When we think of kids’ breakfast foods in America, we tend to think of the icons we grew up with: Cap’n Crunch, Tony the Tiger, and Count Chocula. This kind of marketing has encouraged kids to demand cereal loaded with sugar, and has also eroded our concept of what comprises of a healthy breakfast. Cold cereals can dominate an entire aisle in your supermarket, but what’s hiding in those kids cereals may be damaging to your children’s health. Like our exposé on peanut butter and what’s really in your orange juice, Mamavation took a look at some of the most toxic ingredients hiding in your child’s breakfast cereal, those cereals with the highest level of risk, and safer alternatives.
Table of Contents
Toxic Ingredients in Kids Cereals
Cereal with pesticides, herbicides, chemicals, GMOs, high levels of sugar, and other harmful ingredients are unfortunately all too common in traditional kids cereals and can cause damaging health effects to the immune, reproductive, and nervous system and increase cancer risk. These are the biggest offenders in traditional kids cereals that you need to be aware of (and of course, steer clear of whenever possible).
- Sugar: Many kid cereals are high in sugar or high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which is also called corn syrup or corn sugar. Generally, if you see “sugar” of any kind in non-organic products or GMO cereal, very likely it’s HFCS.
- GMOs: Most conventional cereals contain sugar and corn made from GMO products. Note that these same manufacturers create GMO-free cereals for distribution overseas. Most GMOs are sprayed with glyphosate, an herbicide known to cause cancer, so avoiding GMOs also helps you avoid glyphosate residue on your food.
- Glyphosate: Glyphosate is the most popular herbicide in the world and the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer. It’s sprayed on over 200 different crops. You’ll especially find the residue inside wheat, legume, and oat products. In August 2018, EWG scientists posted a study analyzing the most popular breakfast cereals and their levels of glyphosate. Glyphosate is very problematic and has been deemed a “probable carcinogen” by the World Health Organization. It’s also been added to California’s Prop. 65 list of known carcinogens and reproductive toxins.
- Artificial Food Dyes: Artificial food dyes are not needed in cereal and they are very dangerous to small children. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has warned parents about the perils of artificial food dyes and other such food additives.
- Hydrogenated Oils: Partially hydrogenated oils contain trans fats, which, as we’ve discussed before, are linked to cancer, heart disease, and immune problems. Fully hydrogenated oils are full of saturated fat. In addition, some companies will label partially hydrogenated oils as just “hydrogenated oils”, so you can’t be sure if there is trans fat in the product. (If there are less than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving, companies are allowed to write “0 grams of trans fat.”)
- Soy Lecithin: Derived from GMO soy, this additive often contains toxins. According to The Cornucopia Institute, soy lecithin processing often involves hexane, and, though it is removed during processing, trace amounts can be left behind. That residue is unregulated by the Food and Drug Administration even though it is listed by that organization as a potential carcinogen and neurotoxin.
- Annatto: This natural flavoring is now entering into controversy. According to WebMD, annatto can affect blood sugar levels, so if your child has diabetes, please be aware of that. It also has been linked with allergies, and the Food Intolerance Network has gotten reports linking it to headaches and irritability. If you have a sensitive eater or a child prone to allergies, you may want to avoid this flavoring.
- BHT: Found in many cereals, this food is classified by U.S. law as “GRAS” (generally recognized as safe). This means that experts consider them safe and they are approved as food additives without additional testing of their effects. In 2014, the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), an environmental safety watchdog group, released the “Generally Recognized as Secret: Chemicals Added to Food in the U.S.” report. This report found loopholes in the GRAS classification, including research data coming from the company themselves and expert opinions that disregarded evidence of allergic reactions, that compromise the real safety of GRAS additives. BHT is also a chemical additive and may be a possible ADHD trigger.
- BHA: Another GRAS additive, BHA has been linked to cancer in some studies. The National Institutes of Health’s National Toxicology Programs has concluded that it can be “reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.” Both BHA and BHT are said to be at low enough levels to meet safety standards for consumption by the FDA.
Why You Should also Care About Processing
Many kids cereals are manufactured using something called the “extrusion process”. This exposes the grains to high levels of heat and pressure, which changes the nature of the grain, effectively turning it into processed food. FoodMatters.com quotes biochemist Paul Stitt, who notes that this process destroys most of the grains’ natural nutrients. This is why many kids cereals are fortified, although extrusion can destroy those added nutrients as well.
In addition, the proteins in extruded grains are fundamentally altered, leaving a product that may be toxic. According to “Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry”, two known but unpublished experiments testing breakfast cereal on lab rats exist. In both studies, the rats eating breakfast cereal and water died before rats that were either not fed at all or fed the cardboard cereal box and water. One published study showed that these rogue proteins could interact with “each other and other components, forming new compounds that are foreign to the human body.”
The real problem with the extrusion process is not just the lack of recent research on its effect on proteins, but that organic cereals, as well as conventional brands, often employ this method.
The Trouble with Fortified Foods
Many kids cereals try to cover up their high sugar content with fortification, that is, adding nutrients back in after-the-fact. As mentioned, extrusion can destroy these nutrients. The second problem with fortified foods is that some can contain too many nutrients, which can actually be toxic for your child. The Environmental Working Group did a survey of major brand cereals in 2014 and found that one serving of many of the cereals reviewed would overexpose children to zinc, niacin, and vitamin A. While many of those brands were geared towards adults, Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies and Chocolate Krave were in the high Vitamin A list.
Controversial Ingredient
You may have heard the claims about “antifreeze” being found in kids cereal. I did a little digging on this topic recently and discovered that the culprit—trisodium phosphate (TSP)—often found in cereal, has gotten a bad rap. According to LiveStrong, TSP affects color, extrusion, and adds phosphorus. Antifreeze contains trisodium phosphate powder used in chemicals like paint thinner and antifreeze and acts as a cleaning agent.
Sounds bad, right? So I hopped over to the Environmental Working Group’s website and entered the words. It turns out that it is an inorganic salt. EWG gives TSP a score of “0” on their toxicity scale and lists no known hazard whatsoever. However, the PAN Pesticides Database also lists this chemical, warning “avoid all contact”. There is no conclusive data on that same database of why it is toxic. Perhaps more studies need to be done on this chemical. You should know that it is a chelating agent and a pH adjuster, in case that affects anyone in your household. I’ve listed the top 10 toxic kids cereals that contain this ingredient, so you can make your own decision about TSP.
Top 10 Toxic Kids Cereals
When it came to the listing “most toxic” cereals, we faced a challenge. Should we list those with the most sugar? The worst cereal with pesticides? The most dangerous levels of vitamins? Dyes? BHT? We could go on forever, but I checked some current ingredients and believe these are some of the worst offenders and why. These carry the greatest human health risks, including increased cancer risk, because they use extrusion processing, contain GMOs (and thus likely some glyphosate levels), and are fortified. Sugars listed are the amount for 1 serving size in grams.
- Kellogg’s Fruit Loops: Sugar, hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, modified food starch, annatto, BHT, artificial dyes including red #40, 10g of sugar. Fruit Loops with Marshmallows contains 13g.
- Kellogg’s Corn Pops: Sugar and molasses, hydrogenated vegetable oils, annatto, BHT, 9g of sugar.
- Kellogg’s Apple Jacks: Sugar, partially and fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, modified food starch, modified corn starch, artificial dyes including red #40, BHT, 10g of sugar.
- Kellogg’s Honey Smacks: Sugar, honey and dextrose, partially and fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, soy lecithin, BHT and topping our list with a whopping 15g of sugar.
- General Mills Lucky Charms: Sugar, corn syrup and dextrose, modified corn starch, trisodium phosphate, artificial dyes including red #40, artificial flavor, 10g of sugar.
- General Mills Boo Berry/Count Chocula/Franken Berry: Sugar, dextrose and corn syrup, modified corn starch, canola oil, BHT, trisodium phosphate, artificial flavor, artificial dyes including red #40, artificial flavor, 9g of sugar.
- General Mills Trix: Sugar, corn syrup, BHT, trisodium phosphate, artificial dyes including red #40, 10g of sugar.
- Post Foods Fruity Pebbles: Sugar, hydrogenated vegetable oils, BHA, artificial flavor, artificial dyes including red #40, 9g of sugar.
- Cap’N Crunch CrunchBerries: Sugar, brown sugar, BHT, artificial flavor, artificial dyes including red #40, 11g of sugar. OOPS! All Berries contains 15g of sugar.
- Post Golden Crisps: Corn syrup, honey, caramel color. I had to add this one even though it’s not full of too many toxins because of the sugar content: a whopping 14g per serving!
These are some of the worst offenders, and I could have kept going. There were a few brands I wasn’t sure if they’re still made—like Reese’s Puffs—if they do, please avoid them! The rule, however, is simple: if it’s covered in sugar or has a “flavor” (chocolate, cinnamon, apple), it’s probably very high in sugar. If it’s colorful, it most likely contains artificial dyes, especially red #40, which is linked to ADHD. And if it’s a conventional brand, it most likely has additives and artificial flavors.
As a health benchmark for children, the American Heart Association recommends a daily sugar intake of no more than 16.7g per day for preschoolers, 12.5g per day for children ages 4-8 and tweens and teens 21-33g. Naturally, these amounts are subject to their daily caloric intake. As you can see, 1 serving size bowl of these top 10 toxic kids cereals can contain more than all their sugar for the day—and kids commonly pour more in their bowl than the recommended serving.
Top 10 Kids Cereals to Try
We couldn’t complete this exposé without some healthy recommendations for the top kids cereals. I had a hard time finding any company that 100% did not use extrusion, although I read that Nature’s Path doesn’t use it in all their products. That said, we all know that breakfast cereal has to be kid-friendly. You may be lucky enough to have a child who’ll sit down to a bowl of muesli, but I don’t know any kids like that myself!
Here are my picks for organic brands that have kid-friendly cereals, including replacement cereals for Corn Flakes, Frosted Flakes, Cheerios, and Rice Krispies, as well as puffed rice and a berry option. The cereals with flavor tend to have higher sugar content but still low levels compared to any of the conventional brands listed above. Sugars listed are the amount for 1 serving size in grams.
- Nature’s Path Fruit Juice Sweetened Corn Flakes: USDA organic and Non-GMO Project certified, they are also gluten-free. Contains 3g of sugar.
- Nature’s Path Honey’d Corn Flakes: USDA organic and Non-GMO Project certified, they are also gluten-free. Contains 4g of sugar.
- Nature’s Path Whole O’s: USDA organic and Non-GMO Project certified, they are also gluten-free. Contains 4g of sugar.
- Envirokidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs: USDA organic and Non-GMO Project certified, they are also gluten-free. Contains 7g of sugar.
- Envirokidz Amazon Flakes: USDA organic and Non-GMO Project certified, gluten-free and vegan, 6g of sugar.
- Erewhon Organic Corn Flakes: USDA organic and Non-GMO Project certified, these are also certified gluten-free and are listed at “0” grams of sugar. Also available in Mixed Berry flavor, which contains 2g of sugar.
- Erewhon Crispy Brown Rice: USDA Organic and Non-GMO Project certified, these are also gluten-free certified. Contain less than 1g of sugar.
- Barbara’s Original Puffins: Project Non-GMO certified, this cereal is wheat-free and only contains 5g of sugar.
- Cinnamon Puffins: Project Non-GMO certified, this cereal is vegan and has 6g of sugar.
- Snackimals Vanilla Blast: USDA Organic and Project Non-GMO certified, this cereal is vegan and has 7g of sugar.
A Better Breakfast
While cereal is what most American families think of as the best quick and easy breakfast, there are healthier options, even if your family is on the go every morning. Cereal can be served with nuts or unsweetened almond milk for protein and topped with fruit that has a lower glycemic index. You should also consider finding alternatives to cold cereal for your child’s breakfast. When my kids had to go gluten and dairy free, I found it much easier to switch to cooked meals such as scrambled eggs, gluten-free French toast, or peanut butter banana muffins, providing my kids with natural sources of protein to start their day.
Another healthy option includes oatmeal. Look for organic brands and make it fresh, rather than serving instant oatmeal out of a packet. If you are pressed for time, try non-GMO yogurt topped with nuts or seeds and low sugar fruit. Or consider smoothies made with baby spinach, chia seeds, and frozen fruit, like bananas or strawberries. (You can also drop in a dollop of nut butter, but watch the sugar.)
Looking to find it all in one place? You can shop for your family at Thrive Market for approved cereals, oatmeal, and other breakfast items at prices that are 30-50% off retail. Let’s ditch the standard American breakfast of toxic kids cereals and create meals that are healthier, lower in sugar and give our kids the boost they need to succeed every day!
Disclosure: Bookieboo LLC has an affiliate relationship with Thrive Market. Bookieboo has also worked with numerous brands in the natural space, including Nature’s Path.
More Bad Cereals, Better Options, and the Best for Kids
Still not sure where your favorite cereal may fall on the list? We’ve ranked breakfast cereals from bad to best in our extensive list below.
Bad Cereals
These kids cereals are full of GMOs, high amounts of sugar, and other ingredients such as food dyes. The top 10 worst cereals are all on the list below.
- Alpen Cereal, Dark Chocolate
- Alpen Cereal, Original
- Arrowhead Mills Breadshop Blueberry ‘n Cream Cereal
- Cap’N Crunch
- Cap’N Crunch CrunchBerries
- Cap’n Crunch Peanut Butter Crunch
- General Mills Apple Cinnamon Cheerios
- General Mills Basic 4 Cereal
- General Mills Boo Berry/Count Chocula/Franken Berry
- General Mills Cheerios Protein Oats and Honey Cereal
- General Mills Chex Cereal, Cinnamon
- General Mills Chex Cereal, Honey Nut
- General Mills Chex Cereal, Wheat
- General Mills Chocolate Cheerios Cereal
- General Mills Chocolate Chex Cereal
- General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cereal
- General Mills Cocoa Puffs Cereal
- General Mills Cookie Crisp Cereal
- General Mills Chex Corn Cereal
- General Mills French Toast Crunch Cereal
- General Mills Frosted Cheerios
- General Mills Fruity Cheerios Cereal
- General Mills Golden Grahams Cereal
- General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal
- General Mills Honey Kix Cereal
- General Mills Kix Cereal
- General Mills Lucky Charms
- General Mills Nature Valley Baked Oat Bites Cereal
- General Mills Nature Valley Blueberry Toasted Oats Muesli
- General Mills Nature Valley Chocolate Oat Bites Cereal
- General Mills Nature Valley Chocolate Oat Clusters Cereal
- General Mills Nature Valley Cinnamon Granola Crunch
- General Mills Nature Valley Cranberry Almond Protein Granola
- General Mills Nature Valley Honey Oat Clusters Cereal
- General Mills Nature Valley Maple Brown Sugar Granola Crunch
- General Mills Nature Valley Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate Protein Granola
- General Mills Nature Valley Oats ‘n Dark Chocolate Granola Crunch
- General Mills Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey Granola Crunch
- General Mills Nature Valley Oats ‘n Honey Protein Granola
- General Mills Nature Valley Original Toasted Oats Muesli
- General Mills Nature Valley Peanut Butter Protein Granola
- General Mills Nature Valley Peanut Butter ‘n Dark Chocolate Protein Granola
- General Mills Oatmeal Crisp
- General Mills Raisin Nut Bran Cereal
- General Mills Reese’s Peanut Butter Puffs Cereal
- General Mills Total Cereal
- General Mills Trix
- General Mills Very Berry Cheerios
- General Mills Wheaties Cereal
- Heartland Granola, Fruit & Nut Harvest
- Heartland Granola, Harvest Spice
- Heartland Granola, Low Fat
- Heartland Granola, Low Fat Raisin
- Heartland Granola, Original
- Heartland Granola, Raisin
- Kay’s Naturals Apple Cinnamon Cereal
- Kay’s Naturals French Vanilla Cereal
- Kay’s Naturals Honey Almond Cereal
- Kellogg’s All-Bran Bran Buds Cereal
- Kellogg’s All-Bran Cereal
- Kellogg’s Apple Jacks
- Kellogg’s Cocoa Krispies
- Kellogg’s Corn Flakes
- Kellogg’s Corn Pops
- Kellogg’s Crispix Cereal
- Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes
- Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheat Bite Size Blueberry Muffin
- Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats Bite Size Strawberry Delight
- Kellogg’s Frosted Mini Wheats Original
- Kellogg’s Froot Loops
- Kellogg’s Honey Smacks
- Kellogg’s Krave Cereal, Chocolate
- Kellogg’s Krave Cereal, Double Chocolate
- Kellogg’s Krave Cereal, Milk Chocolate
- Kellogg’s Mueslix
- Kellogg’s Raisin Bran
- Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Crunch Cereal
- Kellogg’s Rice Krispies
- Kellogg’s Rice Krispies Treats Cereal
- Kellogg’s Smorz
- Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, Chocolatey Delight
- Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, Fruit and Yogurt
- Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, Protein
- Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, Red Berries
- Kellogg’s Special K Cereal, Vanilla Almond
- Malt-O-Meal, Colossal Berry Crunch
- Malt-O-Meal Chocolate Marshmallow Mateys
- Malt-O-Meal Cinnamon Toasters Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Cocoa Dyno Bites Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Coco Roos
- Malt-O-Meal Cookies and Cream
- Malt-O-Meal Crispy Rice Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Dyno-Bites Fruity Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Frosted Flakes
- Malt-O-Meal Frosted Mini Spooners Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Golden Puffs Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Honey & Oat Blenders with Almonds Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Honey Nut Scooters Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Marshmallow Mateys
- Malt-O-Meal Raisin Bran Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal S’mores Cereal
- Malt-O-Meal Tootie Fruities Cereal
- Post Bran Flakes
- Post Fruity Pebbles
- Post Golden Crisps
- Post Great Grains Cranberry Almond Crunch
- Post Great Grains Crunchy Pecan
- Post Great Grains Raisin, Date & Pecan Cereal
- Post Honey Bunches of Oats, Crunchy Honey Roasted
- Post Honey Bunches of Oats, Pecan & Maple Brown Sugar
- Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds
- Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Real Strawberries
- Post Honeycombs
- Post Selects Banana Nut Crunch Cereal
- Post Selects Blueberry Morning Cereal
- Post Shredded Wheat
- Post Shredded Wheat ‘n Bran
- Quaker Cereal Puffed Rice
- Quaker Cereal Puffed Wheat
- Quaker Cereal Vitaman
- Quaker Corn Bran Crunch Cereal
- Quaker Granola, Apple, Cranberry and Almond
- Quaker Granola, Oats, Honey and Almond
- Quaker Granola, Oats, Honey, Raisins, and Almond
- Quaker Life Cereal, Cinnamon
- Quaker Life Cereal, Original
- Quaker Life Cereal, Pumpkin Spice
- Quaker Life Cereal, Vanilla
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Brown Sugar
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Cinnamon
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Golden Maple
- Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Honey Nut
- Quaker Quisp Cereal
- Quaker Real Medleys Granola, Dark Chocolate Cranberry Almond
- Quaker Real Medleys Granola, Summer Berry
- Quaker Real Medleys Multigrain Cereal, Cherry Almond Pecan
- Quaker Real Medleys Multigrain Cereal, Peach Apple Walnut
- Quaker Real Medleys Supergrains Granola, Blueberry Pecan
- Quaker Real Medleys Supergrains Granola, Cinnamon Apple Walnut
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Bran Flakes
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Corn Flakes
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Crispy Rice
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Multigrain Rasins Dates Pecans
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Oats & Almonds
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Oats & More With Honey
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Raisin Bran Crunch
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Rice Pockets
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Shredded Wheat Bite Size
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Shredded Wheat Bite Size Frosted
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Toasted Oats
- Signature Kitchens Cereal Toasted Oats Honey Nut
- Signature Kitchens Cinnamon Cereal
- Signature Kitchens Granola Low Fat
- Signature Kitchens Granola Low Fat With Raisins
- Signature Kitchens Honey Nut Toasted Oats Cereal
- Signature Kitchens Live It Up Cereal
- Signature Kitchens Muesli
- Signature Kitchens Raisin Bran
- Signature Kitchens Real Multigrain Cranberry Almond
- Signature Kitchens Toasted Oats Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Crunchy Cinnamon Squares Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Honey Nut O’s Toasted Whole Grain Oats Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Joe’s O’s Toasted Whole Grain Oats Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Raisin Bran
- Trader Joe’s Strawberry Yogurt O’s
Better Cereals
These cereals are a step up from the worst. They may contain less sugar or more natural ingredients or be GMO-free. However, they may still contain some of the ingredients that you might want to avoid.
- Alpen Cereal, No Sugar Added
- Arrowhead Mills All Natural Puffed Barley Cereal
- Arrowhead Mills Puffed Corn Cereal
- Arrowhead Mills Puffed Millet Cereal
- Arrowhead Mills Puffed Rice Cereal
- Arrowhead Mills Puffed Wheat Cereal
- Arrowhead Mills Shredded Wheat
- Arrowhead Mills Sweetened Shredded Wheat
- Back to Nature Berry Sprouted Blend Cereal
- Back to Nature Cereal, Honey Grains
- Back to Nature Cereal, Oat Medley with Cinnamon Clusters
- Back to Nature Cereal, Risin’ Raisin Blend
- Back to Nature Granola, Almond Chia
- Back to Nature Granola, Apple Blueberry
- Back to Nature Granola, Apple Cinnamon
- Back to Nature Granola, Banana Walnut
- Back to Nature Granola, Chocolate Delight
- Back to Nature Granola, Classic
- Back to Nature Granola, Cranberry Pecan
- Back to Nature Granola, Dark Chocolate Coconut
- Back to Nature Granola, Maple Pecan
- Back to Nature Granola, Peanut Butter
- Back to Nature Granola, Sunflower & Pumpkin Seed
- Back to Nature Granola, Vanilla Almond Agave
- Back to Nature Sprout & Shine Gluten Free Cereal
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Bunches of Crunches Granola, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Bunches of Crunches Superfood Granola, Coconut Cacao
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Fiber Power Granola, Cinnamon Raisin
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Fiber Power Granola, Triple Berry
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Granola, Apple Raisin Walnut
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Granola, Extreme Fruit & Nut
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Granola, Nutty Cranberry Maple
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Granola, Rainforest Banana Nut
- Barbara’s Cinnamon Puffins
- Barbara’s Dark Chocolate Cranberry Better Granola
- Barbara’s High Fiber Cranberry
- Barbara’s High Fiber Original
- Barbara’s Honest O’s Multigrain
- Barbara’s Honey Rice Puffins
- Barbara’s Morning Oat Crunch Cinnamon
- Barbara’s Morning Oat Crunch Original
- Barbara’s Morning Oat Crunch Vanilla Almond
- Barbara’s Multigrain Puffins
- Barbara’s Multigrain Spoonfuls
- Barbara’s Multigrain Squarefuls
- Barbara’s Oats & Honey Better Granola
- Barbara’s Original Puffins
- Barbara’s Peanut Butter Puffins
- Barbara’s Peanut Butter & Chocolate Puffins
- Barbara’s Shredded Wheat
- Bear Naked Granola, Banana Nut
- Bear Naked Granola, Cacao & Cashew Butter
- Bear Naked Granola, Chocolate
- Bear Naked Granola, Cinnamon & Sunflower Butter
- Bear Naked Granola, Fruit & Nut
- Bear Naked Granola, Honey Almond
- Bear Naked Granola, Maple Pecan
- Bear Naked Granola, Original Cinnamon
- Bear Naked Granola, Triple Berry
- Bear Naked Granola, V’Nilla Almonds
- Chappaqua Crunch Original Granola
- Chappaqua Crunch Simply Granola
- Chappaqua Crunch Simply Granola with Cranberries
- General Mills Cheerios Ancient Grains Cereal Box
- General Mills Cheerios Multi Grain Cereal
- Kashi 7 Whole Grain Flakes Cereal
- Kashi 7 Whole Grain Nuggets Cereal
- Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs Cereal
- Kashi GOLEAN Clusters Cereal, Vanilla Pepita
- Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! Cereal
- Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! Cereal, Chocolate
- Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! Cereal, Honey Almond Flax
- Kashi GOLEAN Original
- Kashi GOLEAN Toasted Berry Crisp
- Kashi Wheat Biscuit Cereal, Dark Cocoa Karma
- Kind Banana Nut Clusters
- Kind Cinnamon Oat Clusters with Flax Seeds
- Kind Dark Chocolate Whole Grain Clusters
- Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds
- Kind Maple Quinoa Clusters with Chia Seeds
- Kind Oats & Honey Clusters with Toasted Coconut
- Kind Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters
- Kind Raspberry Clusters with Chia Seeds
- Kind Vanilla Blueberry Clusters with Flax Seeds
- Love Grown Foods Comet Crispies
- Love Grown Foods Mighty Flakes, Bean
- Love Grown Foods Mighty Flakes, Chocolate Joy
- Love Grown Foods Mighty Flakes, Cranberry Almond
- Love Grown Foods Mighty Flakes, Frosted
- Love Grown Foods Oat Clusters, Apple Walnut Delight
- Love Grown Foods Oat Clusters, Cocoa Goodness
- Love Grown Foods Oat Clusters, Simply Oats
- Love Grown Foods Oat Clusters, Sweet Cranberry Pecan
- Love Grown Foods Oat Clusters, Raisin Almond Crunch
- Love Grown Foods Polar Puffs
- Love Grown Foods Power O’s, Chocolate
- Love Grown Foods Power O’s, Honey
- Love Grown Foods Power O’s, Strawberry
- Love Grown Foods Power O’s, Original
- Love Grown Foods Sea Stars
- Peace Clusters & Flakes Cereal, Mango Peach Passion
- Peace Clusters & Flakes Cereal, Wild Berry Crisp Low Fat
- Peace Cereal Coconut Craze Granola
- Peace Cereal Crispy Rice & Flakes Cereal, Blueberry Pomegranate
- Peace Cereal Honey Flax Granola Cereal
- Peace Cereal Maple Pecan
- Peace Cereal Vanilla Almond
- Post Grape Nuts
- Purely Elizabeth Banana Nut Butter Grain Free Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Hemp Ancient Grain Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Blueberry Hemp Ancient Grain Granola + Puffs Cereal
- Purely Elizabeth Chocolate Sea Salt Probiotic Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Coconut Cashew Grain Free Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Cranberry Pecan Ancient Grain Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Cranberry Pecan Ancient Grain Granola + Puffs Cereal
- Purely Elizabeth Maple Walnut Probiotic Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Original Ancient Grain Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Original Ancient Grain Granola + Puffs Cereal
- Purely Elizabeth Pumpkin Fig Ancient Grain Granola
- Purely Elizabeth Pumpkin Fig Ancient Grain Granola + Puffs Cereal
- Simple Truth Baobab Coconut Granola
- Simple Truth Cranberry Apple Cinnamon Granola
- Simple Truth High Protein Multigrain Granola
- Simple Truth Honey Almond Flax Cereal
- Simple Truth Mixed Berry Granola
- Simple Truth Sweet Nut Granola
- Trader Joe’s Almond Butter Granola, Crunchy
- Trader Joe’s Just the Clusters Chocolate Almond Granola Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Just the Clusters Ginger Almond & Cashew Granola Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Just the Clusters Maple Pecan Granola Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Just the Clusters Vanilla Almond Granola Cereal
- Udi’s Gluten Free Granola
- Udi’s Gluten Free Granola, Vanilla
- Udi’s Natural Granola, Cranberry
- Udi’s Natural Granola, Original
- Udi’s Natural Granola, Au Naturel
- Uncle Sam Skinner’s Raisin Bran, Whole Wheat Berry Flakes and Raisins
- Uncle Sam Toasted Whole Wheat Berry Flakes & Flaxseed Original
Best Cereals for Kids
Cereals rated in the best category are organic. They are made without the use of pesticides, contain safe levels of sugar, no GMOs, artificial colors or flavors, etc.
- 18 Rabbits Organic Chocolate Vanilla Cereal
- Ancient Harvest Organic Quinoa Flakes Cereal
- Annie’s Organic Berry Bunnies Cereal
- Annie’s Organic Cocoa Bunnies Cereal
- Annie’s Organic Frosted Oat Flakes Cereal
- Arrowhead Mills Gluten Free Cereal, Organic Maple Buckwheat Flakes
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Cereal, Amaranth Flakes
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Cereal, Kamut Flakes
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Cereal, Puffed Kamut
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Cereal, Spelt Flakes
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten Free Sprouted Corn Flakes
- Arrowhead Mills Organic Oat Bran Flakes
- Bakery on Main Gluten Free Organic Granola Sprouted Grains & Honey
- Barbara’s Organic Brown Rice Crisps Cereal
- Barbara’s Organic Corn Flakes Cereal
- Barbara’s Organic Honest O’s Cereal, Original
- Barbara’s Snackimals Cereals, Chocolate Crisp
- Barbara’s Snackimals Cereals, Cinnamon
- Barbara’s Snackimals Cereals, Vanilla Blast
- Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Grain, Kamut Cereal
- Cascadian Farm Organic Cinnamon Crunch Cereal
- Cascadian Farm Organic Fruitful O’s Cereal
- Cascadian Farm Organic Graham Crunch Cereal
- Cascadian Farm Organic Granola, Cinnamon Raisin Cereal
- Cascadian Farm Organic Granola, Dark Chocolate Almond Cereal
- Cascadian Farm Organic Granola, French Vanilla Almond
- Cascadian Farm Organic Multigrain Square Cereal
- Cascadian Farm Organic Oats & Honey Granola
- Cascadian Farm Organic Purely O’s Cereal
- Cinnamon Puffins
- Envirokidz Amazon Flakes
- EnviroKidz Gorilla Munch Cereal
- Envirokidz Organic Gluten-Free Cereal, Cinnamon Jungle Munch
- EnviroKidz Koala Crisp Cereal, Chocolate
- Envirokidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs
- Erewhon Organic Crispy Brown Rice
- Erewhon Organic Corn Flakes
- Erewhon Organic Rice Twice
- Evoke Classic Swiss Organic Muesli
- Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, Almond
- Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Grain Cereal, Cinnamon Raisin
- Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Grain Cereal, Golden Flax
- Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Organic Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, Original
- From The Fields Apricot Hazelnut Museli
- From The Fields Chai Currant Oatmeal
- From The Fields Chocolate Hazelnut Fig Granola
- From The Fields Currant Granola
- From The Fields Currant Rose Museli
- From The Fields Gluten Free Original Granola
- From The Fields Honey Cashew Vanilla Cereal
- From The Fields Orange Walnut Spice Oatmeal
- Giddy Up & Go Granola, Notoriously Nutty
- Glutenfreeda Granola, Almond Maple Honey
- Glutenfreeda Granola, Cranberry Cashew Honey
- Glutenfreeda Granola, Raisin Almond Honey
- Go Raw 100% Organic Chocolate Granola Cereal
- Go Raw 100% Organic Live Granola Cereal
- Health Valley, Oat Bran Flakes, Organic
- Holy Crap Breakfast Cereal
- Holy Crap Skinny B Breakfast Cereal
- Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat Cereal
- Kashi Heart to Heart Oat Flakes & Blueberry Clusters Cereal
- Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon Oat Cereal
- Kashi Organic Autumn Wheat Whole Wheat Biscuits
- Kashi Organic Cereal, Island Vanilla
- Kashi Organic Cereal, Strawberry Fields
- Kashi Organic Cinnamon Harvest Whole Wheat Biscuits
- Kashi Organic Promise Cereal, Indigo Morning
- Kashi Organic Promise Cocoa Coconut Kamut Khorasan Wheat Granola
- Kashi Organic Promise Sprouted Grains Cereal
- Kashi Organic Promise Sweet Potato Sunshine Cereal
- Living Intentions Cereal Radiant Raspberry Superfood
- Nature’s Path Organic Crunchy Vanilla Sunrise, Gluten Free
- Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Flakes Cereal
- Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Granola Cereal, Vanilla Almond
- Nature’s Path Organic Corn Flakes
- Nature’s Path Organic Hemp Plus Granola Cereal
- Nature’s Path Organic Heritage Flakes
- Nature’s Path Organic Love Crunch Premium Granola, Dark Chocolate Macaroon
- Nature’s Path Organic Kamut Puffs
- Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Power Blueberry Cinnamon Flax
- Nature’s Path Organic Peanut Butter Granola Cereal
- Nature’s Path Organic Pumpkin Flax Plus Granola
- Nature’s Path Organic Red Berry Flax Cereal
- Nature’s Path Organic Rice Puffs Cereal
- Nature’s Path Organic Smart Bran with Psyllium & Oatbran
- Nature’s Path Organic Whole O’s
- New England Naturals Organic Antioxidant Granola
- New England Naturals Organic Gluten Free Crispy Fruity Cereal
- New England Naturals Organic Omega Hemp and Flax Granola
- O Organics Cereal Cinnamon Crunch
- O Organics Cereal Corn Flakes
- O Organics Cereal Frosted Flakes
- O Organics Cereal Honey Flake & Oat Clusters
- O Organics Cereal Honey Nut O’s
- O Organics Cereal Multi Grain Squares
- O Organics Cereal Peanut Butter Dots
- O Organics Cereal Raisin Bran
- O Organics Cereal Toasted O’s
- O Organics Granola Chia Flax Quinoa
- O Organics Granola French Vanilla Almond
- O Organics Granola Oats & Honey
- Peace Organic Flakes & Clusters Blueberry Walnut
- Peace Organic Flakes & Clusters Coconut Chia Almond
- Simple Truth Organic Apricot Coconut Granola
- Simple Truth Organic Fruit & Nut Granola
- Simple Truth Organic Honey Nut Toasted Oats Cereal
- Simple Truth Organic Pomegranate Blueberry Chia Granola
- Simple Truth Organic Pumpkin Seed Pecan Granola
- Trader Joe’s Organic Granny’s Apple Granola Cereal
- Trader Joe’s Organic Mango Passion Granola Cereal
- Two Moms Soul Sprout Sprouted Grain Free Cereal
Affordable Organic Food: How To Find Deals On Non-GMO Food
Stop the crispix slander!!! Also all the cereals you named are beyond expensive.
I can see both sides here. I, too, grew up on these cereals, and while they taste great, I think the most important factor is probably memories of sitting in front of Saturday morning cartoons with a bowl of chocolatey cereal.
But….
And I’m not saying that it’s because of my breakfast choices, but I suffer chronic migraines, had stunted growth in my wrists (it was diagnosed Madelungs’ Wrist Deformity, but the short radius bone could’ve come from anything) and suffer from bouts of depression.
Now, all these things could be a result of something else…or they could be because I spent years eating unhealthy things.
If you’re still on the fence, I suggest a middle ground.
Go a month organic. See how you feel. If you feel better, your kids seem more active/healthier, you’re probably on to something.
If nothing feels different, and you feel things are good with your loved ones, eat/do what you always have…
But I will say this: You aren’t going to hurt anything by eating healthier/organic. However, you MIGHT be hurting something if you don’t.
Feel free to link to us!
i like this sites
My concern is the TSP being put in cereal we give to our children. NOWHERE on a bottle of TSP does it suggest it is o.k. to ingest ANY AMOUNT of this stuff!! That being said, what is wrong with the F.D.A.? They have granted their APPROVAL on TSP being added to cereal. The cereals targeted are CHILDRENS CEREAL! This is an outrage!! We need to do something about this! What is the motive here? To guarantee A LIFETIME OF HEALTH PROBLEMS?! There is BIG MONEY IN HEALTH PROBLEMS!! Target children because they have more years to PAY FOR HEALTH PROBLEMS!! THIS IS ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE!! This article mentions TSP 1 time very vaguely and doesnt even say it IS DANGEROUS!! DEADLY!! Says to do your own research on TSP!! UNBELIEVABLE!! Direct the attention in a different direction? TSP!! DEADLY!! TSP IS ADDED TO GENERAL MILLS CEREALS AND HAS THE FDA STAMP OF APPROVAL!! THERE IS MORE THAN SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT!!! TSP IS DEADLY AND IS NOT OK TO INGEST!! NOT OK IN ANY AMOUNT!! READ THE LABEL ON TSP!! JUST READ IT!! THIS STUFF HAS NO BUSINESS IN FOOD!!!
Yeah, the “FDA” is all about making money suggesting that people eat and take products that make you ill, the sicker you get the more they make and the more you need. “FDA” is a shill for eugenecists. It is all about KILLING the ignorant. Vaccines, for example….case closed.
UlTRA KNEE JERK COMMENTS
Ok, THEY are out to get us all, ok – even if that were true- make your own ‘healthy ‘ cereal in the time you spent on your diatribe! Are you totally helpless , hapless, ???
Again – one has choices- I can make a healthy breakfast in five minutes, so I really understand, if your crazed out by gluten , sugar, GMOs . TSP or whatever ir—TAKE CHARGE of your life and your children’s!!!! Don’t put the cereal manufacturers in charge
STEP UP !!!
The FDA is bought and paid for by the big corporations.
That is why.
The same big corporations that have taken over the USA government.
Do some research of your own and you will find that almost nothing is as it seems and the argument “It’s too crazy to be true.” is NOT an argument anymore. (if it ever was.)
As ‘serving size’ varies from cereal to cereal, you can’t use it to compare one cereal against another. Some cereals suggest 65g as a serving size, others two tablespoons, etc. Obviously big difference in things like sugar content could be due to the difference in serving size, rather than the actual nutritional properties of the breakfast cereal.
Instead, a standard measurement should be used – say 50g, for every cereal.
Next, the list of ‘best’ breakfast cereals is completely misleading. Just because they have numerous awards, certifications, expensive packing laden with natural imagery and healthy-sounding phrases, it doesn’t mean they’re actually any better for you. In fact, some of the granolas on the ‘best’ list contain more sugar than some of the cereals on the ‘worst’ list! The fact their sugars come from things like honey or apples doesn’t make a difference – it’s still sugar.
Also, simple carbohydrates like cornflakes (organic or not) provide no nutritional value. They only fill you up for a short amount of time, making it far more tempting to go back for a second serving or some sort of snack.
If you want a healthy, cheap, sugar free, filling vegan cereal – porridge oats. And if you want something organic, then organic oats. There’s only one ingredient on the pack: oats.
Don’t be taken in by all the hype, jargon and hysteria: eating healthy is simpler and cheaper than you think!
Kay’s Naturals Honey Almond Cereal is a complete healthy cereal i used to take it in breakfast with extra nuts.
Where if I could go back into my old emails and text messages, to and from David also Kirstyn and Daniel B. and the 13 opporators with Kellogg’s then this would be no contest or challenge against kellogg! So, my attorney of whom l choose will have a look-read and see that, I have been used! My cereal copied, saving up my on they checks to pay for the patent to get, I had $500+ dollars with me the day I heard from David that, I am no longer the owner of my own cereal but that someone else was!
My point is that, even though, Kirstyn had told me that they weren’t spying on me and my activities then, how is it that, my over 300 different velarises could be matched all the sudden with their’s! Unless I was being watched and spied on with Kelloggs’s own techies who are trained for that and can do that so that they stay, “relevant” as a major company or what?
I am the disabled one, what gives the the right to look in to what l got? And if you want proof, all you’d need to do is check out my records as to the time/ date that they were entered and the check out Kellogg’s and how they got the number I had back when this was going on! The proofs in the computers that the techies there have and know about!
Continued form Jordan Bates message before:
continued: “7 or 8 checks with him he had received from Kellogg’s”! Then my cereal sold to a Jon Sabastiani, one of the top people for the Sonoma brand foods who buys my KRAVE cereal! Who has or had an attorney named, Taylor Harris who I had found out from through, “the grape vine”! And seeing that me Jon Sabastiani was signing contracts for from, $185 million to his last thanks to me of, $220 million which was his last and final signings! Because it took three emailing a to me. Taylor Harris to stop Jon S. by saying that I wanted 80% of what Jon had been signing for and Jon had multiple signing’s worth possibly a billon+ dollars!
Meanwhile I still have nothing, except these words from Kirstyn to go by!
“That she will do everything in her power and her attorneys to make sure the cereal I had created stays with Kellogg’s”! Probably because she was embarraced them at eve though she had hired help to think of and up different ideas for a cereal that mine made more sense than any of them out! Also the fact that; I put her hired help to shame from my one phone call, that I have the text-message from my phone carrier about it and it was stating that fact that I even knew about! My call to Kellogg’s that lasted 15:34 seconds with my roommate here who even introduced himself! My being and having this: TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY’d I.Q. scored 186 I know I can do much better than that now, for an T.B.I.Q. Now at much higher, much, much, much higher than that! Because I had called Kellogg’s up having for my own cereal I wanted to be.m; Q-RayV along with my now, 300+ different kinds of cereal! That of corse Kellogg’s had also after calling them to tell them about my own coming up of 302’r 3-4 different kinds of cereals for my Q-RayV is what I will change it to when I get ahold of it again! Then taking to court my list of people’s and Kellogg’s own fault!
For as unintelligent as they thingk I am, I could run am circles around their brightest person, it feels like! For I also have over twenty plus inventions:
The treadmill with the screen and the NORDICTRACK bikes with screens and the Pendleton bike and most the others out there, the screen was my idea on a floppy disk stolen from by one David Hulbert I had 12 in it, now there is not that many! But, that l have created so many others, it is!like the invisible leash for pets, the television I had woken up from my coma with in my mind-head of five different parts to it, more if you wanted surround sound that my friend Michael Vorkapich knows them as does now, a Patrick McCourt and a young man named: Bryan Stimes! Our group I had formed the day that David Hulbert had said that, I was no longer the owner of my cereal which was bought and paid for from Jon Sabastiani!
Kellogg giving to a known alcoholic my checks for my cereal who I had never received them from him! I had big BIG plans to use them at money from the checks, also! So looks as though he is a part of the list now also!
I purposely created my QRAYV cereal to be a healthy-ier-jest ereal! For in a cereal I had switched the ingrediants to have it incluede the ZIPFIZZ product, as with all the Frits and veggies and it is redux you’d why Kellogg’s would ever even sell my Cereal away, unless they had known of my intentions to gettig it
back! Which would be the driving force to get rid of it and for however much it had costed the individual! Who is and had made it to the list, along with Dave and his sister Tana whom for whatever reason was brought into our conversation when he had said that he was going to run down with my floppy disk in hand thatbhas handmade off with, telling me that he will hand it to me on his way back through Everett, Washington! Which was several years ago and all the sudden the treadmill has come to ligh, as with the pedilton stationary bike as with the Nordic treks bike! It is unforgivable what a man like Dave has done to me, his disabled step son, well he was just into what he wanted, what drove him to be so dumb!
But, thanks to me and my TBIQ and my memory of what had happened/said to me, he also will and has included his sister onto the list! Thank you David, for suggesting that, I not sue Tana Hulbert his sister! When he had called his brother who had said basically to, “take a hike”!
PLLLLLLLLZZZZZZ Stop making stupid accusations about cereal you health nuts. If you’re so worried about your kid eating crap then don’t bring it introduce them to it in the first place.
i agree this is craaaazy if you don’t mind i’m gonna go home and use my healing crystals
If your not concerned about what your kids eat and this article bothers u so much why click on to read it. As far as putting these articles out so mothers like me whom struggle with toxicity in their child’s system and knew nothing about are more than grateful for.
My son is 8 and was diagnosed in kindergarten with ADHD but I knew it wasnt and was something else that was holding my son back from learning. Thank God the tutor I hired was also a certified health nutrition and dealt with autistic and ADHD children in finding root causes. The tutor said that my son has a brain fog and forgets 2 seconds after learning is not ADHD and told me the steps how to test him for toxins. I have done my own research and came across more than ever disturbing facts on Monsanto and chemicals added into our foods. Research your self.
OMG your s right someones gotta put these guys in their place
This is irrelevant. Mr. Wilkinson’s class doesn’t approve of this.
ya boi is triggered by ur response
ya boi is mad…where my hot fries?
stop it you piece of crap
YEET!
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HOT FRIES
mr w is god
ya’ll better get back to work or i’ll slam you with my god jujitsu moves. i’m talking to you porfi.
man dude these cereals are still good I dont know why yall hating on my boy tony the tiger like that. Say blood lemme catch one of these people talking smack again PULL UP WITH ALL THE SMOKE
The people who wrote this article want moms t know whats best or their kids
Yeah but do they gotta wreck our breakfast
They’re clueless-
Healthy breakfast- make your own! Simple.
People who write these articles like to hear themselves talk… if they’re true motivation was for healthy eating- how in the world, or better why in the world would we trust them???
If they’re answer was to provide a healthy breakfast by making it yourself- yes- We would use only healthy ingredients- why does anyone have to be told that?
YE BLOOD WE FINNA PULL UP WITH THE FORTY AND HIT YALL WITH A QUICK ONE TWO. WATCH OUTOR YOU’LL GET THE SMOKE
Lol
Do you know if there is glyphosate in Joe’s O’s? My son acts out when he eats them. Thank you.
To my knowledge Joe’s Os hasn’t been tested by the Detoxproject.org for glyphosate yet. But I can add that to their list! We know them well. BUT in general wheat has been testing high for glyphosate contamination. Wheat and oats are a big issue.
Omg. I used to eT all these cereals. My son eats a few of these. Witch may explain the adhD signs. He has been acting up in school. And it’s mostly in the morning when he does
I’m sorry to hear that Covina. I ate most of these cereals as a child too.
Food Choices, Fed Up, Hungry for Change are some really great documentaries to check out. If this doesn’t change the way you see food after watching then I don’t know what will..
I’ve never read any source that identifies any benefits to eating GMOs. WTF would anyone in their right mind want to knowingly eat foods that are banned in other countries? Worse, any food where it’s genetic structure has been altered by man. That’s not natural. Why do US Foods NOT contain warning labels like some other countries? To boast about feeding your children sugary cereal ladened with artificial dyes, flavoring, and chemicals is dumb. Research the detriment those additives cause. It doesn’t rob them of their childhood, it deters them from possible chronic illness or disease, and keeps a doctor from prescribing harmful medications making them sicker.
^^^amen. The fear-mongering is ridiculous. Most mom’s are stressed out enough trying to fit the model of the perfect parent. You are perpetuating this unrealistic ideal. GMOs are safe. TSP is necessary for acid/base adjustment. You should have posted your affiliation with Nature’s Path and Thrive Market at the very top of the blog so moms (and dads) directed here could save the time they would have wasted reading this personal gain motivated nonsense.
So….I am assuming that you WORK for a cereal company?
First off…The sugars in cereal are no worse for you than the sugars found in fruit. Your body doesn’t know the difference between “Natural” sugar, or corn based sugars. BHA and BHT are essential in heart health. GMO’s have been proven without a reasonable doubt to not be harmful to humans. Stop reading WebMD and find documentation from reliable source so that you don’t publish things that gullible people will read and think it’s accurate when it isn’t.
Do YOU work for cereal company as well?
This is the dumbest article with the dumbest comments I have ever read. There are more things in life that are bad for you then a box of cereal! I’m so glad I allow my kids to be kids and enjoy a box of sweet cereal! Let me get back to my box of Apple Jacks now. Yum!
You watch CNN / MSNBC / FOX a lot don’t ya?
We have tried some of the organic cereals, and they lasted one bite for a 11 year old used to the bad cereals. The result being that I spent $5-$6 dollars for one box of cereal that sits in the cupboard. I appreciate the healthfulness of the cereals, but it would be really nice if they didn’t taste like cardboard. I would love to buy them if my family would eat them!
Try the Nature’s Path. They are sweet tasting and are designed to be a “better for you” brand without losing the sweetness. They ARE processed though, so if you are looking for perfection that isn’t it.
These are all cold cereals. Are there any hot breakfast cereals that you recommend? My kids are currently on a Cream of Wheat kick. I don’t buy the ones with flavors. We do buy the box of Instant Cream of Wheat though. They make it up and then put some of our raw organic honey that we make here at home and sometimes some nutmeg and/or cinnamon, sometimes they put fresh fruit cut up on it as well. How would this rank in your list of healthy? I am guessing the Cream of Wheat is not all that great for them but I figured that it was at the very least not covered in food dye, sugar, and/or HFCS.
I would love to get my kids away from cereal completely, but with a child who is allergic to eggs and nuts, cereal is certainly the easiest (and most demanded) breakfast option. We make our own granola bars. Any other creative ideas for healthy breakfast options (without eggs or nuts)?
It is a challenge, Christy. How about egg free pancakes? You can sub in flax surry but it does take practice. Smoothies and yogurt with granola. Toast or egg free muffins with sun butter? Breakfast is a challenge here too, so I’m with you!
I bought the Envirokidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs a couple of days ago and even my husband loves them! I’m surprised at how little sugar there is.
My husband LOVES those too! And he has a sweet tooth.
Even though the cereals are non-gmo, they’re still highly processed…Why not just eat Steel Cut Oats which are minimally processed but take a lot less time cooking than groats…
We recommended an alternative breakfast that would be superior. We agree with you. Cereal isn’t the type of food that should be everyday.
Haha! I bet those taste great!
It’s obvious that anything in box isn’t good for you or your kids. With all of the illnesses out there on the rise like autism, ADHD, diabetes, obesity etc. why would you feed your kids this crap? Just because you have been eating it all of these years doesn’t make it good for you. I can guarantee that cereal 20 year sago isn’t the same as cereal today. I couldn’t eat any of it if I wanted to. And I certainly don’t feed my kids any of it. It’s an expensive box of sugar crap that does nothing nutritional for your child!
Excellent graphic! Thanks for taking the guesswork out of buying healthy cereal.
You’re welcome! Thanks for stopping by!
Ugh no wonder why my daughter loves Fruit Loops so much. Thanks for the alternatives. I will definitely keep them in mind my next trip to the grocery store!
You mentioned that Annetto is unhealthy and I’ve noticed it’s in our cheese. Can you recommend a healthy cheese? Thank you!
It is what they add to make the cheese yellow. Just buy white cheese – white cheddar, white american, etc. They taste the same as the yellow versions.
Exactly what Megan said below, but make sure it’s Non-GMO cheese…Rememer whatever the cow ate goes into the cheese that we eat, and the cow most likely ate GMO corn…
I recently discovered Power Os as an alternative to Cheerios as a finger food for my 15 month old. I’m now curious as to whether it is made using extrusion. How would I go about finding this information?
Cheerios wasn’t on the list. What’s wrong with cheerios?
Cheerios generic brand is not longer GMO, so we recommend them but just not as highly as the organic ones that don’t have glyphosate sprayed on them.
I’m sorry but you are mistaken outs are a man-made hybrid. All oats have traces of glyphosphate no matter if they are even organic they still have traces of It.
I grew up on all these “bad cereals” like the supposed healthy ones in the 80s & 90s and I am fine!
What’s wrong with GMOs?
How can I make a complacent cause now 5 year old daughter eat smack cereal everyday and now I have to take her to get a C.T and MRI