Are Breakfast Cereals Really Healthy For You?

Breakfast cereals, whether they're made from whole grains and packed with fibers or made in rainbow colors with lots of added sugar, all claim to be good for you in some way. Cereal can be a healthy breakfast choice, but it can also add more sugar and unhealthy fats than you need. The most appealing cereals to children could well be the least healthy, despite the added vitamins, according to author and pediatrician William Sears, M.D., so read labels before putting the cereal in your shopping cart.

Carbohydrates

The main ingredient in cereal is carbohydrate, because cereals are made from grains. The healthiest cereals are made from whole grain, such as oatmeal, with no added ingredients. Refined grains are stripped of their fiber, vitamins and minerals during the refining process. When choosing a healthy cereal, choose only those that list a whole grain as the first ingredient, Diana Mirkin suggests on DrMirkin.com. In general, the more added sugar in a cereal, the less healthy the cereal is and the more likely it is to cause tooth decay. Choose cereals that contain less than 10 g of sugar per serving, Harvard Men's Health Watch suggests. Sugar is listed under the total carbohydrate count on nutritional labels. The total carbohydrate-to-sugar ratio should be at least 4-to-1, Sears states.

Fibers

The fiber content of cereals can be a big plus when making breakfast choices. Fiber is the indigestible portion of plants; while it supplies no nutrition, it has a number of health benefits. Fiber comes in two forms, soluble and insoluble, each with its own benefit. Fiber not only keeps you regular but also can reduce cholesterol levels and stabilize blood glucose levels. The American diet is low in fiber, with most Americans getting less fiber than they need. Experts such as the Harvard School of Public Health recommend getting at least 20 g of fiber daily, with teens and men needing at least 30 to 35 g per day. Fiber obtained from wheat bran and oat bran is more effective than fiber from fruits and vegetables, so look for breakfast cereals high in these whole grains and for cereals that supply at least 6 g of fiber per serving, Harvard Health Publications suggests.

Fats

While many cereals have removed trans fat -- the man-made fats that can raise your cholesterol and risk of heart disease -- some brands, mostly sweetened cereals made for children, still contain them, according to Mirkin. Also called partially hydrogenated fats, trans fats should be limited as much as possible in your diet, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 recommend. Read labels carefully to check for either trans fats or partially hydrogenated fats on the nutritional label.

Vitamins and Minerals

Synthetic vitamins and minerals may be cheaper to put back into cereal than making cereal from healthy whole grains that don't need extra added vitamins and minerals, Sears states. Look for whole-grain cereals even if they list fewer vitamins and minerals. It's not necessary to get vitamin C and other vitamins not normally found in cereal from cereal, he advises.