Making breakfast part of your daily routine can help you maintain a healthy weight. But breakfast does not have to be complicated. A bowl of cereal is low in calories and can help you meet your whole grain, fiber, vitamin and mineral needs. A healthy low-calorie cereal should have about 120 calories per serving, list a whole grain as the first ingredient and contain less than 4 g of sugar.
Fiber One Original
Fiber One cereals come in several different flavors, but the original Fiber One makes the healthiest choice. A 1/2-cup serving of Original Fiber One contains 60 calories, 1 g of total fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 105 mg of sodium, 25 g of carbohydrates, 14 g of fiber, 0 g of sugar and 2 g of protein. Whole grain wheat is the first ingredient. Including more fiber in your diet can lower your risk of heart disease and help you manage your weight. Adult women need 21 to 25 g of fiber per day, and adult men need 30 to 38 g of fiber per day.
Fiber One is fortified with vitamins and minerals. One serving of Fiber One meets 25 percent of your daily iron, zinc and B-vitamin needs. It also meets 10 percent of your daily calcium and vitamin C needs.
Total Cereal
General Mills Total Cereal is another healthy choice. Total Cereals also come in a variety of flavors, but the original whole grain has the fewest calories and sugar. A 3/4-cup serving contains 100 calories, 0.5 g of total fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 190 mg of sodium, 23 g of carbohydrates, 5 g of sugar and 3 g of protein. Total cereal also contains many essential vitamins and minerals, and one serving meets 100 percent of your daily vitamin C, calcium, iron, B vitamins and zinc needs.
Cheerios
Cheerios is also a healthy, low-calorie cereal choice. Its primary ingredient is whole grain oats. Oats contain high amounts of soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is the type of fiber that can help lower blood cholesterol levels. Soluble fiber can also help people with diabetes get better control over their blood sugar by slowing digestion. Each 1-cup serving of Cheerios contains 100 calories, 2 g of total fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 160 mg of sodium, 20 g of carbohydrates, 3 g of fiber, 1 g of sugar and 3 g of protein. Cheerios also contains essential vitamins and minerals. One serving meets 45 percent of your daily iron needs, 25 percent of your B-vitamin and zinc needs and 10 percent of your vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and vitamin D needs.
Kashi Puffs
Kashi brand cereals contain whole grains and make a healthy breakfast choice. The Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs are the lowest in calories, but are not a good source of fiber. A 1-cup serving contains 70 calories, 0.5 g of total fat, 0 g of saturated fat, 0 mg of sodium, 15 g of carbohydrates, 1 g of fiber, 0 g of sugar and 2 g of protein. Kashi Puffs are not fortified with vitamins and minerals like the other cereals, but a serving naturally provides 2 percent of your daily iron needs.
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