Boxed Cereals that pass the 3-6-3 Test

At Least 3 grams of Fiber - Less than 6 grams of Sugar - At Least 3 grams of Protein

I've eaten my fair share of sugar loaded breakfast cereals. And I confess I still have a weakness for Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs. But I am on a mission to provide my family with healthier options and adapt their taste buds to prefer these healthier options. Boxed breakfast cereal are not my first option to feed my family for breakfast or snacks, but sometimes I just need something really quick and boxed cereal is one of the few processed items we keep in our pantry for moments like that.

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Things to look for in a boxed breakfast cereal:

At least 3 grams of fiber per serving
Less than 6 grams of sugar per serving
At least 3 grams of protein per serving
Made from whole grains, not just "wheat" or "corn"
No hydrogenated oils, artificial preservatives, artificial colors, or high fructose corn syrup

3 grams fiber, 1 gram sugar, 3 grams protein

Ingredients: Whole grain oats (includes the oat bran), modified corn starch, sugar, salt, tripotassium phosphate, wheat starch, Vitamin E. (Fortified with other Vitamins and Minerals)

Cherrios claims to be non-GMO but they are not Non-GMO project verified.

6 grams fiber, 5 grams sugar, 5 grams protein

Ingredients: Whole grain wheat, sugar, salt, molasses, BHT*. (Fortified with Vitamins and Minerals)

6 grams fiber, 0 grams sugar, 6 grams protein

Ingredients: Whole grain wheat. (BHT* is added to the packaging material.)

Non-GMO project verified.

I personally love that these have no salt added because I am on a very low sodium diet.

5 grams fiber, 5 grams sugar, 3 grams protein

Ingredients: Whole grain wheat, wheat bran, sugar, brown sugar syrup, contains 2% or less of salt, malt flavoring, BHT*. (Fortified with Vitamins and Minerals)

4 grams fiber, 5 grams sugar, 4 grams protein

Ingredients: Whole oat flour, cane syrup, oat bran, degerminated yellow corn flour, degerminated yellow corn meal, Kashi seven whole grain flour (whole: oats, hard red wheat, rye, brown rice, triticale, barley, buckwheat), oat fiber, honey, salt, expeller pressed canola oil, baking soda, Vitamin C (asorbic acid), Vitamin E (alpha tocopheral acetate), mixed tocopherols for freshness, beta carotene, Vitamin B6 (pyrodoxine hydrochloride), natural flavor, Vitamin B12, folic acid

5 grams fiber, 5 grams sugar, 3 grams protein

Ingredients: Whole wheat, sugar, grain berry sorghum bran, wheat bran, salt, malt extract, Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols to preserve freshness)

Remember these are processed foods so they should be a very small portion of your diet. In general, look for ingredient lists with less than 10 ingredients where you can pronounce the words and generally know what they are. Not every cereal listed meets all of that criteria but are some of the better options that are available in mainstream stores (ie. not health food stores).

*BHT is butylated hydroxytoluene. It is a artificial preservative. Read more about it here. Both Kellogg's and General Mills appear to be trying to find alternatives according to this post.

Nutrition facts and ingredient list were current as of the date of this post, according to the manufacturers websites, but things change over time so always check the food label and nutrition fact list of the food you are buying.

Want more reading on this topic? Check out these similar posts:

http://mandybanderson.com/is-your-cereal-good-for-you

http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/heart-heart/

http://www.realmomnutrition.com/2014/01/27/my-5-favorite-boxed-cereals/

http://sweetpotatochronicles.com/2011/02/whats-so-bad-about-breakfast-cereal/

What is your favorite breakfast cereal? Leave a comment below.

Erin Marie

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