Ellie Hutchings
Finding a healthy cereal for breakfast isn't as easy as it sounds - some of the most popular brands are filled with hidden sugars and other additives.
Over the years, the health myths around breakfast foods have been debunked: Experts have weighed in on healthy cereal bars and whether Greek yoghurt is good for you, and they've debated the positives and negatives around low-calorie breakfasts to start the day. As a parent, eating a healthy breakfast can be an important factor in setting yourself up for a busy day looking after the kids, but you probably also want to know which options are going to give your children the nutrients they needs for a growing body.
So rest assured that there's nothing wrong with a simple bowl of cereal on those busy mornings before the school run, but know that some options are far better for your diet than others. "When we’ve spent several hours fasting through the night, our blood sugar is likely to be low on waking," explains nutritionist Liz Cooper. "So it’s important to eat a breakfast that’s not going to cause a spike in our blood sugar level, as this could result in a slump by mid-morning and could potentially have us reaching for sweet snacks or caffeine to give us the energy boost we’ll no doubt need."
With this in mind, we've taken a look at some of the nation's favourite breakfast cereals and ranked them according to their nutritional value, to help you find the healthiest cereal for your family.
What is the healthiest cereal?
A healthy cereal should contain the right balance of ingredients to maintain healthy blood sugar levels, Liz says. "This requires sufficient amounts of protein, healthy fat and fibre, which all further help towards supplying us with nutrients vital for functions such as hormone production, growth and repair and immune function."
Nutritional advisor Liz recommends bircher muesli and granola, as they are "free from added sugar and high sugar dried fruit. In fact, making your own granola is even better and often much more cost effective". Other healthy breakfast ideas include porridge, omelettes and smoothies.
How we tested
To find the healthiest cereal, we've ranked 25 different options from best to worst. All the cereals we've included are popular products and available in most supermarkets across the UK, so they're easy to add on to your weekly shop.
To make our findings fair, we analysed the fat, saturated fat, sugar, salt content and calories for 100g portions of each cereal - instead of the individual recommended serving size for adults or children - and haven't included milk.
A 100ml serving of milk has the following nutritional content:
- Whole milk: 66 calories, 4.7g carbohydrate, 3.5g protein, 3.7g fat
- Semi-skimmed milk: 50 calories, 4.8g carbohydrate, 3.6g protein, 1.8g fat
- Skimmed milk: 35 calories, 5g carbohydrate, 3.6g protein, 0.1g fat
Healthy cereals from best to worst, at a glance
- Best cereal overall: Weetabix
- Best cereal for sugar content: Nestle Bitesize Shredded Wheat
- Best cereal for saturated fat content: Kellogg's Cornflakes
- Worst cereal overall: Honey Monster Puffs
- Worst cereal for sugar content: Kellogg's Crunchy Nut Cornflakes
- Worst cereal for saturated fat content: Honey Monster Puffs
Which are the healthiest cereals? Healthy cereals ranked from best to worst:
Verdict: Is Weetabix good for you? The answer is a resounding yes! Although it might have a higher sugar content than other cereals, it's got the lowest fat, saturated fat and salt score. Weetabix also has lower calories than other cereals, scoring well for the amount of calories per 100g - that’s almost half that of the worst overall cereal.
And in great news for cereal lovers, Britsuperstore revealed Weetabix to be the nation's favourite cereal in 2022 by analysing the number of searches over the previous 12 months.
If you like to sprinkle some sugar over the top of your Weetabix, try a natural sweetener like honey or add some naturally sweet fresh fruit instead.
Verdict: A comforting bowl of porridge oats is a winning breakfast, and the nutritional info for Ready Brek agrees. There are high levels of vitamin D and fibre in this, and the fat and sugar content is comparatively lower than other cereals. There's only 1.2g of saturated fat too.
If you're wondering is porridge healthy, overall it's a great way to start your day as it releases energy slowly and is a great source of fibre, making Ready Brek the perfect option for your family breakfast. It's another popular option too, with Britsuperstore finding it ranked as the nation's ninth favourite breakfast cereal.
Verdict: Kellogg's Cornflakes are one of the classics when it comes to cereal and no wonder they've been around so long - they're pretty good for you. Cornflakes have a super low fat and sugar content - just don't add too much sugar if you like a sweeter taste!
However, cereals like cornflakes or puffed rice tend to be low in fibre, so they're not as good a choice as a wholegrain cereal. Adding some fruit to your cornflakes can make them more filling to eat and keep you going until lunch time.
Verdict: Although this traditional breakfast of porridge oats is slightly higher in fat than you might think, its sugar levels are super low, and it's packed full of fibre and protein to help keep your body strong and healthy. Oats can even help to lower cholesterol, so the slightly higher fat content is somewhat balanced out.
If you're a fan of porridge for breakfast it's worth remembering that the nutritional value can change if you add toppings - such as fruit or honey - but don't let that put you off, because British Heart Foundation ranks this filling breakfast as the best, because it can help reduce your cholesterol.
Verdict: All Bran is one of the best cereals we could find. Not only does it have low-calorie content, but with its fab fibre content, it'll fill you up for the whole morning, so there will be no snacking until lunchtime.
Other benefits of bran flakes in general are better heart health, better gut health and reduced bloating, but the one thing to note about this cereal is the sugar content, so avoid adding an extra to your morning bowl if you want to keep this breakfast as healthy as possible.
Verdict: This tasty muesli is packed with roasted almonds, hazelnuts and juicy raisins. It has 8.3g of fibre per serving, so is a great choice if you're looking to add more fibre to your diet.
There's a comparatively high sugar content in this muesli, but the added sweetness from the raisins means you won't need to add any extra yourself - and they contribute to your five-a-day too.
Verdict: Level pegging with family favourite Weetabix comes these surprisingly afforable Waitrose malted wheats. They're low in fat, salt and calories when compared with many of the cereals in our round-up, and they're made from wholegrain wheat, which means they're packed with fibre.
Their slightly sweeter taste means that the kids are likely to gobble them up too - a great all-rounder to have in the cupboard.
Verdict: Considering these Shreddies are frosted, the sugar content is a lot lower than some other cereals we looked at. Although you shouldn't be eating these every morning, you won't be sprinkling any sugar over them, so don't feel guilty if you treat yourself or the kids every now and again.
They have the second lowest saturated fat content too, making these tasty squares a great option if you're looking for a sugary cereal that's on the healthier side.
Verdict: With just 0.7g of sugar in 100g it has the lowest sugar content by far compared to the other cereals, and the salt content is pretty low too. Plus, it's really filling, you get some of your wholegrain for the day and it's comparatively cheap - what a healthy cereal bargain!
The British Heart Foundation adds: "Shredded whole wheat cereal with low-fat milk is the best choice of conventional breakfast cereals, because it doesn’t contain any added sugar or salt, and is high in fibre."
Verdict: The original Special K has only 1.5g of fat in 100g so it's a good choice if you're on a weight loss journey. They taste really sweet too, so there will be no need for extra sugar, and you'll be full until lunchtime.
It's this cereal that birthed the infamous Special K diet plan, a 14-day program that sees people eat the cereal for two of their three meals a day and promises to help with weight loss by restricting calorie consumption. Though the cereal itself is a relatively healthy breakfast option, the diet is not one we recommend trying - it's lacking in protein, fruit and veg, and it's unlikely that you'll be consuming the number of calories you need on this diet.
Verdict: Those tasty little Os aren't just delicious, but they're a reasonably good choice for breakfast too. If you want to make this an extra healthy cereal choice, sprinkle some berries or slice a banana on top too to get you on track for your 5-a-day!
This multigrain version is a much better option than other Cheerio flavours, because is has less added sugar, is relatively low in fat and has a good amount of fibre.
Verdict: This chocolate cereal may be delicious, but it comes as no surprise given the very high sugar content! Though it's not a bad price, it also has a relatively high fat content too - so maybe save this as an occasional treat.
As far as sweet and chocolatey cereals go however, it's by no means the worst choice, so if the kids have been begging for a chocolate cereal or you fancy starting your day with something sweet, then Cookie Crisp could be a good option.
Verdict: With 22g of fibre, this cereal is great for a healthy gut, and the natural prebiotic chicory root fibre helps support digestive health too, as well as contributing to normal bowel function.
It's also low in sugar and will help to fill you up for the day, so you won't be snacking all morning after filling up on a bowl of this cereal.
Verdict: Kids love Golden Nuggets, so if you want to give them a 'treat' cereal every now and then, this could be a good choice. Although the sugar content is quite high, the fat and saturated fats are low, so while it's not the healthiest cereal out there, it's by no means the worst.
Verdict: This fruity cereal is loved by kids everywhere, and it's only 385 calories per serving. It contains 4.3g of fibre per 100g serving too, and is a good choice if you want a treat cereal that's not too full of calories.
Bear in mind, however, that this cereal contains a lot of added sugar, so you won't want to sprinkle any more on the top of your morning bowl of this particular breakfast food.
Verdict: Deliciously Ella's original granola is high in fibre and packed with raisins, coconut and cinnamon. It's gluten free and vegan friendly too, so suitable for most diets.
However, it's worth bearing in mind that granola isn't always as healthy as people think. While the oats are a great source of fibre and help to aid digestion - with magnesium an added benefit too - many contain added sweetener, making the sugar content pretty high.
Verdict: This cereal might be tasty, but with the high calories and over 19g of fat per 100g serving, it's one to bypass if you're on a diet - and the sugar content isn't low either.
However, it's not all bad news for Jordans, as the four nuts add lots of goodness, including protein and vitamins. And it's worth bearing in mind that while nuts are high in fat, it's mostly a healthier unsaturated fat. This cereal came joint lowest for salt content too.
Verdict: Although the chocolate flavour makes these little nuggets totally delicious, unsurprisingly they have a pretty high sugar content. However, it's still a lot lower than many other sweeter cereals, so if you're looking for a treat to enjoy on the weekend, this could be the one!
Verdict: Kellogg's Rice Krispies may be popular among kids for their snap, crackle and pop, but with a staggeringly high sugar content, they're certainly not the best for maintaining a healthy diet. There's not much fibre in them either, and they have little nutritional value compared to many other cereals.
However, there is a relatively low amount of fat in Rice Krispies, so you could certainly pick an unhealthier cereal.
Verdict: Troo products contain at least 25% of your daily fibre requirements in one portion, and this cereal is a must-have for any chocolate orange fans. It's also gluten free, low sugar and vegan, making it suitable for a variety of diets.
It is a little more pricey that many cereals however, and the fat content is pretty high - though the saturated fat content remains relatively low.
Verdict: These Crunchy Nut cornflakes might taste delicious, but with over a third of your daily recommended sugar intake, they aren't the most healthy cereal choice from Kellogg's. They're low in fibre too so it's unlikely this cereal is going to keep you satisfied all the way until lunch time - although this big pack is great if you're on a budget.
Verdict: With a high calorie content and really high sugar levels, this Curiously Cinnamon cereal won't give you the best start to the day - so if your kids really love the cinnamon flavour then maybe keep it aside for an extra special treat.
For such a sweet cereal, we were surprised by the high salt levels as well - not what we'd want to see in any healthy cereal choice!
Verdict: These Honey Monster Puffs are really low in saturated fat content, which will give you a great start to your day if you're watching what you eat. However, they're relatively high in sugar, and aren't that filling, so you're likely to find yourself snacking by mid-morning.
Elsewhere, we've rounded up the healthiest biscuits, healthiest chocolate bars and healthiest crisps too. You might also be interested to find out about the healthiest fast food and healthiest takeaway options too.
