Have you checked out the cereal aisle lately? There are literally a million grains, many of which claim to be healthy when they aren’t. So which ones are they? healthiest grain? Also, how do you know which healthy breakfast cereals actually taste good? This guide will help you find the best ones healthy grain for you and your family – cereals that taste good, fill you up and are even good for you!
If you’re looking for the healthiest breakfast cereal, here’s what to look out for. A good healthy muesli has:
The best healthy granola is any organic granola that is high in fiber (at least 5 grams per serving), low in sugar (under 6 grams per serving), under 200 calories per serving, and with no preservatives or artificial colors/flavors.
If you’re trying to lose weight, you might be asking yourself, “Is granola healthy?” Here’s the answer: it depends! Depends on the type of cereal you eat and how often you eat it. If you only eat cereal for breakfast once a day and opt for a high-fiber/low-calorie/low-sugar option, then it certainly can be part of a weight-loss diet. On the other hand, consuming sugary cereals multiple times a day is actually a recipe for weight gain!
There are some healthier brands of granola that have no added sugar! All of the best healthy cereals listed below are low in sugar, but cereals without sugar include: Oatmeal/Oatmeal, One Degree Foods Organic Sprouted O’s, Three Wishes Grain-Free Unsweetened Cereal, Nature’s Path Organic Puffed Kamut, and Uncle Sam Roasted Whole Wheat Berry Flakes & Flaxseed.
Most of Kellogg’s fortified breakfast cereals for kids (Lucky Charms, Golden Grahams, Froot Loops, etc.) are super unhealthy because they’re high in sugar (which leads to those sugar highs and crashes), low in fiber, and artificial colors and flavors. Any granola that has more than 8-9 grams of sugar per serving and contains artificial colors, flavors or preservatives is pretty unhealthy for you!
From the healthiest O’s, puffs, crunchy cereals and flakes to oat, granola, bran and raisin bran granola, we’ve got you covered with this list of the healthiest cereals. You’ll even find some grain-free and gluten-free cereals to try that are healthy for you too!
Healthy whole grains, plant-based protein, and a small amount of added sugar combine to create a nutritious granola. If you’re trying to find the healthiest granola, if you prefer granola that’s low in sugar (less than 6 grams per serving) and high in fiber (4 grams or more per serving), you’ll likely find a great option that will last you until full for lunch!
And if in doubt, prepare gluten-free organic oat flakes and oat flakes for breakfast – because that’s always guaranteed to be healthy!
Note: If you’re feeding an extra picky eater, I recommend supplementing with an organic kids’ vitamin along with their breakfast to ensure they’re getting all the nutrients they need!
Raisin bran is certainly a popular cereal, but unfortunately, the most common varieties of raisin bran (made by Kellogg’s and Post) aren’t healthy for you.
While the name “raisin bran” Sounds healthy, it’s actually loaded with calories and sugar – because of the amount of raisins in the granola. Raisins are dried fruits, and dried fruits are overall concentrated in sugar because they don’t contain all the water that their fresh fruit counterparts do.
A serving of Post’s Raisin Bran Cereal (1.25 cups) contains 210 calories and 20 grams of sugar. Kellogg’s is no better — one serving (1 cup) has 190 calories and 17 grams of sugar.
That’s almost the same amount of sugar in a can of Coke or a full-size Snickers bar! For a healthy raisin bran cereal, try Nature’s Path Flax Plus Raisin Bran instead.
Granola usually has the same problem as raisin bran – way too much sugar and calories in a small serving! Making granola at home results in a healthier granola because you can control the amount of sugar and fat added to the recipe (like this low-calorie granola recipe that’s very low in sugar!).
If you’re looking for a pre-made/store-bought granola, follow the same rules as when looking for a truly healthy (low sugar, high fiber) granola. I like KIND Granola, Bare Naked Fit Granola, and Purely Elizabeth Granola.
Remember that when it comes to granola, portion size matters – you can even go overboard with the healthy brands of granola if you eat more than 1 serving per day!
On the surface, Cheerios look healthy: One serving (1.5 cups) has 140 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 2 grams of sugar, and 5 grams of protein (and they’re gluten-free).
However, since Cheerios aren’t organic, they’ve been found to contain high levels of the carcinogenic glyphosate – so I wouldn’t recommend them!
Try One Degree Foods Sprouted O’s or Cascadian Farms Purely O’s instead.
Unfortunately no, Captain Crunch is not healthy at all! It is low in nutritional value, highly processed, contains no fiber, is non-organic and is likely high in the carcinogenic glyphosate. It’s also extremely high in sugar (17 grams per serving size!!) and contains artificial colors (yellow #5 and #6) and contains BHT (an ingredient banned in Japan, Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) . for classification as carcinogenic).
Quaker Simply Granola Oats with Honey Raisins may sound healthy, but it really isn’t. It’s high in calories (270 for just 2/3 cup), high in sugar (16 grams per serving), and Quaker oats have been shown to be high in glyphosate because they’re non-organic. It is also not suitable for vegans as it contains whey protein. Although this grain contains a good amount of fiber and protein, it is not enough to offset the negative properties of this grain.
Grape Nuts is actually pretty healthy! It’s the best selection of conventional breakfast cereals I’ve found. It’s non-GMO, contains only 4 ingredients (whole wheat flour, barley malt flour, salt, dry yeast) and contains 7 grams of fiber, 5 grams of sugar and 6 grams of protein per serving.
The only downside to Grape Nuts is that it’s super high in calories and it’s not a granola (that’s the only type of granola I would expect to be higher calorie dense). Grape Nuts has 400 calories for a 1-cup serving (200 calories for 1/2 cup), which is why I didn’t include it in my list of healthy cereals above!
Special K Original Muesli looks healthy, but it’s actually not that healthy for you. There are some positives: It’s low in calories (150 calories for 1.25 cups), high in protein (7 grams per 1.25 cups), and low in sugar (5 grams per 1.25 cups). But it has no fiber, contains BHT, and Special K was also one of the grains where glyphosate was found, so I’d recommend avoiding it and choosing one of the other healthier grains on this list above.
Rice Chex looks healthy but unfortunately (like Special K and Cheerios) isn’t healthy for you. Some of the positives about Rice Chex include: It’s gluten-free, low in calories (160 calories for 1.33 cups), and low in sugar (3 grams per 1.33 cups). But Rice Chex is very low in fiber, and it’s non-organic and it’s GMO. It’s also nicely finished and has a glycemic index of 69, which is better than a candy bar!
I hope this list of healthy cereals that taste good helps you choose a great and filling cereal – it’s the perfect excuse to start your day healthy! Be sure to check out some of these delicious healthy eating guides too!