Cereals
YOUR TOP PICKS
RATED
Brought to you by SUNY College at Oneonta’s Nutrition For
Perfomance
Nutrition Facts
Serving
size
Calories
Protein
(g)
Total fat
(Sat) (g)
Carbohydrates
(g)
Sugar
(g)
Fiber (g)
Frosted Mini
Wheats
1 cup
175
4.59
0.82
(0.18sat)
42
10.7
5.1
Multi Grain
Cheerios
1 cup
110
2
1
(0.15sat)
24
6
2.7
Life
1 cup
159
4.22
1.87
(0.35sat)
33
8.3
2.82
Corn Flakes
1 cup
101
1.85
0.17
24
2.9
0.70
22.5
2.5
0.21
45
20
4
25
12.3
2.52
(0.05sat)
Rice Krispies
1 cup
102
1.81
0.25
(0.06sat)
Raisin Bran
Crunch
1 cup
188
3.23
1.01
(0.2 sat)
Apple Jacks
1 cup
102
1.4
0.56
(0.11sat)
Golden Grahams
1 cup
160
1.33
1.32
35
13.3
1.32
33
13.7
1.57
(0.13sat)
Cinnamon Toast
Crunch
1 cup
179
2.18
3.88
(0.59sat)
Let’s build a healthier you, starting with
breakfast! According to study results published
in the Journal of the American Medical
Association, diets high in fiber, complex
carbohydrates, and low in sugar and saturated
or trans fats help clean out the digestive tract,
lower blood sugar and reduce the incidence of
cardiovascular disease! Using these and other
critera from the nutrition labels I have ranked
athlete’s favorite cereals as good, better and
best choices for a healthier breakfast.
3.
Life cereal is ranked number three or “good”
We ranked life cereal as a good choice because
one cup provides about 3 grams of fiber. It also
provides almost as much protein as Frosted-Mini
Wheats with 4.22 grams in one cup, but it is
higher in sugar and calories than cheerios.
1.
Frosted Mini-Wheats are a better choice of
breakfast cereal. We ranked them better
because of their fiber and protein content. One
cup provides about 5 grams of fiber or about
20% of the reccommened daily intake. Frosted
Mini-Wheats also contain more protein than
most of the cereals on the list.
2.
Cheerios, especially multi-grain cheerios, are a
better choice of cereal. They are lower in
calories and sugar, but remember athletes need
calories! In addition, one cup of multi-grain
cheerios has almost 3 grams of fiber.
4.
Cornflakes are rated “good” because they are
low in sugar, but they are also low in everything
else. They don’t provide much in the way of
nutrition. Cornflakes are the lowest cereal in the
way of saturated fat, which we know is an
important factor for heart health. A great way to
make cornflakes into a healthier breakfast is to
add fruit to your bowl!
5.
Rice Krispies are also rated as “good” Rice
Krispies are very similar nutritionally to
cornflakes. They are low in sugar, calories,
protein, fat, and fiber. Rice Krispies are a gluten
free food. Adding fruit to Rice Krispies can
really improve the nutritional value of your
breakfast.
7.
Apple Jacks are less of a good choice because
they contain considerably more sugar than
many of the other cereaks like rice Krispies or
cheerios. These last three cereals may also be a
good decision to consider using when you are
craving dessert.
8.
6.
Raisin bran crunch cereal is a good choice as
far as its high fiber and protein content,
however; one cup of Raisin Bran Crunch
contains less fiber than one cup of Frosted MiniWheats, but twice the sugar. Some of the
increase in sugar can be attributed to the
raisins, but when compared with regular Raisin
Bran we see that this is not the case. Only 28%
of the sugar is coming from the raisins,
meaning that the rest is added sugar for flavor.
Raisin bran crunch also contains less fiber than
regular Raisin Bran.
Golden Grahams are less of a good choice. One
cup contains more even more sugar and less
fiber than apple jacks. Golden Grahams would
be a good cereal to have as a treat from time to
time.
9.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch contains more sugar
than all of the other brands on this list except
for Raisin Bran Crunch. Cinnamon Toast Crunch
does not provide much in the way of fiber either.
Another neat trick to try is to mix a small
serving of cinnamon toast crunch with another
cereal that contains less sugar or more fiber.
This way you can achieve some of the flavor and
sweetness without all of the extra sugar.
Author’s Pick:
The breakfast cereal that we would recommend
above all others is oatmeal!
Quaker oats cereal is rated “best”. A serving of
quaker oats only contains 1 gram of sugar
(provided that no sugar is added to it). Quaker
oats are higher in fiber and protein and very low
in saturated fat. It can be sweetened by adding
fresh fruit which will also add more fiber.
Sources: Hurley, J. a. (2006). Cereal Numbers.
Nutrition Action HealthLetter , 12-15.
Reno, T. (2007). The Eat Clean Diet. Robert
Kennedy.