Special K is a toasted rice cereal---one of many breakfast cereals that fall under the Kellogg Company brand name. Special K is marketed to consumers who want to eat healthfully while keeping an eye on their waistlines. Special K's nutrition facts indicate that this cereal is not only low in saturated fat, cholesterol and sugar, but also a good source of daily vitamins and minerals.
One cup of Special K cereal is defined as a serving, according to Self Nutrition Data. A serving, without milk, contains 117 calories, only 1 percent of which come from saturated fat. Of the caloric content in a serving of Special K, 85.3 calories come from carbohydrates; 4.3 come from fat; and 27.9 come from protein. Special K is a packaged food, making sodium a concern. According to MayoClinic.com, food products with more than 200 milligrams of sodium per serving size should be avoided, if you're trying to cut down. A serving of Special K contains 223 milligrams of sodium, slightly more than Mayo Clinic recommendation.
Vitamins
Special K's nutritional value comes from nine vitamins, meeting your daily value, or DV, for vitamins B6 and B12 and folate. A serving of Special K gives you 36 percent of your DV from niacin; 35 percent of your DV from thiamin, riboflavin and vitamin C; 24 percent of your DV from vitamin E; and 15 percent of your DV from vitamin A.
Minerals
Special K gives you almost half---47 percent---of your DV from iron. A serving gives you 43 percent of your DV from manganese and 24 percent from selenium. Special K gives you less than 10 percent of your DV from calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc and copper.
Ingredients
According to the manufacturer's website, although Special K is rice-based, it does contain wheat and milk, which are possible allergens. Ingredients specified on the label indicate that the cereal contains rice, wheat gluten, sugar, defatted wheat gern, salt (sodium), high fructose corn syrup, dried whey and malt flavoring, as well as the vitamins and minerals listed above.
Additional Information
As noted above, Special K cereal is one of many made by the Kellogg Company, which was first established in 1906 in Battle Creek, Michigan by W.K. Kellogg. Other notable cereals manufactured by Kellogg include Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, Cocoa Crispies, Froot Loops, Corn Pops, Apple Jacks, Product 19 and its famous mainstay, Kellogg's Corn Flakes.
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