Breakfast cereals provide a good source of vitamins and minerals, as well as protein and calcium when eaten with milk. Most cereals have low fat and calorie content. Learning more about the calories contained in a serving of your favorite cereals can help you understand how they fit into your diet.
Serving Size
Nutrition facts labels on cereal boxes list the calories and fat contained in a serving of a particular size. Some people may need to eat larger or smaller servings than that recommended by the box's label. If you eat a larger serving of a cereal, keep in mind that you will consume more calories. Consult a cereal box's nutrition facts label to find out that cereal's standard serving size and the number of servings in the box.
Calories
Though the calorie content of cereals varies, most cereals have fewer than 200 calories per serving. A 1 ¼ cups serving of Kellogg's Rice Krispies has 130 calories, and a ¾ cup serving of Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds or General Mills Cinnamon Toast Crunch also has 130 calories. A ¾ cup serving of Post Honey Roasted Honey Bunches of Oats has 120 calories. A 1 cup serving of Kellogg's Raisin Bran has 190 calories, a ¾ cup serving of General Mills Wheat Chex has 160 calories and a ¾ cup serving of General Mills Wheaties has 100 calories.
Calories from Fat
The total calories contained in a serving of cereal includes a certain number of calories from fat. A 1 ¼ cup serving of Rice Krispies has 0 calories from fat. A ¾ cup serving of Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds contains 25 calories from fat, and a ¾ cup serving of Honey Roasted Honey Bunches of Oats has 15 calories from fat. A serving of Kellogg's Raisin Bran or Wheat Chex has 10 calories from fat. A serving of Cinnamon Toast Crunch has 30 calories from fat, and a serving of Wheaties has 5 calories from fat.
Milk
Most cereal box nutrition facts label list the calorie content of a serving of cereal without milk and with milk. When you eat your cereal with ½ cup of skim milk, you add about 40 calories to the bowl. If you eat your cereal with 2 percent milk or whole milk, you add a significant amount of fat and calories to the meal. With ½ cup of skim milk, a serving of Rice Krispies, Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds or Cinnamon Toast Crunch has 170 calories.
Nutrients
Enriched breakfast cereals provide good sources of essential vitamins and minerals. A serving of Rice Krispies without milk provides 25 percent of your recommended daily vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folic acid and vitamin B-12, as well as 50 percent of your recommended daily iron and 15 percent of your daily vitamin D. A serving of Honey Bunches of Oats provides 25 percent of your recommended daily thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6 and vitamin B-12, as well as 60 percent of your daily iron, 50 percent of your daily folic acid, 15 percent of your vitamin A and 10 percent of your vitamin D. A serving of Raisin Bran provides 25 percent of your recommended daily iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B-6, folic acid and vitamin B-12, as well as 20 percent of your recommended daily phosphorous and magnesium.
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