Ranking Popular Breakfast Cereals From the Least Healthy to the Healthiest
Which of These Popular Cereals Should You Eat to Start Your Morning
Mornings can be rough. When you’re grumpy and groggy, the last thing you want to do is cook a balanced, nutritious breakfast. It’s so much easier to pour a bowl of cereal and get going with your day.
Cereal is fine, sometimes, but your choice makes all the difference. It will determine how satiated you feel and how much energy you have after breakfast.
Are Lucky Charms actually lucky? Can we really call Wheaties the “Breakfast of Champions”? I’ve put together this ranking of 10 popular breakfast cereals from least healthy to healthiest.
10. Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Calories (per cup): 170
Protein: 2 g
Added sugars: 12 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin D, calcium, iron, folic acid
Do you crave those crazy squares? Maybe it’s time to reconsider. One cup of Cinnamon Toast Crunch has 170 calories, 4 grams of total fat, and 33 grams of carbohydrates. It’s not an ideal breakfast if you’re trying to lose weight. At first that might not sound like the worst, but the problem comes from the sugar content.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch also has 12 grams of added sugars. One of the only nutritional benefits to the cereal is its 3 grams of fiber content. That’s higher than Lucky Charms, Apple Jacks, and Frosted Flakes, which only have 2 grams.
9. Apple Jacks
Calories (per cup): 150
Protein: 2 g
Added sugars: 13 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin D, iron, potassium, folic acid
Apple Jacks may be named after a fruit, but let’s face it, so is apple pie! That doesn’t mean they’re necessarily good for us. These cinnamon-sprinkled red and green loops are surprisingly unhealthy. They boast 0.5 g of saturated fat, 13 g of added sugars, and absolutely no calcium.
Don’t be fooled by the word “apple” in this case. Apple Jacks actually have a worse nutritional value than Lucky Charms or Frosted Flakes. If you’re going to indulge in a sugary cereal, then you’re much better off going with either of those options.
8. Raisin Bran
Calories (per cup): 190
Protein: 5 g
Added sugars: 9 g
Other nutrients: Calcium, iron, folic acid
You may be shocked to hear that Raisin Bran is one of the least healthy cereals in the grocery aisle. It’s actually got less nutritional value than Lucky Charms and Frosted Flakes since there’s no Vitamin D and a higher calorie count at 190 per cup.
Raisin Bran won’t keep you trim. It has 47 grams of carbohydrates and 9 grams of added sugar. The only thing the cereal has going for it is 5 grams of protein. It also contains real raisins, which are packed full of fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
7. Lucky Charms
Calories (per cup): 140
Protein: 3 g
Added sugars: 12 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin D, calcium, iron, folic acid
Hearts, stars, horseshoes, clovers and blue moons, unicorns, rainbows, and tasty red balloons. Those are the marshmallows found inside a box of Lucky Charms. And who doesn’t love them? They’re so colorful! So cute! But also full of sugar.
For this reason, Lucky Charms is ranked toward the end on the list of healthy breakfast cereals. Still, it’s not all bad news. Lucky Charms are relatively low in calories for a sugary cereal. It also has vitamin D, calcium, iron, and 3 grams of protein.
6. Frosted Flakes
Calories (per cup): 130
Protein: 2 g
Added sugars: 12 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium
Are Frosted Flakes actually grrrrreat? Looking at nutritional value, the answer is not so much. The cereal does eke out Lucky Charms for a higher ranking on the list because it has less calories per cup and contains more folic acid (120 mcg compared to Lucky Charms’ 45 mcg).
Our bodies need folic acid to form red blood cells, which transport oxygen and carbon dioxide to our organs, tissues, and muscles. Frosted Flakes aren’t the best source for vitamin B9 (folic acid), but they’re a lot better than other sugary cereals.
5. Rice Krispies
Calories (per 1.5 cup): 150
Protein: 3 g
Added sugars: 4 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin D, iron, potassium, folic acid
Snap. Crackle. Pop. Rice Krispies are the noisiest breakfast cereal at the grocery store. They’re also one of the least artificially sweetened with only 4 grams of added sugar. Of course, the sugar levels do increase if you use the cereal to make homemade Rice Krispie Treats!
A bowl of Rice Krispies isn’t a nutritious breakfast, but it’s a slightly better choice than other sugary cereals. It has ⅓ the amount of sugar compared to Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Lucky Charms. There are less calories with 150 per 1.5 cup. Rice Krispies are also a decent source of folic acid with 200 mcg.
4. Corn Flakes
Calories (per 1.5 cup): 150
Protein: 3 g
Added sugars: 4 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin D, iron, potassium, folic acid
If you’re watching your weight, but you still love cereal, then you should consider Corn Flakes. The Kellogg's favorite has no unhealthy fats and contains only 150 calories per 1.5 cup. Keep in mind, it does have 300 mcg of sodium, which is higher than sugary cereals like Lucky Charms and Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Corn Flakes have less added sugars with only 4 grams, but the cereal also only has 1 gram of dietary fiber and no calcium. It’s not necessarily bad for you, but it’s not particularly rich in nutrients either. For that reason, Corn Flakes fall near the middle of the list of healthy breakfast cereals.
3. Wheaties
Calories (per cup): 130
Protein: 3 g
Added sugars: 5 g
Other nutrients: Iron, vitamin A, B6, B12, C, D
Wheaties are called the “breakfast of champions” for a reason. The cereal is relatively healthy since it has 3 grams of protein, 4 grams of fiber, and plenty of vitamins.
Athletes eat Wheaties because of the iron content: roughly 70% of their daily value. Iron is an essential nutrient needed to produce hemoglobin, a protein in your red blood cells. These cells carry oxygen through your body, which is a must when you’re playing your hardest in a sports game!
2. Cheerios
Calories (per 1.5 cup): 140
Protein: 5 g
Added sugars: 1 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin D, calcium, iron, potassium, folic acid
Kids have Cheerios as a snack. These little circles often end up all over their carseat, but the pieces that do make it into their mouth are packed full of more nutrients than almost any other cereal.
Cheerios edge out Wheaties for a higher spot on the list of healthy breakfast cereals. They have less calories at 140 per 1.5 cup, which is good news for anyone trying to lose weight. Each cup also has plenty of nutrient value: 4 mcg of vitamin D, 130 mcg of calcium, 5 grams of protein, and just like Wheaties, 70% of your daily value of iron.
Honey Nut Cheerios are tasty, but they're not as healthy of a choice as regular, unflavored Cheerios. There are 140 calories per cup with 12 grams of sugar in addition to 30 grams of carbohydrates.
1. Special K
Calories (per cup): 150
Protein: 7 g
Added sugars: 5 g
Other nutrients: Vitamin A D, iron, potassium, folic acid
Like Cheerios, there are many variants of Special K that you can buy at the grocery store. However, for the purposes of this list, we’re looking only at the original. Special K is special because it is low in calories and added sugars. More importantly, it has 7 grams of protein.
Special K has significantly more protein than Wheaties. Protein is a must for anyone who wants to feel stronger and have significant energy throughout their day. The cereal also boasts plenty of vitamins, iron, and a solid 435 mcg of folic acid. Without a doubt, it’s one of the healthiest cereals you can eat.
Of the cereals on this list, which one is your favorite? Do you use oat milk? Almond milk? Regular milk? Put together your perfect bowl of cereal in the comments!
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