Found: The Healthiest, Tastiest Cereals You Can Buy at the Supermarket

You’ve got to love the one-two ease of cereal and milk on busy mornings and late nights when you’re feeling peckish. It’s one of the fastest and easiest ways to fill up. But if you’re not careful you’ll fill up on sugar in the process.

That’s because most cereal in the supermarket is loaded with added sugar. And when you pour more than a 1-cup serving (which most of us do because, really, who carefully measures out one serving of cereal?), then your morning breakfast suddenly borders on dessert. That’s no way to start the day.

So we combed the aisles to find the healthiest, best-tasting options out there.

Our Methodology

First, they had to be low-sugar, with no more than 6 grams of added sugar per serving. We narrowed the field a bit more by selecting those that offered more than just energy-fueling carbs. We wanted cereals that had a healthy dose of fiber and protein from whole grains. Finally, we looked for a short, preferably organic ingredient list. 

We’re happy to report we found 15 cereals that fit the bill — and we tried them all!

Most were surprisingly delicious and made us wonder why so many cereals add tons of extra sugar anyway. These contenders clearly didn’t need it. Sure, there were a few we might not toss in the shopping cart again, but we found 10 that easily made our must-buy list.

From classic Cheerios to better-for-you raisin bran, here’s what to reach for whenever the hankering strikes.

The Healthiest, Tastiest Cereals

1. Kashi Honey Toasted Organic Oat Cereal

This organic, super-crunchy, honey-licious cereal is a great alternative to the usual honey-nut O’s, which usually have 11 grams of added sugar or more.

2. Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes

If you love the sweet, toasty flavor of oat cereal, but want something more grown-up than O’s, make these flakes your go-to. They’re made with a multitude of whole grains, including kamut, millet, barley, and quinoa, but it’s the oat flour that really comes through. Incredibly crisp and crunchy, they don’t get soggy in milk — even after 5 minutes

3. Nature’s Path Qi’a Superfood Cocoa Coconut Superflakes

Dark chocolate lovers will swoon over these organic, fair trade, cocoa-rich flakes. Black bean flour adds extra protein, and they get a light touch of sweetness from honey and coconut palm sugar.

4. Nature’s Path Flax Plus Raisin Bran

Earthy bran flakes and plump, sweet raisins are a classic cereal combo, and this version is the best of the bunch. The flakes are aggressively crunchy and won’t get soggy in milk, and they’re enriched with flax seeds for extra Omega-3 action. It doesn’t skimp on the raisins either. Don’t like raisins but do like bran flakes? Try Nature’s Path regular Flax Plus cereal.

5. Nature’s Path Golden Turmeric

There’s something so comforting about corn flakes that makes them irresistible, but there’s usually not much to them nutritionally. These flakes offer all the sweet corn comfort with the addition of nutrient-rich quinoa and amaranth, plus anti-inflammatory turmeric and a wallop of warm spices like ginger, cinnamon and cardamom. They turn your cereal milk into a golden milk latte, but they’re even more flavorful when eaten dry by the handful.

6. Nature’s Path Purple Acai Cereal

Love the tutti-frutti flavor of Fruity Pebbles and Froot Loops? This far more healthful cereal is a close approximation without all the junk. Similar to the brand’s Golden Turmeric cereal, these organic, corn-based flakes have quinoa and amaranth mixed in, but these add baobob, acai, and maqui berry powders for that tropical-fruity flavor and black carrot juice to make your milk turn a fetching shade of lavender.

7. Clif Cereal Blueberry & Almond Butter

Texture fiends who crave crunchy clusters and chunky nuts — this cereal is for you. It combines multigrain flakes made with wheat bran, quinoa, and buckwheat with sweetened clusters of oats, pumpkin seeds, flaxseeds, almond butter and freeze-dried blueberries, plus big, whole, toasted almonds for maximum crunch. It keeps you feeling full for hours, and most of the ingredients are organic too.

8. Uncle Sam Toasted Wheat Berry Flakes and Flaxseed Cereal

If you’re looking to keep things simple and completely sugar free, old-school Uncle Sam cereal, which is been bopping around health food stories for decades, is a great way to go. It’s made with just four ingredients (including the salt!). The delicate wheat berry flakes are reminiscent of Grape Nuts Flakes and pack a big punch of fiber and protein. They’re great sprinkled on yogurt.

9. Ezekiel 4:19 Golden Flax Sprouted Crunchy Cereal

Another longtime health food co-op stalwart, this organic cereal made with sprouted wheat, barley, millet, lentils, soybeans, and spelt has a wonderfully nubby texture like Grape Nuts, but without the tooth-shattering hardness. It’s another great way to crunch up your smoothie or yogurt bowls without adding sugary granola.