Americans love cereal. According to data from Civic Science, a whopping 70% of households eat cereal, with more than half consuming it on a weekly basis. While it’s a celebrated pantry staple, it’s one of the worst things you can eat if you pick an unhealthy cereal. Many are loaded with sugar and ingredients like food dyes that have been linked to cancer and hyperactivity in kids, according to Yale New Haven Hospital.
The American Heart Association’s guidelines state women shouldn’t have more than 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is around 100 calories, and for men, no more than 9 teaspoons or 150 calories per day, but just one serving of some cereals is more than the recommended daily amount.
In addition, the level of sodium is also something to watch for. The American Heart Association says too many Americans consume more salt than recommended. The organization suggests having no more than 2,300 milligrams a day and some cereals contain a high amount.
Before adding a box of cereal to your shopping cart, health experts advise to read labels and suggest skipping a few altogether to avoid potential health risks. Here are the unhealthiest cereals ranked from bad to worst according to dietitians Eat This, Not That! spoke to.
Froot Loops
Nutrition: per serving 1 ⅓ cup
Calories: 150
Fat: 1.5g (Saturated fat: 0.5g)
Sodium: 210mg
Carbs: 34g (Fiber: 2g , Sugar: 12g)
Protein: 2g
With its bright colors, crunchy texture and sweet taste, Froot Loops is an alluring bowl of cereal. It’s a kid favorite, it’s terrible for you.
“Don’t let the name fool you, there’s not a fruit in sight in a bowl of Froot Loops,” says Bess Berger, RDN, is the founder of Nutrition by Bess in NJ. “It has 150 calories per 1 ⅓ cup, 12 grams of sugar and contains several food dyes. This is really an unideal way to start the morning especially for kids about to sit in class for hours.”
Apple Jack’s
Nutrition: per serving 1/13 cup
Calories: 150
Fat: 1.5g (Saturated fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 210mg
Carbs: 34g (Fiber: 2g , Sugar:13 g)
Protein: 2g
Apple Jack’s name is deliciously deceptive, but it’s mostly made of sugar and starch, so if you’re looking for a healthy breakfast cereal, this isn’t it.
“There’s minimal real apples in Apple Jack’s,” Sarah Alsing, MS, RD, sports dietitian and recipe creator for Delightfully Fueled points out. “It’s always good to look at the ingredient list because items are listed in order by quantity, and sugar is the second ingredient. There’s 13 grams of sugar per serving. Look farther down and you’ll find there’s less than 2% of dried apples and apple juice concentrate.”
Frosted Flakes
Nutrition: per serving 1 cup
Calories: 130
Fat: 0g (Saturated fat: 0g)
Sodium: 190mg
Carbs: 33g (Fiber: 1g , Sugar: 12g)
Protein: 2g
You might be deceived by Frosted Flakes since it doesn’t have fat and is lower in calories than others on our list, but it’s packed with sugar and doesn’t have any nutritional value.
Alsing says, “The frosted in Frosted Flakes tells you they’re high in sugar. One serving has 12 grams of added sugar. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults limit added sugars to less than 50 grams per day. That’s 24% of your added sugar with just a bowl of cereal.”
Lucky Charms
Nutrition: per serving 1 cup
Calories: 140
Fat: 1.5g (Saturated fat: 0g)
Sodium: 220mg
Carbs: 30g (Fiber: 2g , Sugar:12 g)
Protein: 3g
Lucky Charms is more of a sweet dessert than a good choice for breakfast. The vibrant colored marshmallows and sugary taste is attractive for kids, but it has too much sugar and worrisome ingredients.
“Lucky Charms markets itself as “magically delicious,” and the magic comes in marshmallow-shaped sugar chunks and artificial color galore,” says Berger, RDN. “But each serving delivers 12 grams of sugar, plus a handful of questionable dyes, and basically no fiber to slow the sugar spike. It’s breakfast candy.”
Reese’s Puffs
Nutrition: per serving 1 cup
Calories: 160
Fat: 5g (Saturated fat: 1g)
Sodium: 220mg
Carbs: 30g (Fiber: 2g , Sugar: 12g)
You can’t be the combo of chocolate and peanut butter. There’s no better flavor than the two perfectly balanced, but it’s not a good first meal of the day. Reese’s Puffs are so addicting it’s easy to eat a box in one sitting, but besides that, the cereal lacks nutrition.
According to Michelle Routhenstein, MS RD CDCES CDN, Preventive Cardiology Dietitian and Heart Health Expert at EntirelyNourished.com., “Reese’s Puffs is a sugary cereal that gives a quick energy boost but leads to a crash soon after, leaving you and your kids without the sustained energy needed to get through the day.”
Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries
Nutrition: per serving 28g
Calories: 100
Fat: 1.5g (Saturated fat: 0.5g)
Sodium: 190mg
Carbs:22 g (Fiber: 0.5g , Sugar: 11g)
Protein: 1g
Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries is a colorful and fun breakfast that satisfies sweet cravings, but Routhenstein suggests skipping it. While it’s lower in calories and fat than others on our list, there’s hardly any fiber and it’s filled with questionable ingredients.
“Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries is packed with added sugars and creates a false sense of nutrition by using the word berries, when in reality, it’s artificially colored with additives like Red 40 and Yellow 5, which could be linked to potential health risks.”
Captain Crunch®️ Original
Nutrition: per serving 1 cup
Calories: 150
Fat: 2g (Saturated fat: 1g)
Sodium: 290mg
Carbs:33 g (Fiber: <1 g , Sugar: 16g)
Protein: 2g
The original Captain Crunch®️ Original has been a longtime favorite for many, but it’s also a bad offender when it comes to unhealthiness.
“This cereal has a relatively high sodium content of 290 mg (12% of the Daily Value) in a 1 cup serving,” notes Beverly Garden, registered dietitian and Founder of The Everyday Kidney Cook. “Add ½ cup of milk and the sodium jumps up to 360 mg (15% of the Daily Value)!”
Garden says, “In addition, the same serving size contains 16g of added sugar. That’s half of the American Heart Association’s recommended daily limit of added sugar for women and one-third for men. Finally, Captain Crunch®️ contains virtually no fiber at <1 g per serving.
Post®️ Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles
Nutrition: per serving 1 cup
Calories: 160
Fat: 1g (Saturated fat: 0g)
Sodium: 240mg
Carbs: 36g (Fiber: 0g , Sugar: 18g)
Protein: 1g
Post®️ Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles is like eating a pretty rainbow dessert at the start of the day. While the blend of fruity rice pebbles and marshmallows has a soft yet crunchy texture people love, it’s a sugar bomb.
Garden says, “Post®️ Marshmallow Fruity Pebbles might be high in taste, but it’s definitely lacking in the nutrition department! With sugar being the second ingredient, 1 cup provides a whopping 18 g of added sugar! That’s 50-75% of the amount of added sugar recommended by the American Heart Association for women and men respectively.”
She also explains, “In addition, Fruity Pebbles is devoid of fiber, containing zero grams per serving. It also has a higher-than-average sodium content of 240 mg in one cup (11% of the Daily Value).”
Garden notes the ingredients are problematic as well and something to watch out for.
“Finally, if you are seeking a “natural” cereal option, Marshmallows Fruity Pebbles definitely is not it! It’s packed with food additives including five different artificial food colorings, BHT(butylated hydroxytoluene) to preserve freshness, sodium hexametaphosphate for texture and artificial flavor”.
Honey Smacks
Nutrition: per serving 1 cup
Calories: 130
Fat: 0.5g (Saturated fat: 0g)
Sodium: 45mg
Carbs: 32g (Fiber:2 g , Sugar: 18g)
Protein: 2g
The No. #1 unhealthiest cereal according to dietitians is Honey Smacks.
According to Routhenstein, “Honey Smacks is loaded with added sugars, containing 18 grams per serving, which accounts for 72% of the daily added sugar limit for women and 50% for men, based on the American Heart Association’s recommended limits. This makes it more of a sugary snack than a nutritious breakfast.”
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