Best Breakfast Cereals
Whole Grain TOTAL
General Mills
This tasty blend of whole grains meets almost all the requirements outlined above to a "T." It is low in saturated fat (as are all the cereals on this list) and cholesterol, and contains only 97 calories, 1g of fat and 5g of sugars per 30g serving. Whole Grain TOTAL slightly exceeds the recommended amount of sodium with 192mg, but this is hardly dramatic.
Frosted Mini-Wheats
Kellogg's
Believe it or not, those tasty little frosted wheat squares you've been enjoying since you were a kid are an excellent choice. However, make sure to stick to the original kind (hey, you still get tasty frosting!), as the Maple and Brown Sugar and Vanilla Creme flavors are packed with sugar. A 30g serving of the original kind contains only 102 calories, less than 1g of fat, 3g of fiber, 6g of sugar, and 3mg of sodium.
Mini-Wheats are a very good source of iron and manganese, and a decent source of other vitamins and minerals like B6 and B12, niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin.
Fiber One
General Mills
Granted, this may not be the tastiest option on this list, but it is by far one of the healthiest. If you just can't get used to the taste and texture of this cereal on its own, you can try mixing a small portion of it into your regular cereal for a fiber kick. With 59 calories, 1g of fat, 14g of fiber, no sugar, and 129mg of sodium per 30g serving, you'll get the benefits of adding fiber to your diet with hardly any extra calories. In fact, the amount of calories the fiber will burn will exceed the number you ingest from the cereal.
Fiber One is also a good source of many vitamins and minerals, such as B6 and B12, folate, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, iron, magnesium, and zinc.
Cheerios
General Mills
Yup, good ol' Cheerios are good for you. But steer clear of the frosted, honey nut and apple cinnamon varieties, as they are full of sugar; only the plain and multigrain kind are acceptable. A 30g serving of plain Cheerios contains 111 calories, 2g of fat, 4g of fiber, and 2g of sugar. The only downside is that they are slightly high in sodium with 213mg of the salty stuff per 30g serving.
You also get a nice serving of vitamins and minerals like thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, B6, folate, B12, iron, zinc, and manganese.
Post Grape-Nuts Flakes
Kraft
This cereal, which contains neither grapes nor nuts, is actually a healthy choice. However, make sure to buy the flakes and not the regular cereal, which contains a lot more calories, sugar and sodium. A 30g serving of flakes has 106 calories, 1g of fat, 3g of fiber, 5g of sugar, and 140mg of sodium.
It is also a good source of vitamins A, B6, B12, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, and iron.
More on Best Breakfast Cereal
Cereal Dater
(replace the bad ones for the good)
If you like General Mills Basic 4
A little healthy fat from nuts or seeds is good, says Kristine Clark, Ph.D.,R.D., director of sports nutrition at Pennsylvania State University. It slows digestion and keeps you full longer. But Basic 4's partially hydrogenated oil (aka trans fat) increases your risk of cancer, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
Switch to Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes and Wild Blueberry Clusters
Dried blueberries, puffed rice, and honey make this cereal light, crunchy, and plenty sweet. No trans fat here and just 0.5gram of saturated fat per generous 1 1/4-cup serving.
If you like Kellogg's Raisin Bran
A handful of raisins and whole wheat sounds healthy, right? It would be, says New York City nutritionist Joy Bauer,R.D., if it weren't for high-fructose corn syrup, which jacks the sugar content up to 19 grams, landing Raisin Bran alongside Lucky Charms. And its whopping 350 milligrams of sodium don't help.
Switch to Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value Raisin Bran
"[It has] less calories, sugar, and sodium, but the healthy protein remains," Bauer says. "And there's no extra bad stuff." 365 puts Kellogg's sugar surplus to shame with just 8 grams per 3/4-cup serving and a hefty 6 grams of fiber.
If you like Post Fruity Pebbles
Been eating it since the Stone Age? With hydrogenated oils — highly saturated fats that contribute to clogged arteries — and artificial ingredients, "this cereal might be harmful in the long run," says Barbara Olendzki, R.D., a University of Massachusetts nutritionist. "Even the fiber's fake," she says of the polydextrose, which is mostly sugar and only keeps the pebbles from crumbling. Yabba dabba yuck.
Switch to Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats
The whole-grain side fills your tank while the frosted side satisfies your sweet tooth. "This appears higher in calories than other cereals," Clark says. But it's really just a bigger bowl: Each 200 calorie, 24-biscuit serving also provides a quarter of your fiber RDA and 6 grams of hunger-fighting protein.
If you like General Mills Honey Nut Clusters
"Your digestive enzymes don't have to spend a lot of time breaking this lightweight cereal down, so you'll end up hungrier sooner," Olendzki says. Add that to its absurd 17 grams of sugar and 47grams of carbohydrates for only 3 grams of fiber a cup and all you've got is a quick fix.
Switch to Health Valley Real Oat Bran Almond Crunch
Just a half cup of this crispy heavyweight packs 5 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein to supercharge your engine. Natural vanilla, amaretto, and barley malt provide sweetness and keep the glycemic index low, Olendzki says. So you'll digest it slowly, preventing the kind of hunger-inducing insulin rush that a bowl of Clusters can cause
More on Cereal Dater
How to Choose the Best Cereal
1. Check the ingredients list. The first ingredient should be a whole grain.
2. Avoid foods with partially hydrogenated oils (trans fats)
3. Check the fiber
4. Minimize Sugar
5. Limit Sodium
- look for the least sodium even though it's less important than whole grains and fiber
6. Watch out for false claims like "low-fat"
Recommended: Cereals made with all or mostly Whole Grains
(No trans fats, little or no added sugars; but check the list of ingredients -- recipes can change.)
Cheerios -
General Mills
Chex, Wheat or Multi Grain - General Mills
Cinnamon Toast Crunch - General Mills
Cinnamon Grahams - General Mills
French Toast Crunch - General Mills
Golden Grahams - General Mills
Grape Nuts - Post
Grape Nut Flakes - Post
Great Grains, all varieties - Post
Healthy Choice Mueslix - Kelloggs
Healthy Choice Almond Crunch with Raisins - Kelloggs
Healthy Choice Low Fat Granola - Kelloggs
Healthy Choice Toasted Brown Sugar Squares - Kelloggs
Kashi (all varieties) - Kashi Company
Life - Quaker
Mini-Wheats, all varieties - Kelloggs
Muesli - Familia
Nutri-Grain, all varieties - Kelloggs
Oatmeal Crisp, all varieties - General Mills
Oatmeal Squares - Quaker
Organic Healthy Fiber Multigrain Flakes - Health Valley
Puffed Wheat - Quaker and others
Shredded Wheat, all varieties and sizes - Post and others
Smart Start - Kelloggs
South Beach Diet Toasted Wheats
Total - General Mills
Uncle Sam - U.S. Mills
Weetabix
Wheaties - General Mills
Barbara's, Cascadian Farm, Mother's, Nature's Promise and other smaller brands that specialize in "healthful" cereals (but always check the list of ingredients).
Recommended: All Bran or High Bran Cereals
(no trans fats, little or no added sugars. )
100% Bran - Post
All Bran, all varieties - Kelloggs
Bran Flakes - Post
Chex, Multi-Bran - General Mills
Complete Wheat Bran Flakes - Kelloggs
Complete Oat Bran Flakes - Kelloggs
Cracklin' Oat Bran - Kelloggs
Crunchy Corn Bran - Quaker
Fiber 7 Flakes - Health Valley
Fiber One - General Mills
Fruit & Bran - Post
Granola, Low Fat - Kelloggs
Oat Bran - Quaker
Oat Bran Flakes - Health Valley
Oat Bran Flakes with Raisins - Health Valley
Organic Bran with Raisins - Health Valley
Raisin Bran - Kelloggs
Raisin Bran Flakes - Health Valley
Raisin Bran, Whole Grain Wheat - Post
Raisin Nut Bran - General Mills
Shredded Wheat 'n' Bran - Post
Total, Raisin Bran - General Mills
Weight Watchers Flakes 'n' Fiber
100% Natural Granola - Quaker
Not Recommended - Cereals Made from Refined Grains
Many of these also contain a lot of added sugar Apple Jacks - Kelloggs
Cap'n Crunch, all varieties - Quaker
Chex, Rice or Corn - General Mills
Cocoa Frosted Flakes - Kelloggs
Cocoa Blasts - Quaker
Cocoa Pebbles - Post
Cocoa Puffs - General Mills
Cookie Crisp/Chocolate Chip - General Mills
Corn Pops - Kelloggs
Corn Flakes - Kelloggs and others
Count Chocula - General Mills
Crispix - Kelloggs
Frosted Flakes - Kelloggs
Fruity Pebbles - Post
Honey Bunches of Oats - Post
Honey Comb - Post
Honey Nut Clusters - General Mills
Kix - General Mills
Lucky Charms - General Mills
Product 19 - Kelloggs
Puffed Rice - Quaker
Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs - General Mills
Rice Krispies, all varieties - Kelloggs
Special K - Kelloggs
Total Corn Flakes - General Mills