Criteria for a good breakfast cereal:
A good breakfast cereal will be filling, nutritious, and will not cause any spikes in blood sugar. Important amounts in your cereal are fiber, calories, sugar, carbohydrates, and protein.
Fiber:
The main ingredient in cereal that keeps you full and stabilizes blood sugar is fiber. The higher the fiber, the better the choice.
Calories:
Calories depend on who is eating the cereal.
For example, a man or a larger person, or a child,
or a woman who is nursing or pregnant requires a
larger amount of calories than someone who isn’t. Generally, your choice of cereal should be under 150 calories per serving (not including the milk).
Sugar:
Sugar grams should be under 13 grams. Cheerios, for example has only 1 gram of sugar, while Fiber One has zero.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates in most cereals are in the 20’s range. However, this is not the most important factor. Trix, for example, a fun yet junky cereal, has only 16 grams of carbohydrates and only 120 calories but also only 1 gram of fiber which makes it a poor choice.
Protein:
Most of the protein will come from the milk however, oatmeal has 5 grams of protein, which makes it a great choice.
[12:01 PM, 9/10/2025] Jenny Wallach: Tanya’s Top Cereal Picks:
Steel-cut oats: 150 calories, 4 grams of fiber, 1 gram of sugar, and 5 grams of protein
Kellogg’s Special K: 120 calories and 6 grams of protein
Kashi Go Lean: 160 calories, 13 grams of protein, and 10 grams of fiber
Fiber One (plain, not flavored): 60 calories, 14 grams fiber, 2 grams protein, and no sugar.
Cheerios (plain): 100 calories, 3 grams fiber,
3 grams protein
Just to give you an idea of what some other cereals contain and don’t contain:
- Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes: Only 1 gram of protein and less than 1 gram of fiber
- Trix: 1 gram of fiber, 1 gram of protein, and 10 grams of sugar
- Cocoa Puffs: Not as “bad” as they look, with 2 grams of fiber and 1 gram of protein, but higher on the carbohydrates and sodium charts.
If your kids won’t eat the top picks, this one is probably the best of the worst.
A word about blood sugar:
Blood sugar, or glucose, is the main sugar that your body makes from the food you eat. If your blood sugar goes too low or too high, you begin to feel hungry, have cravings, and lack energy. Diabetics have to monitor blood sugar several times throughout the day. Eating a good breakfast helps to control blood sugar levels throughout the day.
As parents, our kids are always watching our actions and decisions. Be a good role model and eat breakfast, demonstrating that this is the correct way. I was 19 when I learned that (on a shabbaton actually), you can start your children younger. Sitting at a breakfast table is also a great time to read the boxes for nutrition facts together (not just do the mazes or games). As my 3-year-old says, “Does this have enough Pooteen” (protein).
