The Healthiest And Unhealthiest Breakfast Cereals

For a cereal to be considered healthy, it should have fewer than 10 grams of sugar per serving. Otherwise, it turns into a dessert breakfast. Having too much sugar in the morning will lead you to a sugar crash, and we promise this is not a pleasant experience to have as you walk into work. To keep you satisfied until lunch time, select cereals that have at least three grams of fiber per serving. The same goes for protein; cereals that have more than five grams of protein per serving will keep you full and prevent overeating later in the day. 

Healthy – Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Whole Wheat Biscuits


There are only four ingredients are in this delicious cereal, but the taste doesn't suffer. With six grams of protein and five grams of fiber per serving, the crunchy biscuits are made with whole-grain wheat. You can have 28 biscuits for only 180 calories and nine grams of sugar, which could also double as an on-the-go snack.

Healthy – Kashi GoLean Vanilla Graham Clusters

This cereal is sweet and has a whopping nine grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein for just one cup. This 170-calorie breakfast has nine grams of sugar and is the perfect way to get you through the morning and keep you full  until lunch.

Healthy – Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes

For every 3/4 cup you consume, you receive four grams of protein, four grams of sugar, one gram of fat, and five grams of fiber. This cereal is full of whole grains such as oats, spelt, barley, millet, and quinoa. It is the perfect option to add to your yogurt in the morning to replace the far more sugary granola you might be using.

Healthy – Nature’s Path Crunchy Maple Cereal

This is sweet and crunchy cereal is a gluten-free, whole-grain option with only 110 calories, one gram of fat, and seven grams of sugar. Pair it with your favorite dairy-free milk or use it in your Greek yogurt.

Healthy – Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins

These puffins have a cinnamon flavor and have only six grams of sugar. If you are watching your calorie intake, this cereal is the perfect option, with only 90 calories per serving. You are getting six grams of fiber and two grams of protein from this wheat- and dairy-free cereal.

Healthy – Cascadian Farms Hearty Morning

At just 170 calories, you receive eight grams of fiber and four grams of protein from the granola, bran, and other whole grains that make up this cereal. It pairs nicely with nuts or fresh fruit, for added flavor and crunch.

Unhealthy – Kellogg’s Fruit Loops

You know there is a problem when the first ingredient listed is sugar, meaning that this cereal contains more sugar than any other ingredient listed on the label. You won't even believe that there is a version where they add marshmallows to Fruit Loops. More than 14 grams of sugar? Unfortunately, yes.

Unhealthy – Kellogg’s Raisin Bran

With bran in the title, this cereal is put under the whole-grain category. However, all of the goodness disappears when you check out the nutrition facts label. With 19 grams of sugar per serving, this serving doubles, and sometimes triples, the recommended amount for your breakfast cereal.

Unhealthy – Golden Crisp

It should come as no surprise that Golden Crisp was originally called Sugar Crisp. It has a whopping 18 grams of sugar per serving. Out of the cereal's six ingredients, two of the first three are sugar and corn syrup.

Unhealthy – Kellogg’s Honey Smacks

This cereal finds itself at the end of the list because the amount of sugar per serving, 19.4 grams, is equal to that in two Krispy Kreme donuts. It may just be better to steer clear of Honey Smacks, which were originally called Sugar Smacks. Don't let the honey fool you.