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Best and Worst Cereals

Reports & Consumer Guides

Sugar in Children's Cereals: Best and Worst Cereals

December 12, 2011
 

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).

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