Choosing Better Cereals

How Do I Know Which Cereals to Choose?

Choose cereals with 3 or more grams of fiber and fewer than 6 grams of sugar to keep your heart healthy. You can find the amount of fiber and sugar in different cereals on the nutrition label.

Cereals that are low in sugar and high in fiber are the healthiest for your heart. Below is a list of many heart-healthy cereals that you can find at your favorite grocery store.

Cereals that are low in sugar and low in fiber are also heart-healthy options, but do not have as many nutrients as healthier cereals. Below is a list of somewhat heart-healthy cereals that you can find at your favorite grocery store.

Most Heart Healthy

Low Sugar and High Fiber

• All Bran®
• All Bran® Complete
• Bran Flakes
• Cheerios®
• Multigrain Cheerios®
• Fiber One®
• Grape-Nuts®
• Kashi® Heart to Heart®
• Kix
• Oat Bran
• Puffins
• Total
• Wheat Chex™
• Wheaties

Somewhat Heart Healthy

Low Sugar and Low Fiber

• Corn Flakes®
• Cream of Wheat
• Crispix®
• Honey Bunches of Oat
• Life®
• Rice Krispies®
• Product 19®
• Special K®

Cereals that are high in sugar and high in fiber are less heart-healthy. You should eat less of these cereals to keep your heart healthy. Below is a list of cereals that are high in fiber, but also high in sugar, that you can find at your favorite grocery store.

Cereals that are high in sugar and low in fiber are the least healthy for your heart. You should limit how much of these cereals you eat so your heart stays healthy. Below is a list of cereals that are high in sugar and low in fiber that you can find at your favorite grocery store.

Less Heart Healthy

High Sugar and High Fiber

• Apple Jacks®
• Basic 4
• Corn Pops®
• Mini-Wheats®
• Froot Loops
• Kashi GOLEAN®
• Krave®
• Raisin Bran®

Least Heart Healthy

High Sugar and Low Fiber

• Cap’n Crunch©
• Honey Nut Cheerios®
• Honey Nut Cheerios® Medley Crunch
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Cocoa Pebbles
• Cocoa Puffs
• Cookie Crisp
• Frosted Flakes®
• Fruity Pebbles
• Golden Grahams®
• Honey Smacks®
• Honey-Comb
• Lucky Charms
• Reese’s Puffs
• Trix

Rev. 12/2014. Mass General for Children and Massachusetts General Hospital do not endorse any of the brands listed on this handout. This handout is intended to provide health information so that you can be better informed. It is not a substitute for medical advice and should not be used to treatment of any medical conditions.