Golden Crisps: The Sugar Catastrophe
Starting at the bottom of our nutritional ladder, we have Golden Crisps, which serves as a perfect example of how not to start your morning. Golden Crisps’ mascot Sugar Bear can give you a hint about this cereal’s first ingredient. You guessed it, it’s sugar—and that just means this cereal is mostly made up of the sweet stuff. With over 21 grams of sugar per serving, this cereal delivers almost nothing but empty calories. With most of the calories coming from sugar, plus the serious lack of protein and fiber, consider this a box of empty calories. What makes this particularly problematic is that there’s virtually no nutritional benefit to balance out the sugar overload. These caramel-flavored puffs are packed with sugar and completely devoid of fiber, and that spells bad news for your blood sugar levels. Fiber helps slow down how quickly sugar gets digested and absorbed into your bloodstream, helping avoid blood glucose spikes. When a breakfast cereal like this one has over 20 grams of added sugar and no fiber, your blood sugar will likely spike almost instantly.
Fruity Pebbles: The Chemical Rainbow
Moving up slightly but still in dangerous territory, we encounter Fruity Pebbles, which combines excessive sugar with artificial additives. Hiding behind the tagline “The Fruity way to rock,” the ingredients in the Post Fruity Pebbles cereal are outright disgusting. Sugar is the second main ingredient in the cereal after rice and it only gets worse from there The cereal’s bright colors come from petroleum-based dyes that have raised serious health concerns. These synthetic colorants have been constantly linked with hyperactivity & behavioral problems in children, allergic reactions and even cancerous tumors in studies on rats. Fruity Pebbles are riddled with artificial dyes, many of which are associated with ADHD in children. With 18 grams of sugar per serving and zero fiber, this cereal offers nothing but a sugar rush followed by an inevitable crash.
Cap’n Crunch: The Roof-Ripper
Famous for its crunch factor, Cap’n Crunch unfortunately crunches more than just the roof of your mouth when it comes to health. Cap’n Crunch contains the potentially toxic preservative BHT and is made via the extreme pressure extrusion process. Added sugar is the second major ingredient in this cereal. The captain then has added synthetic caramel coloring, which has been linked with lung and liver cancers in studies on mice. Cap’n Crunch Crunch Berries may take you on a colorful voyage of fruity fun, but beware—this sugary ship is loaded with 17 grams of sugar per serving. Artificial ingredients like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1 make this breakfast treat even more of a shipwreck for your health. The extreme processing methods used to create those distinctive shapes actually denature the grains, making them harder for your body to process effectively.
Honey Smacks: The Former Sugar Smacks
Once honestly named “Sugar Smacks,” this cereal changed its name but not its formula. Honey Smacks used to be known as Sugar Smacks, and although the product may have changed its name, it still lives up to its former moniker. That’s because each serving contains 18 grams of sugar per serving, which Nanavati points out is undeniably a “high sugar content.” What’s particularly concerning is that this cereal provides almost no nutritional value beyond calories and sugar. The lack of protein and fiber means you’ll be hungry again within an hour, making it completely ineffective as a breakfast option. The rebranding attempt with “honey” doesn’t change the fact that sugar remains the primary ingredient, making this cereal essentially candy masquerading as breakfast food.
Froot Loops: The Colorful Culprit
Perhaps one of the most recognizable cereals on this list, Froot Loops has earned the unfortunate distinction of being called problematic by health experts. A prominent food safety expert has labeled Kellogg’s Froot Loops as the “worst breakfast cereal in the US,” amid growing protests over the product’s ingredients, according to Daily Mail. Dr Darin Detwiler, a former FDA food chief, told Daily Mail that the colorful cereal rings are “heavily processed and contain high levels of added sugars, artificial dyes, and preservatives, which are linked to health concerns.” The morning snack contains 12.35g of sugar per serving (one cup), equivalent to three teaspoons, which is almost half of a child’s daily recommended intake. Dr Detwiler notes that most children “consume a lot more than the recommended serving size, as one cup is not a realistic amount.” The artificial dyes used to create those bright colors have been banned in many countries due to health concerns.
Corn Flakes: The Processed Classic
Moving into slightly better territory, we find traditional Corn Flakes, which represents the middle ground of cereal nutrition. While not loaded with sugar like the previous entries, this cereal still falls short of optimal nutrition. While cornflakes or puffed rice served with low-fat milk can be part of a healthy breakfast, they are low in fibre so they are not as good a choice as wholegrain cereal. Other low-fibre unsweetened cereals (like crisped rice or malted flakes) will be similar from a heart health point of view. Salt levels do vary between the brands so make sure you check the nutritional labels before you buy. The main issue with Corn Flakes is that they’re made from processed corn rather than whole grains, stripping away much of the natural fiber and nutrients. However, they do represent a significant improvement over the sugar-laden options above, with only about 4 grams of sugar per serving.
Honey Bunches of Oats: The Sweet Compromise
Climbing higher in nutritional value, Honey Bunches of Oats offers a balance between taste and nutrition, though it still has room for improvement. Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal was the second top-selling Post cereal of 2024. The company said the cereal’s “sweetly satisfying combo of crispy flakes, crunchy oat bunches and sliced almonds has landed Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds cereal in our top-selling cereals list for years.” While it contains some whole grains and provides a satisfying crunch, the added sugar content still makes it less than ideal for daily consumption. Bran flakes, mixed grain or malted wheat cereals are wholegrain cereals, which means they are high in fibre. Wholegrains are good for your digestion and your heart. While these cereals are healthier than low-fibre cereals, they often have extra sugar and/or salt added. The combination of whole grain oats with processed flakes creates a mixed nutritional profile that’s better than pure processed cereals but not as beneficial as 100% whole grain options.
Cheerios: The Childhood Favorite
A significant step up in nutritional quality, Cheerios has earned its place as a more sensible breakfast choice. Cheerios came out on top, with Cream of Wheat, Honey Bunches of Oats, Lucky Charms, and Frosted Flakes rounding out the top five spots. The volume of queries for Cheerios was 2.6 times higher than those for Cream of Wheat, putting it in first by a landslide. Though we already knew that people have historically been big fans of Cheerios, we didn’t realize that the diminutive little whole grain circles would still be this popular. Everyone knows General Mills for America’s favorite tiny O’s! General Mills Cheerios are not just well-known, they’re also one of the healthiest cereals on the market. A supermarket staple for more than fifty years, this cereal is still worthy of a permanent spot on your pantry shelf. With whole-grain oats as the first ingredient, you get the nutrients you need to kick-start your day. The fact that it’s made primarily from whole grain oats provides fiber and essential nutrients, making it a reasonable choice for daily consumption.
Grape-Nuts: The Fiber Powerhouse
Approaching the top tier of nutritional cereals, Grape-Nuts delivers impressive health benefits despite its simple appearance. Likely one of the best-known options on this list of the healthiest cereals, Post Grape-Nuts packs a lot of nutritional punch into one serving. It’s made with whole grains, is loaded with iron and is Non-GMO Project Verified. As with other cereals considered the healthiest cereals on the market, Grape-Nuts features minimal ingredients. One serving of Grape-Nuts provides 7 grams of dietary fiber (about 27% of your daily needs), 6 grams of protein before adding milk and lots of other nutrients, including 80% of your daily vitamin B6. This is also the best healthy cereal to eat if you want to increase your iron intake, as one serving contains an average of 90% of your daily iron requirement. The exceptional fiber content helps with satiety and digestive health, while the protein content makes it more filling than most cereals.
Oatmeal: The Nutritional Champion
Reaching the pinnacle of cereal nutrition, oatmeal stands as the clear winner in our ranking. The champion of breakfast cereals! Oatmeal stands as a nutritional powerhouse that outshines all competitors. Porridge is our top choice for a heart-healthy breakfast, made with low-fat milk or water. All porridge oats are wholegrains and they contain a soluble fibre called beta-glucan, which can help lower your cholesterol level if you have 3g or more daily, as part of a healthy diet. (A 40g serving of porridge oats contains 1.6g of beta-glucan.) A study in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that compared with eating typical boxed ready-to-eat cereal, consuming the same number of calories in the form of oatmeal results in greater feelings of fullness and desire to eat for up to 4 hours afterward. You can thank the payload of soluble fiber in this breakfast stalwart for its hunger-crushing power. This hot cereal is a cardiologist favorite. It contains fiber, vitamins and minerals, and studies associate it with lowering cholesterol and helping with weight control, according to the American Heart Association. The versatility of oatmeal allows you to control exactly what goes into your bowl, making it the ultimate customizable and nutritious breakfast option.
