We put eight top brands to the test. Which ones are the best?
Like almost all food, finding a cereal that satisfies the palate and boosts your body is a challenge. Some taste good but aren't that good for you. Others are nutritious but taste like crap. So which bowls made our staff snap, crackle, and pop? We tried all the major healthy brands, then asked Elizabeth Ward, M.S., R.D, an MF nutrition adviser, to assess their true nutritional value. We picked the tastiest; Ward selected the healthiest. But which earned a spot on both lists? [via mens fitness] | Post Grape-Nuts Flakes Despite being super tiny, these flakes had a delicious wheat fl avor—nutty enough to seem healthy without being so overwhelming they screamed "health food." Be forewarned, though: The fl akes dissolve quickly, leaving a sort of whole-wheat mush on your tongue. OUR EXPERT "The cereal claims to contain wholegrain wheat with barley, but there's nothing on the packaging or food label to show that it's actually much better for you than regular cereals. On the plus side, each serving does provide a decent dose of iron, B vitamins, and vitamin D." |
 | TASTIESTHoney Bunches of Oats with Real Strawberries Delicious. Staffers loved the variety of differently sized and fl avored fl akes, plus the ample freezedried strawberry slices and large chunks of granola. There were definite seconds. And thirds. OUR EXPERT "Like your cereal sweet and highly processed? Pick this one. You'll get the equivalent of two teaspoons of sugar in every three-quarters cup of cereal and very little fi ber or protein." |
 | Health Valley Granola Raisin Cinnamon H.V. packs its raisins separately from the cereal, which we found weird. Even weirder? The speck-size pieces of granola, which looked like sand. Surprisingly, appearances to the contrary, the cereal itself was good—like an oatmeal cookie or perhaps the topping on a fruit cobbler, thanks to ample amounts of spices, including nutmeg and cinnamon. OUR EXPERT "Granola is usually surrounded with an aura of healthfulness, so it pays to read labels. On the plus side, this cereal is low-sodium, and serves up fi ve grams each of protein and fi ber per serving. Problem is, the serving size is a mere twothirds cup. Eat twice as much, and you're in for 380 calories and a whopping five teaspoons of sugar." |
 | BEST OVERALLSpecial K Plus Protein Our big winner. We liked the nice big flakes, especially their thick, rich molasses taste. Less appealing, but easy enough to overlook: a somewhat potent smell, and overly processed aftertaste. OUR EXPERT "Outstanding for its 10 grams of protein, five grams of fi ber, and only trace levels of sugar. Plus, one serving provides hefty doses of all major B vitamins, plus vitamins E and C, as well." |
 | Kashi 7 Whole Grain Honey Puffs Kashi's puffs looked disappointing at first—sort of like rabbit food or the stuff you'd use to line a gerbil cage. The fl avor was better: lightly sweet, with an airy, popcorn-like texture and pleasant, lingering honey flavor. OUR EXPERT "Whole grain isn't synonymous with high fi ber, so even though this cereal supplies just two grams of dietary fi ber, it delivers nearly half the whole grain you need in a day, with zero sodium to boot. It's a good choice." |
 | Multi Grain Cheerios The familiar Cheerios shape reminded staffers of little doughnuts. And thanks to a light glaze, it didn't have the dry chalky taste many high-fi ber cereals possess. Instead, it's more like a decent quality multigrain bread. Decent, but not outstanding. OUR EXPERT "'Multigrain' doesn't always mean a cereal's entirely whole grain, although this one guarantees at least 16 of the 48 grams of whole grain you need each day. And it saves you the multivitamin, since a serving contains 100% of your daily quota for B vitamins, iron, vitamin E, and zinc." |
 | HEALTHIESTEzekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, Golden Flax Not the most impressive cereal ever: Flakes are small and crumbly, and the cereal's smell is a tad musty—like a library or week-old cut grass. But tasters who loved wheat germ or more savory breakfast options were pleased... some surprisingly so. OUR EXPERT "This cereal is a standout. Get past the name and you'll find a cereal that's made from whole grains, organic, completely lacking in added sugar, with six grams of fiber, eight grams of protein, and a nice balance of added vitamins and minerals that's not over the top. Unbeatable!" |
 | Wheaties Tasters booed. Seriously. The box may draw top athletes, but these flakes are no winners—dry, gritty, and fi brous, like raisin bran without the raisins. Or maybe a big ol' bowl of brittle leaves. OUR EXPERT "If you enjoy Wheaties, go ahead and eat them, but don't expect too much in the way of nutrition, with the exception of about half your daily B vitamins, iron, and zinc needs, and a marginal shot of vitamin D." |
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