20 Healthy Cereals To Eat In The Morning (So You're Not Subsisting On Sugar And Empty Calories)
Swap out the empty calories for these nutrient dense options.
American breakfast is notoriously unhealthy. We’ve got chocolate chip pancakes covered in powdered sugar and syrup, cinnamon rolls that basically double as dessert, and so many cereals that are loaded with sugar, carbs, and very little nutrients. Sure, marshmallows and sugar-dusted rice puffs may taste delicious, but they’re unfortunately not doing much for your energy levels throughout the day.
The thing is, you can find lots of healthy cereal options, and we’re featuring 20 of them below. So grab a bowl, spoon, and milk (or your favorite milk substitute), and start the morning with the proper fuel. Find the best healthy cereal that works for you.
1. Cascadian Farms Organic Hearty Morning Fiber Cereal
Every serving of this morning treat packs six grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber via granola, bran, and whole grains. Get even more nutrients by adding slices of your favorite fruit on top.
(Whole and Natural, $5.99)
2. Bob’s Red Mill Steel Cut Oats
Oatmeal is a classic, and Bob’s Red Mill takes things one step further by packaging only the highest quality of steel cut oats. And in case you were thinking, “all oatmeal is the same,” know that the brand is the recipient of the 2016 Golden Spurtle World Porridge Making Championship in Carrbridge, Scotland and it’s officially known as the World Champion Oatmeal.
(Bob’s Red Mill, $3.39)
3. Cheerios 100% Whole Grain Oat Breakfast Cereal
Speaking of oats, Cheerio’s is made with 100 percent whole grain oats in its famous breakfast cereal. This one’s proof that sometimes the most popular options can also be good for you, too.
(Target, $3.50)
4. Safe + Fair Blueberry Cinnamon Granola
Safe + Fair makes a few different granola options, including their Blueberry Cinnamon Granola, and each is free of the eight most common food allergens. That includes peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, wheat, and soy. It’s also non-GMO, certified vegan, and gluten-free.
(Safe + Fair, $4.99)
5. Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins
This tasty cereal makes it onto a lot of “healthy breakfast” lists, and for good reason. It’s low in calories, low in sugar, and contains three grams of protein per serving.
(Thrive Market, $3.99)
6. General Mills Wheaties
Yep, your favorite Breakfast of Champions cereal just made the list. Today’s version contains even more whole grain than previous options. Enjoy three grams of fiber, two grams of protein, and low sugar, calorie, and fat.
(Target, $3.89)
7. Evoke Classic Swiss Organic Muesli
Muesli is a type of cereal that’s popular in Germany that you can enjoy hot, cold, or plumped “overnight.” Consider it a flavorful, nutrition-packed alternative to regular oatmeal. Evoke’s version has five grams of fiber and six grams of protein per serving.
(Amazon)
8. Quaker Oatmeal Honey Nut Oatmeal Squares
The sugar content is slightly higher in this cereal than the others on this list at nine grams per serving, but if that’s what it takes to get you your four grams of fiber and six grams of fiber, so be it.
(Target, $2.89)
9. Kellogg's Special K Protein Cereal
This popular option is also a little higher in sugar content at eight grams per serving. However, it does boast a whopping 15 grams of protein and five grams of fiber in addition to a number of vitamins and minerals.
(Target, $2.89)
10. HI! Happy Inside Simply Strawberry
To keep your gut in check, chomp on this probiotic/prebiotic fiber that's packed with strawberries, too. It also has five grams of protein and eight grams of fiber.
(Walmart, $4.78)
11. Post Foods Grape-Nuts
If Grape-Nuts was able to fuel climber Sir Edmund Hillary on his way to the top of Mount Everest, it can certainly get you through a comparably mundane day. It packs a whopping seven grams of fiber and eight grams of protein.
(Target, $4.19)
12. Grain Berry Shredded Wheat
This healthy cereal contains whole grain wheat and whole grain ONYX Sorghum ,along with a bit of vitamin E to maintain freshness. And that's it! It has five grams of fiber and four grams of protein per serving with zero sugar and salt.
(The Silver Palate, $5.99)
13. Kind Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters
The fact that KIND can make such delicious foods without all that sugar is pretty mind-blowing. Their delicious Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters are no exception. Also note that they come in dark chocolate, too.
(Thrive Market, $6.39)
14. Uncle Sam Original Whole Wheat & Flaxseed Cereal
Every serving of this four-ingredient cereal contains nine grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber with less than one gram of sugar.
(Plum Market, $3.99)
15. Sakara Classic Superfood Granola
We’ve got another granola option for you, this one by Sakara. It’s loaded with some seriously tasty and healthy ingredients, including goji berries, almonds, and coconut flakes.
(Sakara, $16)
16. Harry P. Fitness Protein Cereal Power Breakfast
If you're seeking mega-loads of protein in the morning, this option from Harry P. Fitness is the winner. It has 30 grams of protein per serving along with 9 grams of fiber. Note that the sugar content is a bit high at 17 grams, though.
(Amazon)
17. Kashi Go Lean Cinnamon Crisp Cereal
You might have turned your nose up at Kashi cereal when you were a kid, but today’s version packs the same nutritional, high-fiber benefits and it comes in some yummy flavors.
(Target, $3.39)
18. Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, Golden Flax
This cereal by Ezekiel 4:9 is as simple as it gets: sprouted wheat, malted and sprouted barley, flax seeds, sprouted millet, sprouted lentils, sprouted soybeans, sprouted spelt, filtered water, and sea salt.
(Swanson Health Products, $6.95)
19. Patagonia Provisions Organic Tart Apple Hot Cereal Mix
If you like your cereal hot, heat up some of Patagonia Provisions’ Organic Tart Apple Cereal Mix. It’s made with organic buckwheat kasha, whole barley, rolled oats, flax seed, and dehydrated unpeeled apples.
(Patagonia Provisions, $7)
20. Peace Cereal Wild Berry Clusters and Flakes
Get your morning antioxidant boost protein fill, and fiber needs via a bowl of Peace Cereal's Wild Berry Clusters and Flakes.
(VitaCost, $5.19)
Wendy Rose Gould is a freelance lifestyle reporter based in Phoenix, Arizona. She contributes to NBC, Refinery29, Brides, Allure, Spotlyte, Total Beauty, Soko Glam, and others.
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