In Pictures: Some of the Best and Worst Cereals for Your Children

Use this cereal spectrum chart to help your family find a better fit for a healthy breakfast. If your child’s favorite cereal is in the bottom row, explore some of the choices in the middle or top row to increase the nutritional punch and reduce some of the added sugars. The top row stands head and shoulders (in nutrition rating score) above the bottom row. Boost your breakfast and save the sugar for dessert.

Based on a nutritional measurement tool called the Nutrient Profiling Model, 261 cereals were ranked in the Cereal FACTS 2012 report. Below are thumbnails of select cereal boxes divided into three categories based on their score. Scroll over a thumbnail to see a larger view, and click on the larger view to see the nutritional profile of the individual cereal.

Cereals grouped from better (left) to worse (right)
Better Bets
(NPI ≥ 68)
Post Shredded Wheat spoon size Original
Kellogg Mini-Wheats Unfrosted/ bite size
Kashi Kashi Puffs 7 whole grains Puffs
General Mills Fiber One Original (bran)
Post Shredded Wheat spoon size Lightly Frosted
Kashi Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat
General Mills Cheerios (Regular)
Post Grape Nuts (Regular)
Quaker Oatmeal Squares Brown Sugar
General Mills Fiber One Honey Clusters
So-so Selections
(NPI 52 – 58)
General Mills Oatmeal Crisp Crunchy Almond
General Mills Wheaties Fuel
Kashi Kashi GoLean Crunch! Honey Almond Flax
Barbara's Bakery Puffins Puffs Crunchy Cocoa
Post Honey Bunches of Oats with vanillla clusters
General Mills Cheerios Multigrain
General Mills Chex Wheat
General Mills Kix (Regular)
Quaker Life (Regular)
General Mills Dora the Explorer
Poor Picks
(NPI <40)
Kellogg Frosted Flakes (Regular)
Kellogg Froot Loops (Regular)
General Mills Trix
General Mills Lucky Charms (Regular)
General Mills Golden Grahams
Post Honey Comb (Regular)
General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch (Regular)
General Mills Reese's Puffs
Quaker Cap'n Crunch (Regular)
Post Pebbles Fruity

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