Shelf-stable and with no cooking required, cereal is a breakfast winner when it comes to convenience. But nutritionally? Not so much. In fact, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed changes to the definition of “healthy” that would disqualify many popular breakfast cereals (Honey Nut Cheerios, Special K Original Cereal, and Raisin Bran, to name a few) from including the term on their packaging.
“Never judge a cereal by the front of the box,” says Gretchen Spetz, RDN, the owner of the Functional Kitchen, a private nutrition practice in Cleveland. “The manufacturers aren’t there to help you be healthy. To get the real scoop, you need to scan the ingredients and nutrition facts label for sneaky sugar sources and hidden processed ingredients. What you do want to see are ingredients like whole grains, oats, whole wheat, and brown rice, which tend to be higher in fiber than more- processed carbohydrates.
The good news is that the right cereal pick made with the right ingredients can serve up a healthy, nutrient-rich breakfast in a flash — and yes, help you meet your weight loss or weight maintenance goals.
“Cereal can be a good option for weight loss if it’s made from whole grains and has minimal or no added sugars in it,” says Dana Ellis Hunnes, PhD, MPH, RD, a senior clinical dietitian at the UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. This type of cereal can keep you satisfied and satiated while you cut calories, she adds.
A review published in May 2022 by the journal Frontiers in Nutrition analyzed studies that looked at the health benefits of cereal grains and found trustworthy evidence that the fiber and bran in cereals made of whole grains lowers plaque buildup in the arteries (known as atherosclerosis), and that whole grain cereals that are high in fiber help improve bowel function, too.
Many cereals have the added benefit of containing vitamins and minerals like folate, vitamin D, and iron, which Dr. Ellis Hunnes notes can fill gaps in your diet.
To make the right decision, Spetz recommends looking for cereals with at least 3 grams (g) of fiber (5 g or more is considered “high-fiber”), less than 10 g of sugar, and less than 200 milligrams (mg) of sodium per serving. Actual serving sizes vary depending on the cereal, so it’s important to check the nutrition facts label and measure out the recommended portion. “If you’re just pouring directly into the cereal bowl, that could be double or even triple the real serving size,” Spetz notes.
Here are seven choices that meet most of these parameters and are good breakfast (or snack) options, whether you want to lose weight or just start off your day with a nutritious meal.
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Cheerios
- Serving size 1½ cup
- Calories 140
- Sugar 2 g (1 g added)
- Sodium 190 mg
- Fiber 4 g
- Fat 2.5 g
- Protein 5 g
These Os are a classic for a reason. “They contain a good amount of fiber and are low in sugar,” says Spetz. Because they’re made from oats, Cheerios are naturally gluten-free, too, and you get a hefty serving size compared with other cereals, especially denser ones like granola.
Spetz recommends the original Cheerios over varieties such as Honey Nut, Very Berry, or even Multi Grain, which surprisingly has 8 g of added sugar and less fiber (3 g per serving), compared with just 1 g of added sugar and 4 g of fiber in original Cheerios. If your grocery budget is tight, you can find store-brand or generic versions with a similar nutritional profile.
Another good thing about plain Cheerios is that you can add your own flavor in a healthier way than you’d get out of any cereal box. Spetz likes to add fresh fruit.
Purely Elizabeth Vanilla Blueberry Almond Superfood Cereal With Vitamin D
- Serving size 2/3 cup
- Calories 230
- Sugar 9 g (8 g added)
- Sodium 95 mg
- Fiber 6 g
- Fat 8 g
- Protein 5 g
Purely Elizabeth gets Spetz’s stamp of approval. It’s made of organic gluten-free oats, quinoa, and amaranth, which provide 6 g of satiating fiber. The ingredient list also includes almonds, dried blueberries, chia seeds, maple syrup, coconut sugar, and plant-based vitamin D (4.8 micrograms for nearly 25 percent of the daily value). You wind up with a crunchy, slightly sweet cereal that packs 5 g of protein and only 95 mg of sodium.
One Degree Organics Sprouted Oat Quinoa Cacao Granola
- Serving size 1/3 cup
- Calories 110
- Sugar 6 g (4 g added)
- Sodium 10 mg
- Fiber 2 g
- Fat 3 g
- Protein 3 g
Granola tends to be dense and high in fat and sugar, but One Degree Organics Sprouted Oat Quinoa Cacao Granola is none of those things. Sprouting grains means allowing them to germinate or begin to grow, a process that breaks down some of the starch, making sprouted grains higher in nutrients and easier to digest than unsprouted grains, according to Harvard Health. A review published in a 2019 issue of Nutrients noted that the antioxidant content of sprouted grains increased, and all nutrients in sprouted grains became more bioavailable than those of ungerminated grains, meaning the body can more readily use them.
“Sprouted grains are really good for your gut,” Spetz says. Research published in January 2019 in Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety found that the increased fiber content in sprouted grains benefited the microbiome, or healthy bacteria that reside in the GI tract, and played a role in metabolism and other functions. Fiber is a prebiotic, and prebiotics have been shown to fuel these bacteria. While additional research is needed, early evidence indicates that a thriving microbiome influences weight loss, according to a study published in September 2021 in mSystems, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
In addition to eating this cereal the traditional way, with milk, you can also try some outside-the-cereal-box suggestions. “This is a really great option to add some crunch on top of the yogurt, as part of a yogurt parfait,” Spetz suggests.
Three Wishes Cocoa Grain Free Cereal
- Serving size 1 cup
- Calories 130
- Sugar 3 g (3 g added)
- Sodium 130 mg
- Fiber 4 g
- Fat 2 g
- Protein 8 g
Chocolate lovers, meet your new favorite breakfast. Three Wishes Cocoa Grain Free Cereal is free of many common cereal ingredients, including wheat, corn, rice, dairy, oats, peanuts, and soy. Instead, it’s made with legumes, including chickpeas and pea protein, for a whopping 8 g of the stuff per cup. It’s also sweetened with monk fruit (also known as lo han guo), a plant-derived, no-calorie sugar substitute that’s been generally recognized as safe (GRAS) by the FDA. This, along with real cocoa and organic cane sugar, makes for a subtly sweet bowl of chocolate cereal. “It’s not as sweet as if you were eating Cocoa Puffs, but it definitely has flavor behind it,” Spetz says.
Kashi Go Is Your High-Protein Cereal Solution
- Serving size 1¼ cup
- Calories 180
- Sugar 8 g (8 g added)
- Sodium 170 mg
- Fiber 13 g
- Fat 1.5 g
- Protein 11 g
Kashi Go has an unusually high amount of protein for a high-fiber cereal, thanks to the addition of soy protein — a combination that could help you feel full longer. In addition, research published in Obesity Science & Practice in August 2018 found that eating soy protein can be as effective as other proteins when it comes to weight loss and maintenance.
A hearty serving of protein first thing in the morning may be key to preventing weight gain. An analysis of data from more than 9,000 people found that those who consumed less protein in their first meal of the day ate more calories and consumed more highly processed foods throughout the day, according to research published in November 2022 in Obesity. Highly processed foods have been linked to weight gain in some research.
Kashi Go also contains a natural food dye, annatto, made from the outer coat of the seed of a tropical shrub. There isn’t a lot of research linking artificial dyes to health problems, Spetz says, “but if you’re of the opinion that you want to eat as whole as possible, skip them.”
Nature’s Path Organic SmartBran
- Serving size ¾ cup
- Calories 110
- Sugar 8 g (8 g added)
- Sodium 170 mg
- Fiber 17 g
- Fat 1 g
- Protein 4 g
Nature’s Path makes organic cereals with wellness in mind, and SmartBran is no exception. If you’re looking to maximize your fiber intake, it’s hard to do better than this mix of whole grains, which includes wheat bran, oat bran, and psyllium seed husk. Psyllium is a plant-based form of soluble fiber that is probably best known as one of the primary ingredients in supplements like Metamucil. It has been studied extensively in supplement form, and its benefits include help regulating bowels, lowering cholesterol, and controlling blood sugar levels in people with diabetes, according to Mount Sinai.
Several studies have found that psyllium seed husk has a significant effect on weight loss as well, according to research published in 2021 in Nutrition Today.
With 17 g of fiber in less than one cup, this cereal is a great choice to deliver those benefits without having to take a pill or mix up a powder form of the supplement in a drink.
Seven Sundays Maple Almond Protein Oats
- Serving size ½ cup
- Calories 230
- Sugar 6 g (5 g added)
- Sodium 75 mg
- Fiber 7 g
- Fat 6 g
- Protein 11 g
Spetz likes Seven Sundays Maple Almond Protein Oats because it’s high in plant-based protein and fiber. This is thanks to the gluten-free oats, flaxseeds, chia seeds, almonds, and oat protein (made from nutrient rich pulp from oat milk production) on the ingredient list. The cereal is also sweetened with maple syrup and organic maple sugar — tapped from the Northwoods of Minnesota — but it adds up to only 6 g of added sugar. “So it’s a really low-sugar cereal that also tastes good,” Spetz says. “That’s always important.”
Enjoy these hearty oats hot or cold.
Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES
Medical Reviewer
Lynn Grieger is a registered dietitian-nutritionist, certified diabetes care and education specialist, certified personal trainer, and certified health and wellness coach. She completed requirements to become a registered dietitian at Valparaiso University in 1987 and completed a dietetic internship at Ingalls Memorial Hospital in Harvey, Illinois, in 1988.
Lynn brings her expertise in nutrition, exercise, and behavior change to her work in helping people reach their individual health and fitness goals. In addition to writing for Everyday Health, she has also written for websites and publications like Food and Health Communications, Today's Dietitian, iVillage.com, and Rodale Press. She has a passion for healthy, nutrient-dense, great-tasting food and for being outdoors as much as possible — she can often be found running or hiking, and has completed a marathon in every state.
Madeline R. Vann, MPH, LPC
Author
Madeline Vann, MPH, LPC, is a freelance health and medical writer located in Williamsburg, Virginia. She has been writing for over 15 years and can present complicated health topics at any reading level. Her writing has appeared in HealthDay, the Huffington Post, Costco Connection, the New Orleans Times-Picayune, the Huntsville Times, and numerous academic publications.
She received her bachelor's degree from Trinity University, and has a master of public health degree from Tulane University. Her areas of interest include diet, fitness, chronic and infectious diseases, oral health, biotechnology, cancer, positive psychology, caregiving, end-of-life issues, and the intersection between environmental health and individual health.
Outside of writing, Vann is a licensed professional counselor and specializes in treating military and first responders coping with grief, loss, trauma, and addiction/recovery. She is a trauma specialist at the Farley Center, where she provides workshops on trauma, grief, and distress tolerance coping skills. She regularly practices yoga, loves to cook, and can’t decide between a Mediterranean style diet and an Asian-fusion approach.
Lauren Bedosky
Author
When she's not writing about health and fitness — her favorite topics being anything related to running and strength training — she's reading up on the latest and greatest news in the field and working on her own health goals.