Disclaimer: I am NOT sponsored by any brands mentioned in this post.
I’ve been on a cereal kick recently thanks to my hubby who bought us two big boxes of Lucky Charms. To his defense, they were on sale and you really couldn’t beat the price. But I am fully aware of just how much sugar is in there and how whacky my blood sugars have been recently because of it.
If you’re like me where you love cereal but can’t eat the generic brands because of the high sugar content, buckle up because we are about to break down the best low sugar cereals out on the market right now!
*Please keep in mind that this list is NOT in any particular order.
Let’s start off with the more popular brands:
Kix
I have very fond memories of eating Kix growing up at school. Kix is wonderful for both kids and adults. There is a subtle sweetness to it, but overall the flavor is a very mild corn taste.
For a 1 1/2 cup serving, there are 160 calories, 34g carbs, 3g fiber, 4g sugar and 3g protein.
Corn Flakes
I’m going to be so real with you-I much prefer Corn Flakes in a savory setting (used in breading for something like chicken) than I do as a cereal. BUT I would be remiss not to mention Corn Flakes in a list of the best low sugar cereals because of how popular Corn Flakes are and continue to be.
You can also jazz up your bowl if you’d like by adding fruit which I have never done. So honestly, I should give corn flakes a second chance.
For a 1 1/2 cup serving, there are 150 calories, 36g carbs, 1g fiber, 4g sugar and 3g protein.
Cheerios
As a mom, cheerios have been such a staple for my house. They’re great as a breakfast, snack on the go, AND as part of a sensory activity. I have set up sensory bins in the past with Cheerios so that my kids could work on their pincer grasp. It also helps knowing that everything in your sensory bin is edible.
For a 1 1/2 cup serving, there are 140 calories, 29g carbs, 4g fiber, 2g sugar and 5g protein.
Rice Krispies
I can’t lie, the sound of milk hitting the Rice Krispies has always thrown me off. The snap, crackle and pop (for me) is just a little too much noise that I never ended up gravitating towards this cereal.
For a 1 1/2 cup serving, there are 150 calories, 36g carbs, 0g fiber, 4g sugar and 3g protein.
Chex
I loveeeee Chex. I have yet to meet a Chex cereal that I didn’t like. I think it’s because the milk can go into the little pockets in the cereal and make a more cohesive texture.
A cereal like Kix with milk is sometimes soft on the outside and crunchy on the inside. But Chex is consistently crunchy. Or soggy if you let it sit for too long haha.
For the purposes of this article, I am referring to Corn Chex or Rice Chex.
For a 1 1/4 cup serving of CORN Chex, there are 150 calories, 33g carbs, 2g fiber, 4g sugar and 3g protein.
For a 1 1/3 cup serving of RICE Chex, there are 150 calories, 35g carbs, 2g fiber, 3g sugar and 3g protein.
Crispix
You would think that if I love Chex that I would love Crispix and unfortunately I can not say that is true. Crispix reminds me of school too, but not in an endearing way that Kix does. More like in a “keep snacking on these so that you don’t fall asleep in class” kind of way. Maybe it’s the shape and the way it screams “geometry”.
For a 1 1/3 cup serving, there are 150 calories, 34g carbs, 0g fiber, 5g sugar and 3g protein.
Nature’s Path
Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes provide a very satisfying crunch. The brand is also organic and the ingredients in the cereal are very clean!
For a 1 cup serving, there are 160 calories, 31g carbs, 7g fiber, 5g sugar and 5g protein.
Note that while the serving size is significantly less here than the previous cereals, there is also an increased amount of fiber and protein.
Cascadian Farm
Cascadian Farm Purely O’s is a similar concept to Cheerios. Personally, I do think the Cascadian Farm version tastes better, but not usually enough to justify the cost difference.
For a 1 1/2 cup serving, there are 150 calories, 31g carbs, 4g fiber, 1g sugar and 4g protein.
Arrowhead Mills
Arrowhead Mills Cereal is great because there is no added sugar and the ingredient list is super clean (only one ingredient).
For a 3/4 cup serving of puffed RICE cereal, there are 50 calories, 12g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g sugar and 1g protein.
For a 3/4 cup serving of puffed KAMUT cereal, there are 60 calories, 11g carbs, 1g fiber, 1g sugar and 2g protein.
For a 3/4 cup serving of puffed CORN cereal, there are 60 calories, 11g carbs, 2g fiber, 0g sugar and 3g protein.
For a 3/4 cup serving of puffed MILLET cereal, there are 50 calories, 11g carbs, 4g fiber, 0g sugar and 2g protein.
For a 3/4 cup serving of puffed WHEAT cereal, there are 60 calories, 12g carbs, 2g fiber, 0g sugar and 2g protein.
Now moving onto the higher end (more expensive) cereals:
Catalina Crunch
Catalina Crunch is made with a pea protein blend that increases the overall protein content of the cereal. This cereal is also made with stevia and monkfruit, so there are zero grams of added sugar.
If you can afford it, I do highly recommend giving Catalina Crunch a try! I would definitely say its one of the best low sugar cereals out there.
For a 1/2 cup serving of cereal, there are 110 calories, 14g carbs, 9g fiber, 0g sugar and 11g protein. Cinnamon Toast, Dark Chocolate, Fruity, Maple Waffle, Chocolate Peanut Butter and Honey Graham all have the same nutrition facts.
For a 1/2 cup serving of the BLUEBERRY MUFFIN flavor, there are 130 calories, 14g carbs, 7g fiber, 1g sugar and 10g protein.
For a 1/2 cup serving of the HONEY NUT WITH ALMONDS flavor, there are 150 calories, 12g carbs, 7g fiber, 0g sugar and 10g protein.
Magic Spoon
Magic Spoon is another popular cereal brand that has 0g of sugar. However, if I were to compare Magic Spoon VS Catalina Crunch, I would opt for Catalina Crunch because of the increased amount of fiber. Magic Spoon uses a milk protein blend and tapioca starch instead of a pea protein blend. So while the protein content might be comparable, the fiber certainly is not.
I would also recommend Catalina Crunch over Magic Spoon simply because of the price difference.
For a 1 cup serving of the FRUITY flavor (and honestly the only flavor I can in good conscience recommend), there are 150 calories, 15g carbs, 1g fiber, 0g sugar and 13g protein.
Three Wishes
Three Wishes is right in the middle of Catalina Crunch and Magic Spoon in terms of cost and nutrition. While I have not personally tried this cereal, I have heard great things from clients!
For a 1 cup serving of cereal, there are 130 calories, 20g carbs, 3g fiber, 3g sugar and 8g protein. Cinnamon, Fruity, Cocoa, Vanilla Frosted and Honey all have the same nutrition facts.
Seven Sundays
This is another brand that I haven’t tried yet but hear great things about! According to their product description, Seven Sundays is sweetened with coconut sugar and Medjool dates (no refined sugar).
For a 1 cup serving of the REAL COCOA flavor, there are 170 calories, 27g carbs, 3g fiber, 5g sugar and 5g protein.
What Are The Best Low Sugar Cereals For Diabetics?
If cost is not a factor for you, I would recommend giving Catalina Crunch a try. Having more protein and more fiber, especially during breakfast, can be very beneficial to regulate blood sugar throughout the day.
If you are looking for a more cost effective brand, I would recommend Cheerios. From a nutrition standpoint, Cheerios have less carbs, less sugar, more fiber and more protein than most cereals on this list.
Conclusion
I hope you found this list of the best low sugar cereals to be helpful to you. Please do keep in mind that no matter how low sugar the cereal is is for you, it really doesn’t matter if you’re not going to eat it. There have been so many times that I’ve gone to the supermarket and bought something strictly due to the macros only to have it sit in my pantry. You want to make sure you are being an informed shopper, but also shopping with intent.
Further Research
If you like articles related to low sugar living, I do write a lot of blog posts about this topic! You can find it in the “nutrition” section of my blog, or by clicking here.
