Multigrain Cheerios Nutrition Information

According to the Mayo Clinic, people who eat a healthy breakfast may be more focused and more likely to receive the vitamins and minerals they need daily. Cold cereal is a popular choice for many people because it is convenient. If you are looking for a healthy breakfast cereal, you might want to consider the nutritional facts from MultiGrain Cheerios to help you make a choice.

Background

General Mills introduced Cheerioats as the first ready-to-eat breakfast cereal in 1941, and the cereal became Cheerios in 1945. Since then, several other varieties of Cheerios have been produced, including Honey Nut, Banana Nut, Chocolate and Yogurt Bursts. General Mills now makes all of its cereals with whole grains and markets its MultiGrain Cheerios toward an adult population. This cereal emphasizes its possible supportive role in an overall weight loss program.

Calories

Each cup serving of MultiGrain Cheerios has 110 calories with 10 calories from fat. It has 1 g fat with no saturated or trans fat. It has 2 g protein. A cup of this cereal has 23 g of carbohydrates and 6 g of sugar from white sugar and brown sugar syrup. It also provides 3 g of dietary fiber. These numbers all fit within the Mayo Clinic's recommendation of a breakfast cereal that has less than 120 calories and 13 g sugar, and more than 3 g fiber per serving.

Whole Grains

The grains in MultiGrain Cheerios are 100 percent whole. A whole grain includes the germ, bran and endosperm components of the grain. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, whole grains are naturally rich in essential nutrients, such as B vitamins, vitamin E and fiber. Whole grains may reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease by lowering levels of bad LDL cholesterol in the blood. Other possible health benefits of a diet rich in whole grains are a decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes or constipation. The five whole grains in MultiGrain Cheerios are corn, oats, barley, wheat and rice.

Vitamins and Minerals

A fortified breakfast cereal can help you receive the recommended amounts of nutrients each day. A cup of MultiGrain Cheerios provides 100 percent of the daily value for thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, zinc and iron. It also provides 10 to 35 percent of the daily value for the antioxidant vitamins A, C and E, as well as calcium and vitamin D, two nutrients that support bone health. Eating the cereal with milk adds extra calcium, vitamin D and vitamin A.

Health Claims

The Food and Drug Administration regulates the claims that a company can place on food labels. According to the Mayo Clinic, a health claim states the relationship between a nutrient in the food and a health benefit. The FDA only approves certain health claims when there is plenty of scientific evidence to support them. General Mills states that the whole grains in MultiGrain Cheerios, when combined with other smart dietary choices, may promote a healthy weight.