A bowl of cereal may appear to be the breakfast of champions. This is because it is a fast and simple meal with several nutrients. But don’t crown them yet—the amount of sugar they contain would rival that in a candy bar for some of America’s most popular cereals.
Today, we have all the sugar-coated deets on cereals that’ll put a dentist out of business, so hold onto your teeth because the truths we’re about to reveal might get you clenching.
The Sugar-High Rollercoasters
Krave Chocolate leads us off on this sugar rush. This cereal is 37% sugar and can be found in the cereal aisles of American supermarkets. If you think eating a few M&M’s for breakfast is overdoing it, Krave Chocolate is the cereal world’s M&M’s. Still, as far as the U.K. country, it’s not a tightrope, but a less sweet one at 26%.
This should get your head spinning. Chips Ahoy Cereal from the USA contains 37% sugar, which is superior to the real Chips Ahoy cookies. It is more of a cookie than cereal at this stage. Besides, it has little fiber; hence, it needs to be balanced.
The U.K. Sugar Stalwarts
Let’s introduce Frosties, the eye-popping breakfast cereal with 37% sugar, crossing the Atlantic to the U.K. This means that the cute tiger in a box is better to take the children to a bowl with more than half their daily recommended amount. Unlike Tony the Tiger, who says, “Great!” this cereal has nothing to boast about its nutritional value.
When talking about British sugar delights, don’t you want to try Crunchy Nut Cornflakes with 35% sugar? The rapid sugar release translates to an energy crash midmorning, tempting as the promise of vitamin and iron fortification may be. It is certainly not a good look, trust me.
Honey Smacks Horror
The sugariest cereal is Honey Smacks, which is made up of a whopping 50% sugar. Honey Smacks sound healthier than Sugar Smacks, yet it remains a monster of sugar. A Twinkie has less sugar than one bowl.
Another high offender is Fruity Pebbles – a cereal that is one-third sugar. It’s so artificially flavored and colored that it could be a bowl of rainbow-colored sugar cubes. Fiber? What fiber? It’s not in this cereal.
Lucky Charms – Magically Delicious or Magically Deceptive?
Lucky Charms, as cute as their marshmallows may look, they are 33% sugar. One bowl of this is sweeter than four Hershey’s Kisses. However, these lucky charms do less for your teeth or your waistline.
Honey Nut Cheerios is not spared either; this is similar to Lucky Charms minus the marshmallows. Weighing in with the sugar, it’s nearly a third sugar. These products could lower cholesterol with soluble oat fiber, but that doesn’t make them balanced choices.
Choco-Lovers Beware
Cocoa Krispies may find their way onto your shopping list if you’re a chocolate enthusiast. Guess what? It’s 31% sugar. The vitamin and mineral fortification may offset the sugar, but not so fast. The sugary downside still prevails.
Another cereal, Reese’s Puffs, which is also chocolatey, has 31% sugar. It’s somehow Reese’s cup in a cereal; however, it’s not the fiber type. Sure, it does have a few vitamins and minerals, but it’s mostly just sugar.
Neon Danger and “Healthy” Deception
From Trix’s vibrant colors, you may think that is all there is to the game. Just beware because its sugar content is 31%. In the U.K., artificial colors would be required to have a label warning of the possibility of hyperactivity to occur in children.
Special K Red Berries is not a typical “red berries.” It is presented as “healthy,” and yet it contains 28% of sugar. There are some good numbers with iron and folate, but it is also one big sugar bomb waiting to explode your diet.
“Healthy” Choices? Not So Much
One great example is Honey Nut Cheerios, which radiates healthiness with oats and oat bran that make a helping tool for cholesterol reduction. Sounds awesome, right? Except it’s 32% sugar. Another “healthy” choice – Special K Red Berries – has 28% sugar and a good proportion of daily iron and folate.
How About Nutri-Grain Australia. Wheat Contains wheat protein to help keep you fuller and is a decent source of fiber with wheat, oats, and maize. However, it is a sugar bait at 24%, which equals nearly 2.5 tsp per portion weighing 40 g. Yes, it’s true, but receiving vitamins, minerals, and amino acids from eating fresh groceries is definitely healthier.
The Chocolate Lovers and Candy
Those with a tang for sugary drinks are served with Cocoa Krispies and Reese’s Puffs. Sugar content in cocoa krispies is 13g in a serving of 42g and of Reese’s puffs, which is slightly lower, amounting to 9g in a 29g serving. Nevertheless, keep in mind that the vitamins and minerals are fortified to sell you out; basically, you have candy for breakfast.
Curiously, Cinnamon and Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros contain 27% of sugar. On the other hand, it does not even contain 2g fiber, for example, Curiously Cinnamon has 1.3g in a 30g bowl. Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros provides a little more fiber than a few selections but still loads 11g of sugar into a 41g serving.
The Underdogs of Sugar
The Coco One by Shreddies, which looks like lesser evil, contains almost 3 teaspoons of sugar in a one-bowl serving. You may eat a few chocolate digestives. Well, at least they’re honest enough to call themselves treat.
Finally, we have Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros with 27% sugar on the tip of the line. The inclusion of whole grain content and fiber might tempt you, but that doesn’t negate the sugar. So you may get a real churro.
