Cereals are a great food choice for breakfast, snack, even dessert. The Food and Drug Administration says that cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals to add nutrients that may be lacking in the average diet. Fortification is different than enhancement, which replaces nutrients lost during processing. The most commonly fortified ingredients are vitamins A, B, C and D and minerals like iron and calcium.
Total
One of the most highly-fortified cereals is Total by General Mills. This cereal boasts 100 percent of the daily value (DV) of at least 11 vitamins and minerals. Each of the six varieties is fortified with 100 percent of the DV of folic acid, zinc, iron, calcium, and a number of B vitamins. Total has 100 calories in a 3/4 cup serving.
Wheaties
Wheaties is a fortified cereal made by General Mills. Originally marketed in 1924 as Washburn’s Gold Medal Whole Wheat Flakes, Wheaties, the "Breakfast of Champions," has become known by its bright orange box featuring famous people, namely athletes, including Lou Gehrig and Michael Jordan. Wheaties is fortified with zinc (50 percent DV), iron (45 percent DV), niacinamide (50 percent DV), vitamin C (10 percent DV), vitamins B1, B2, B6 and B12 (50 percent DV each), vitamin A (10 percent DV), folic acid (50 percent DV) and vitamin D (10 percent DV). Wheaties has 100 calories in a 3/4 cup serving.
Kellogg's Frosted Flakes
According to consumer goods researchers Packaged Facts, in 2000 Kellogg's Frosted Flakes was the best-selling fortified cereal, appealing to children with its lovable mascot, Tony the Tiger. His characteristic endorsement, "They're grrreat!" continues to help make Frosted Flakes one of the best-selling kids' cereals. Kellogg's Frosted Flakes are fortified with ten vitamins and minerals. Kellogg's fortifies Frosted Flakes with 10 percent of the DV of vitamin C, vitamin A palmitate, and vitamin D; and 25 percent of the DV of niacinimide, iron, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin B12 and folic acid. Frosted Flakes has 110 calories in a 3/4 cup serving.
Multigrain Cheerios
Multigrain Cheerios is an off-shoot of General Mills' popular unsweetened cereal, Cheerios, which made its debut in the 1940s. It contains five whole grains, including corn, oats, barley, wheat and rice. Multigrain Cheerios is fortified with 100 percent of the DV of vitamins B1, B2, B5, B6 and B12, folic acid, niacin, iron and zinc. It is also fortified with vitamin A (10 percent of the DV), vitamin C (25 percent of DV), vitamin D (10 percent of DV), vitamin E (35 percent of DV), calcium (10 percent of DV), magnesium (4 percent of DV) and phosphorus (8 percent of DV). Multigrain Cheerios contains 110 calories per 1 cup serving.
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