Ready-to-eat cereals make convenient breakfasts, but good nutrition represents their greater benefit. Whole-grain cereals are healthy food sources of dietary fiber, iron, potassium, calcium and a host of vitamins. The USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans consider low-sugar breakfast cereals superior sources for these nutrients over supplement pills.
Tailor your cereal choices to the nutrients you most need. For iron, calcium and B vitamins, choose a highly enriched cereal. For cardiovascular and digestive aids, go with a high-fiber brand. Low-calorie varieties will help you lose or maintain weight while still providing good nutrition.
Enriched Cereals
Among all healthy foods, enriched breakfast cereals have some of the highest concentrations of iron and calcium, according to the USDA Nutrient Database. Kellogg's Product 19 and General Mills Total varieties offer 100 percent daily values, or DVs, of iron and/or calcium per suggested serving. Check the package nutrition facts for the percent DV of specific nutrients.
Pregnant women receive good nutrition to prevent birth defects in brands with added folic acid, or vitamin B9. Adults over 50 may need increased vitamin B12 content. Malt-o-Meal and Quaker Life provide 100 percent of B9, while Kellogg's Special K and General Mills Total cereals offer 100 percent of B12. As with any type of cereal, among those with large amounts of your nutrients of choice, choose the ones with the least sugar, fat and sodium.
Fiber-Rich Cereals
High-fiber breakfast cereals contain varying amounts of these same beneficial nutrients, with a greater emphasis on dietary fiber. The fiber in oat-based cereals supports heart health, while high-fiber wheat and other whole-grain cereals provide good nutrition for digestive system function, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention explain.
Cereals with the least sugar, which delivers "empty" calories with no nutritional value, are considered the most healthy foods. Therefore, while Kellogg's Raisin Bran and Frosted Mini-Wheats have more than 20 percent DV of fiber per suggested serving, Kellogg's All-Bran and Homestat Farm Wheatena, with similar insoluble fiber but a fraction of the sugar content, make better selections. Eat unsweetened oatmeals for their soluble-fiber benefits.
Low-Cal Cereals
When you're looking to lose weight, foods that provide good nutrition within low calorie counts can help. The National Institutes of Health notes dietary fiber adds bulk to healthy foods, making you feel full on small quantities.
Breakfast cereals such as General Mills Wheaties, B&G Foods Cream of Wheat and Kellogg's All-Bran all have significant fiber in about 100 calories or less, per suggested serving. Low calories also signify low sugar and fat content in these cereals, as reported by the USDA.
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