While it’s obvious that a bowl of Lucky Charms isn’t the most nutritious way to start your day, there’s something super-comforting about eating a bowl of cereal. But there’s no escaping the fact that nutritionists tend to seriously frown on the crunchy stuff.
“Even healthy cereal is still a processed food,” says Keri Glassman, R.D. “I’m not saying there isn’t a place for that in your diet. But the best foods are the ones that are natural.”
Hmph. But here’s why cereal tends to get a terrible rep: A lot of cereals are low-fiber, low-protein, high in sugar, and calorie dense, says Alexandra Caspero, R.D., author of the vegetarian blog Delish Knowledge.
But if you can’t imagine life without your daily bowl, there’s hope, says Karen Ansel, R.D. “There are good and bad choices. If you do your research up front, you can find great picks.”
So what should you look for? Here’s what nutritionists say you should scan for in the cereal aisle:
- Low sugar. Truth: “It’s really hard to find a great-tasting cereal that has no sugar, so you want to look for as little sugar as possible,” says Ansel. Caspero and Ansel agree that anything more than eight to 10 grams per serving is too much.
- High fiber. Aim for at least five grams of fiber per serving—or roughly 20 percent of what you should be eating in a day.
- Whole grains. Flours must say “whole”—like “whole wheat,” or “whole oat” (if it just says “wheat,” it’s refined), Ansel says. For grains, look for quinoa, sorghum, brown rice, amaranth, and millet; avoid those with corn or plain “rice.”
- Serving size: Some cereals pack 200 calories per quarter-cup serving (sans milk!), making it easy to wind up with an 800-calorie breakfast, says Ansel. Ideally, you should look for an option that allows you to eat three-quarters of a cup for no more than 250 calories max.
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7 Better-for-You Options
Here are a few brands that got the green light from our nutritionists:
- Kashi GoLean Clusters in Vanilla Pepita. This cereal has nine grams of protein—that’s more than you’ll get from the milk you put in it—plus six grams fiber, and 230 calories in a cup. “And it tastes like popcorn,” says Ansel.
- Puffins. “Puffins is the choice I recommend for the mom buying for her whole family,” says Caspero. They’re slightly more sweetened, at five to six grams of sugar per three-quarter cup serving, but they also have five grams of fiber and just 110 calories.
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- Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal. This is one of the few cereals you’ll find that contains zero sugar, says Ansel. And it’s made from loads of healthy ingredients including whole sprouted spelt, barley, lentils, and soybeans. It has eight grams of protein and six grams of fiber, too.
- Total. This whole-grain wheat classic contains 11 vitamins and minerals. “It’s almost like taking a multivitamin,” says Caspero. You’ll get three grams of fiber and five grams of sugar per one cup serving. Caspero suggests clients add slivered almonds for protein and dried fruit for more fiber.
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- Kellogg’s All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes. You’ll only get 90 calories in three-quarters of a cup—so if you like a big breakfast, you could totally chow down on two servings. Plus, each bowl contains five grams of sugar and five grams of fiber, says Ansel.
- Nature’s Path Qi’a Superfoods. Glassman prefers this organic cereal because it has zero grams of sugar and is 100 percent whole-grain, made with healthy fats and grains like chia, hemp, and buckwheat.
- Barbara’s Multigrain Squarefuls. One cup of this tasty cereal offers six grams of fiber, four grams of protein, and nine grams of sugar for just 200 calories. And it tastes great, says Ansel.
Colleen de Bellefonds is an American freelance journalist living in Paris, France, with her husband and dog, Mochi. She loves running, yoga, and wine, and is very particular about her baguettes.
