if you try any of them:)
I have found a smaller company called "Mom's Best" that provides a pretty tasty and healthy variety of cereals. They use whole grains (whole grain wheat first ingredient on my box), no high fructose corn syrup, but a fair amount of sugar depending on the variety you choose. The cereal is also actually cheaper than most name brands, and they support environmental sustainability by purchasing all the electricity they use to produce their products from a wind farm (so the box says). I've found it at big box stores like Walmart as well as smaller grocers.
Why did Shredded Wheat (original) not make the list? It has all of 1 ingredient: whole grain wheat. I eat a bowl of shredded wheat with a 1/4 cup of raisins every morning.
Thanks for the insight. I'll definitely give these others a shot and see what I think. I've tried 3 of the above- Fiber One, Kashi, and (of course) Cheerios- and I liked all of them. I never noticed the high fructose corn syrup or high sugar content of Special K — thanks for the heads up!
Hi Tilly,
I was actually kind of surprised to see high-fructose corn syrup on the label I found online at http://www.freshdirect.com. I'm going to check the box I have in my office on Monday morning too and see what I find. Regardless, it's still lacking fiber—if you really like it, add fiber by topping it with fresh fruit like blueberries or 2 tablespoons of crushed almonds.
I'm a huge fan of Raisin Bran…but go for Raisin Bran Crunch when I'm craving something a little sweeter.
Hi Will,
Great suggestion! I just saw that Barbara's brand carries the cereal too (it's one of my favorite brands found at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods).
How about Special K Blueberry. It is new on the shelf, but sounds like Special K is not favored as a healthy choice.
Hi Mac – I checked out the label on Special K Blueberry – while it is low in calories, it does contain quite a bit of added sweeteners, including sugar, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup — it also comes up short in the whole grain department with only one gram of fiber per serving.
Hi Tilly,
I just found an Special K High Protein box with sugar listed as the 8th ingredient, but the 10th ingredient in high fructose corn syrup. It has a bit less sugar that the regular version, but I'd still give the ones Dana suggested a try.
Whole grains make the best source, as emphasized. The label will tell which cereal is going to promote your health. There is the opinion that cereals are wholesome but there is a limitation to that tag. Add ons will eventually tell how much fat you are consuming.
few mouths ago I was still choosing the Spacial K vanilla because they were low cal. and sooo good! Then, I reallized I got hungry really fast. Now I choose the All Bran strawberry Medley, those have a hugh among of fiber (40% per serving) and still delicius. I can tell those feed me! (and for the calories, there quite low, I think it's 180 calories for 1 1/4 cup). A good deal!!!
*amunt*….*they are* sorry for the mistakes, I'm French.
Could you do an article on granola or brands of granola that are healthy? I am a granola-addict and I can't get enough of it! However, I know it has a reputation for being high in fat and sugar. What are some brands that are more healthy?
I'm a big fan of the Kashi Go Lean Crunch cereal with fresh fruit in the morning! I know it has a lot of whole grains in it and I love it because it tastes like rice pudding for breakfast! But it's a much healthier breakfast option obviously!
i actually put puffed wheats from quakers and uncle sam's flaxseed and flakes together and add some sucralose. the cereals themselves dont have sugar in it and they used malted barley instead. the puffed wheats are "puffy" and the uncle sam's add a GREEEAAT crunch
Grape Nuts! Grape Nuts! Grape Nuts! Are there no other Grape Nuts freaks left out there?
All of those cereals listed above (except Cheerios) seem boring and tasteless. I love Special K (who cares if there is high fructose corn syrup, its a healthy cereal period. I love life cereal, delicious and healthy, not to mention tasty.
Meredith: go to Alton Brown's recipes for homemade granola; omit what you don't like about them and add what you do – keeping the same ratios that the recipe calls for. I thought it would be a pain but it was really easy and tasted great. I added molasses & honey for sweetners and some cinnamon which gives it a dessert-like taste. This way you know exactly what's in your granola. Keep it in an airtight lid in the fridge. I wanted bars or big chunks but as it dried out I was left with more of a small cluster-like shape but still good. I ate it by the handful or added it to my favorite cereal. Hope you try it – it's fun and gives you a feeling of accomplishment. If not, try Costco's granola in their bakery section – it's the best I've ever had but I'm sure it's not really good for you.
Every morning I have: Two hand fulls of Old Fashion Quaker Oats, 1/2 if apple chopped, 6 almonds,chopped, and what ever fresh fruit I have on hand (Blue berries, Strawberries, banana, or dried cranberries) topped with 10% milk. This is so good, noticed raw oats were also served in Germany. This is so good and very inexpensive to serve.
I ALWAYS EAT GRAPE NUTS!!!!! I am very active – so – I need to eat a higher calorie cereal
I love Kashi GoLean; 10 grams of fiber, 1 gram of fat ,and 6 grams of sugar. I mix in some good granola such as Natures Path, the one with pumpkin seeds, to give it a little more flavor.
Shredded Wheat…ahhh. what an old time favorite!!! You don't have to eat a huge bowl of it to fill you up either.
Who cares if there is high fructose corn syrup in it? Really! I am going to guess that you have not educated yourself on the detriments of this particular ingredient
My whole family loves Cascadian Farms Oats and Honey Granola. Kashi Blueberry is a close second.
i like paul newmans, its made with real sugar, 6 grams a serving, and its for charity, but ive always like product 19, holds up well in milk , taste is better than any other non- sugared cereal, its all i ever ate even as a kid, i never liked 'kid' cereal , frosted flakes i thought they were gross after a minute in milk they turn to mush,
im alergic to grape nuts, i do like mini wheats and plain shredded wheat once in while with fruit usually, plain original cherios are awefu,l tastes like cardboard
The Nature's Path Heritage Heirloom Flakes are SO good. The name and box may seem boring, but they have plenty of flavor! When I first started eating them, I couldn't believe they didn't taste like cardboard, as so many healthy cereals do. I definitely recommend them!
Their Flax Plus Pumpkin Raisin Crunch is also delicious, although the calorie count is a little bit higher.
Kaski go-lean is the best!
I love grape nuts but have not checked the side in a whil so I can't quote it, But yes there are still grape nut lovers out there still
Whole Foods also hs some AWESOME granola, but I am sure its not good for you either.
Grape Nuts rule.
Wow that sounds great!
I like honey nut cheerios (for the sweetness) mixed with Kashi (original – for the fiber) topped with blueberries. I use the frozen wild ones from Costco and they thaw by the time I eat them.
Yes, I love it too, but…the 2nd or 3rd ingrediant is high fructose corn syrup!
My faves are steel cut oats with currants for a hot cereal and for cold cereals, Whole Wheat Total with sliced bananas or Multigrain Cheerios with dried cranberries.
Hi
i am a young 70 year old I like Kellog's Smart Start oat flakes. Some whole grain cerals have a comb of grains including wheat. Do you know how many people have wheat allergies these days? I grew up on old fashioned oats. Good for the tummy and cholesterol I still try to go with the oat cereals What was old is new again. Thanks for listening. And thanks kellogs for smart start.
No doubt that my family has the healthiest breakfast of all : the original fiber one ( I grind 1 tablespoon of flax seed on top of a sliced banana or 1 cup of fresh blueberries with skim milk and a little sweet n low or Splenda. It is delicious!!! One member eats the serving dry with a banana followed by one small apple and a handful of grapes…talk about living well–, huh?
The only way to go! Dress them up with flaxseeds, fruit, FF milk and non fat Greek yogurt, and you can't beat that nutritionally speaking!
What about All Bran? It does contain High Fructose Corn SYrup, however, the amount of fiber in the cereal has to be a plus. I do add fresh blueberries, and about 1/8 cup of walnuts…it's great.
My favorite to eat is Grape Nuts Flakes! Lots of fiber in this cereal.
Me too! some of the best whole grain, low sugar, no fat cereal ever. !
I agree with an earlier post…why didn't shredded wheat make the list? I eat shredded wheat or steel-cut oat meal every morning. My husband eats Kashi heart to heart – his cereal made the list while my choices have less (zero) added sugar.
in the winter I like warm Grape Nuts
in the summer its all about the cheerios
My favoite is Kashi Go Lean…it is high in fiber and low in sugar…
Or I love High Fiber Oatmeal, with lots of blueberries about 1/2 cup…it is filling and high in anti-oxidants..
I use a homemade concoction of Groats, which I cook in sufficient quantity to keep in the frig., to this I add according to your taste, some cocoa powder, cinnamon, ground flaxseed (grind my own), ground walnuts,(grind my own) and usually add raisins, blueberries or strawberries and a banana.
To this I add sufficient skim milk, and mix it well, then nuke it in the micro. Make it as thick or thin as you can tolerate and It is all good for you.
Two words: Captain Crunch! If you get tired of that there's always Lucky Charms…..Their Magically Delicious!
I was eating the raw old fashion oatmeal just out of the box and thought they taste like nuts, but I was getting too many carbs so I don't eat them anymore.
I eat 1/2 C of original Fiber 1 and 1/2 C of Multi grain Cherrios. I put that on top of a small banana sliced, add some ground flax seed and sometimes top it off with whatever's on hand – blueberries, strawberries. I add 1/2 C non-fat milke. I find the fiber keeps me full for a long time. I am a Weight Watcher and this breakfast is only 3 points because the Fiber 1 is zero points (if kept to 1/2 C). I eat this most weekdays and have lost 145 pounds so far.
i like grape nuts and uncle sams.
I absolutly love Grape Nuts with a cup of home made yogurt and a cup of blueberrys or sliced strawberrys. That is my breakfast at least 3 times a week. Yes there are other Grape Nuts freaks out there.
Newmans own sweet enough cereal is soo good, and not too bad for you! it's a healthier form of special k red berries I think, with more crunch and flavor.
I buy Kashi Go Lean and a box of Fiber One Original, mix them both together in a very large bowl, and store in an air tight container…I am getting lots of fiber, with plenty of protein and very low sugar…Go Lean has lots more fiber & protein than Heart to heart and whole grains to!
Target has really good granola, and the nutritional info is pretty good from what I remember. It's the best in terms of calories, etc for what I've found for granola. I don't think it has corn syrup or anything like that but double check. I've had the blueberry flax flavor…blueberry something…I think it was flax…definitely try it though
Has anyone tried Kashi Autumn Wheat? My husband and I go through a couple of boxes a week since we first tried it. It is organic whole grain wheat and evaporated cane juice with 190 calories per 1 cup serving (7 g sugar) but Yum! Yum! with lowfat milk.
Kashi's Honey Sunshine is great…..(6 grams of fiber & 100 cal a serv) I throw a packet of splenda on ans it like Capt'n crunch…… Or Whole Grain Total…a tablespoon of raisins and a packet of slpenda. YYYYUUMMM
This is great information. My husband has recently been dx with type II diabetes. He loves his cereal but MOST are off limits. Any recommendations from any diabetics out there?
I don't eat cereal on a regular basis (I favor 1/2 a whole grain bagel with a schmear of low-fat cream cheese and a container of sugar free, fat free yogurt and fruit — I'm a type II diabetice.), but once in a very great while I crave a bowl of Crispix. I know — not a great choice. However, I bump up the nutrition and fiber with a tablespoon of toasted wheat germ, sliced almonds, Benefiber and sweeten with Nutrasweet. I add skim milk to this. What a treat!
Had it for breakfast today. I alternate with Kashi and Cheerios or combine them. It may not
have as much fiber etc. but it is still a smart choice. Just try others as well.
My husband and I discovered Abundance cereal (distributed by Red Engine Foods) at CostCo. They only have it occasionally, but we LOVE this cereal! It taste's great and is full of good stuff like corn flakes, oat granola clusters, strawberries, almonds, oat fiber squares, flax cranberry nuggets, soy protein crunchies, cranberries, rolled whole grain wheat flakes, puffed wheat, and multi-grain whole grain sticks. It never gets boring and it fits in with the nutritional recommendations of this article with 8g dietary fiber, 200 calories per 1C serving, 9g sugar (some from the fruit), and evaporated cane and/or sugar beet juice is the 4th ingredient. We have not found this cereal in any of the supermarket chains here in the Kansas City area, not even Whole Foods, so when CostCo gets a supply of Abundance cereal in, we stock up! More stores should catch on to this yummy product!
for me it's good old oatmeal – using good old Quaker oats, milk and honey – that's it. My daughter eats it every day for breakfast and it really is a yummy and nutritious start to the day. We add different fruits (dried and fresh) to mix it up…
Have you tried MixMyGranola.com? Allows you to customize your own granola! Very cool site and great products!
I take some from about 5 boxes of cereal and mix them together in amother container. I get crunchy ones, bran flakes, cheerios, rice, corn flakes, and/or whatever else suits my fancy. It taste sooooooooooo good with vamilla soy milk.
Plain bite size shredded wheat is a great start to the day. Oatmeal is too.
That's what I eat also Will and I am very surprised Shredded Wheat (unfrosted) and oatmeal (unflavored) is not on the list. How about Grape Nuts?
What about Ezekiel brand cereals? That takes the cake for convenient healthy prepared foods. Completely vegan, no added sugar- AND a combo of whole sprouted grains and legumes for a complete protein! You can also prepare it hot.. that's an added plus!
I agree with the writer who said Original Cheerios taste like cardboard, only I will add that to me it tastes like cigarette ashes and soap flakes mixed together. Really Nasty. I like Total (any variety). I, also, like Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat.
I ran out of my Kashi Mountain Medly Granola, which I was ordering from Kashi since it's not available in my area (Van Buren, AR), and decided to try my husband's cereal, Post Selects Great Grains, and I love it!
Having just healed from a quadruple bypass, I started earting Kashi "Heart to Heart" and "U." with light oy milk. I like the "U" best, but the Heart to Heart is healthier in almost every category. Mix with a sensible amount of dried currants, fresh strawberries, bananas, or just about any fruit and it's a tasty way to start the day.
it's absolutely tasty! I love the Kashi cereals and usually eat that or GoLean for breakfast
I LOVE Grape Nuts, but they are awfully pricey so I buy the store brand, Nutty Nuggets and they taste exactly the same! I top a bowl off with a handful of blueberries and 1% milk every day and I am always full afterward.
Nature's Path is my favorite as well. One serving is totally filling!
I love Envirokids. The pictures make me want to buy their cereal every time I walk by (which is great marketing.) Also, added benefits here, I believe something like 10% of proceeds go to wildlife conservation. I'm guessing here, but anything is better than 0% right!
Tilly, I am always so mad at the Special K folks! I love that stuff and would eat it every day, but it has High Fructose Corn Syrup in it and I'll be darned if I'm going to eat something so cruddy in a cereal that they advertise as being so healthy.
I emailed them about it and got a complete run around, where not one person was able to refer to my topic or question….at all! Nothing but side-steppin. They refused to even explain why they use it instead of plain sugar. I finally email back and told them I thought they were being irresponsible.
Bummer, Meredith, but from all the labels I've read on granola boxes, it seems that "healthy" and "granola" seem to be at odds. So much fat and sugar, even when it occurs naturally. I haven't yet found one that I can live with…and I pick up every box I see in the quest!
Bummer, Meredith, but from all the labels I've read on granola boxes, it seems that "healthy" and "granola" seem to be at odds. So much fat and sugar, even when it occurs naturally. I haven't yet found one that I can live with…and I pick up every box I see in the quest!
Seriously, Nichole. HFCS is some really yucky stuff to ingest. All those commercials that laugh about those who won't eat it because it's made from corn (a natural ingredient!). What they don't say is that chemists have changed the corn at a molecular/cellular level to increase the natural sugar content of the corn and make it sweeter. It's cheaper for "food" manufacturers to use. Problem is that it does not metabolize like pure sugar and tends to convert to fat more easily. No wise person I know would knowingly digest any food that has been altered like that.
My breakfast is groats, to which I add fresh fruit, cinnamon, flaxseeds cocoa and nuts, with skim milk.
Wise up people, the producers of cereal need a lesson. Stop adding all the junk to natural grains as the labels indicate. Cereal does not need all the mislabeled sweeteners, such as High Fructose Corn Syrup and other ingredients that your system cannot absorb, but act as fillers.
I buy my cereal from Whole Foods in bulk, together with other ingredients that are completely healthy, all natural and whole grain without all the sweetners and trans fats, gums etc.
i loooooove any kashi cereal. for a while i always bought strawberry fields. now i get the new kashi honey kind. its low in calories. i also am a big multigrain cherrios person. my only problem with cereal is i eat tooo much of it.