How to Make Cereal a Balanced Meal (examples & facts)
I have teamed up with Best Food Facts and Kellogg’s® to answer your top questions about cereal.
I grew up in a cereal house. I have so many memories of my dad and I pulling out boxes or sometimes containers that my mom kept the cereal in for peak freshness (such a good mom move), and we would mix them together. Honestly just thinking about that makes me happy and nostalgia is a beautiful thing.
I loved a breakfast or snack bowl of cereal, the crunch, the flavor, the fun of pouring a bowl. It filled me up and made me happy and it was always presented as healthy in my home.
Somewhere along the way though, cereal started getting labeled as “unhealthy,” “highly processed,” or even “empty calories.” And it is time to change this narrative.
The thing about nutrition that many often forget is that we all need different things. Throughout our health journey our needs will also change. There is no one size fits all when it comes to health and nutrition.
I have teamed up with Best Food Facts and Kellogg’s® to answer your top questions about cereal. I polled my Instagram audience and wow did you all have some great questions about cereal and how to make it nutrient focused so let’s dive in right after I share a little more about what you first need to know about cereal.
So here is the truth: when I walk down the cereal aisle today, what I see is OPTIONS.
And maybe I have been reading too many kids books lately but having the power to choose what is best for you, is a beautiful thing; but you truly can’t make the best choice unless you are well informed.
I hope by the end of this article you also see this when you walk a cereal aisle at your local grocer:
Cereals that bring joy and nostalgia - a key piece of eating!
Affordable, accessible options that fit into busy mornings.
Many Nutrient-packed choices are fortified with vitamins and minerals that can fill real gaps in our diets.
People often tout that cereal doesn’t have much protein, or that it’s too processed so therefore it can’t be part of a healthy lifestyle.
But the actual facts about cereal tell a different story:
Cereal is one of the top sources of whole grains, fiber, iron, and B vitamins for both kids and adults.(1)
Fortification is necessary. Thanks to fortification, cereal helps fill nutrient gaps for things like, iron, folate, and vitamin D, which happen to be nutrients many Americans fall short on. Studies show that cereal eaters get more nutrients!(2)
Cereal helps improve diet quality across income levels. Again, data shows cereal consumers consistently get more key nutrients like fiber and recommended food groups, whole grains, dairy, and fruit , no matter their household income.(4)
Sugar isn’t the villain here. In fact, cereal eaters get no more added sugar in their diets than those who do not eat cereal.(5)
And let’s not forget one of cereal’s superpowers is that it isn’t eaten alone (most of the time!)
Pair it with milk, yogurt or cottage cheese for added protein and even hydration, and add fruit for even more fiber, potassium, and antioxidants. I also love to recommend adding nuts and seeds like chia or flax or globbing on a spoonful of nut butter on top to make it even more filling.
The options for a power bowl are truly endless. So for anyone calling cereal "empty calories" let’s reframe that thinking. Every calorie in a bowl of cereal has a purpose - often providing essential nutrients in an affordable, and accessible serving.
So instead of “empty,” let’s talk about purposeful calories. Because when cereal is paired thoughtfully, it becomes a vehicle for better nutrition, helping people meet their needs in a way that’s simple, satisfying, and smart.
Picking the best cereals for you and your family is the key.
Here is what I personally look for out of my cereal options AND here are my recommendations from Kellogg’s to meet these needs:
I look for: flavor, protein, fiber and convenience overall.
And I also pay close attention on the label to the portion size
Here are my guidelines for me and my family:
5g+ fiber per serving (~10 Kellogg’s cereals meet this requirement!)
~5g+ protein per serving but also this is more like a bonus point since we know we can ADD to it but there are quite a few Kellogg’s options that meet this mark as well.
Minimal added sugar content
But the thing about me is that I love to mix and match cereals in my bowl, I find that I can build the best bowl when I mix options for function (think Kellogg’s All Bran®) and flavor! Therefore I can build a bowl that meets all my needs even when one option may not do that on its own.
My top tier mixer recommendations are:
Kellogg’s Special K® + Kellogg’s All Bran®
Kashi® GO Protein + Fiber + All Bran®
From here you boost nutrition and add in extra fiber, protein, flavor and volume with these options:
1 (or more!) tbsp flax, chia or hemp seeds (or all!) to boost fiber and protein
Freeze dried fruit to add more volume and crunch
Fresh fruit - berries add lots of fiber and there's plenty of options to choose from
Nut butter - I love to put a glob on top and keep some on my spoon so every spoonful has a little bit of peanut butter that comes off on to the cereal.
MILK - cows milk adds hydration and protein and you can pick the type and fat content that best meets your needs
Sometimes when I am looking for a larger protein impact I will mix one scoop of an unflavored protein powder or a vanilla with my milk of choice and pour that over cereal for a bigger protein portion.
Not in the mood for liquid you can also add your cereal to a base of yogurt, cottage cheese or my personal favorite, a mix of both for a slam dunk of protein!
You can start to see how the options and combos are endless. There is literally a cereal and a combo to fit every need in every phase for every age and if we can start to look at food from a lens of opportunity, it gets to be a lot more fun and a lot less stressful.
So let’s move on to answering some of your questions that I haven’t touched on yet.
Is cereal a good pre workout snack?
Absolutely, pre workout you want primarily carbohydrates which cereal will give you and provides great whole grain or higher fiber options. Mixing it with milk will also add some protein and hydration. So long and short - it’s a great option!
Too many carbs?
I can’t answer this as a blanket statement as all of our needs are different but what I will say is that cereal can be a great source of whole grains and/or fiber. There are times when you need more carbs in your diet and if that time is not now you could also play around with the portion size or mix and match!
I like the taste but it spikes and crashes my blood sugars too much, any tips?
Add more protein/fiber and see what happens! I love adding a mix of fresh and freeze dried fruit plus chia seeds because it simply adds volume and staying power! As always every body is different so it is important to chat with a registered dietitian to make a plan that is best for you.
How to add more protein to a cereal breakfast?
I definitely added this but one of my favorite hacks is mixing protein powder with milk in a shaker and pouring that over cereal! I also love to mix cottage cheese and yogurt together to add so much protein to my bowl! OR you can play around with seed combos like chia/flax/hemp + milk + nuts or seeds like pumpkin/sunflower + milk + higher protein cereal options! It adds up quick!
Single Digit Sugar Options for Kids?
Kellogg’s has options! And if Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes® or Kellogg’s Froot Loops® is the choice your kids love most and that is not a number you prefer, you could also mix it with another cereal option like Special K® or Kellogg’s Rice Krispies®!
Is cereal a meal?
It for sure can be!! I think I really answered this throughout this whole article but remember my general guideline for a meal is “three food groups and three colors is the goal” so think:
Cereal + Milk + Fruit + Seeds or Nuts = 4 food groups and multiple colors too!
To close, Kellogg’s has a huge variety of options designed to meet all of your and your families needs in any and all stages of your health journey.
Next time you are shopping I urge you to take a look at a few labels and see how many cereals truly meet the criteria you are looking for and also taste amazing.
As a reminder here are all the options under the Kellogg’s umbrella:
https://www.wkkellogg.com/our-foods/our-brands
Mix and match and create power bowls that have purpose and are FUN!
And for some more information and inspiration please check out the two reels I created that document my shopping process and my favorite Kellogg’s combos!
Watch my cereal combos in action ✨
The one thing that will never be found in any cereal is guilt or shame. Understanding nutrition and how to make it fun and work best for you is the key and I hope this helps get you excited about food, because food should be FUN!
XO!
Jenna
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