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Sugar in Children's Cereals: Best and Worst Cereals
10 Worst Children's Cereals
Based on percent sugar by weight
| 1 | Kellogg's Honey Smacks | 55.6% |
| 2 | Post Golden Crisp | 51.9% |
| 3 | Kellogg's Froot Loops Marshmallow | 48.3% |
| 4 | Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch's OOPS! All Berries | 46.9% |
| 5 | Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch Original | 44.4% |
| 6 | Quaker Oats Oh!s | 44.4% |
| 7 | Kellogg's Smorz | 43.3% |
| 8 | Kellogg's Apple Jacks | 42.9% |
| 9 | Quaker Oats Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries | 42.3% |
| 10 | Kellogg's Froot Loops Original | 41.4% |
Source: EWG analysis of nutrition labels for 84 children's cereals.
Cereals: Best and Good
All cereals on this list pass proposed federal guidelines* on sugar, sodium, fat and whole-grain content. They are free of artificial flavors, colors and artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose.
Best Cereals
Ask your store to carry these brands, which offer cereals free of pesticides
and genetically modified ingredients:
[see full list of best cereals]
- Ambrosial Granola
- Go Raw
- Grandy Oats
- Kaia Foods
- Laughing Giraffe
- Lydia's Organic
- Nature's Path Organics
6 Good Big-Brand Cereals
These meet nutrition guidelines and are easy to find but may include ingredients that are genetically modified or grown with pesticides:
- Kellogg's Mini-Wheats:
Unfrosted Bite- Size,
Frosted Big Bite,
Frosted Bite-Size,
Frosted Little Bite - General Mills Cheerios Original**
- General Mills Kix Original**
Source: EWG analysis of nutrition labels for 84 children's cereals.
* The federal Interagency Working Group proposed voluntary guidelines for sugar, sodium, saturated fat and whole grain content (IWG 2011).
** These meet the Interagency Working Group's interim 2016 sodium guideline but not the final guideline scheduled to take effect in 2021 (IWG 2011).
Legal Disclaimer:
The conclusions and findings that appear on this page reflect EWG's research at the time of publication stated above. In light of evolving market conditions, subsequent product reformulations, and other factors, they may no longer be current. EWG makes no representations or warranties about any of the products that appear on this page. EWG hereby disclaims all warranties with regard to any of the products that appear on this page, including express, statutory, implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular use.