I have a confession: I like cereal. And not just a little.
When I was a kid, I’d have ready-to-eat breakfast cereal in the morning and again after dinner as dessert. Raisin Bran, Corn Flakes, and Rice Krispies were in regular rotation. And if there was milk left over after finishing the cereal, I’d do what so many other cereal lovers do: add more cereal until the milk and cereal disappear together. Cereal is still on my short list of favorite foods.
I’m not alone in this. In the US, more than a quarter of children and adolescents devour ready-to-eat cereal for breakfast most days of the week. Among adults, around half eat cereal at least once or twice a week. Beloved athletes often appear on cereal boxes and a number of celebrities have proclaimed their love for the stuff, including Jerry Seinfeld and Justin Timberlake.
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Part of the appeal is advertising touting cereal as a healthy choice. A 2025 study of more than 600 breakfast cereals disputes this, particularly for many cereal all-stars.
How healthy are breakfast cereals?
Not so much. Many – perhaps, most – of the biggest names in the cereal world have a lot of sugar, minimal protein before adding milk, a bunch of additives, and not much else. Some don’t even have much fiber, a feature that is supposed to make breakfast cereal a healthy choice.
And, you know the 120 to 150 calorie count often listed on the side of the box? Turns out that the actual portions many people consume (including me) can easily soar past 300 calories at a time.
And what about eye-catching boasts like “heart healthy,” “high in vitamins,” “all natural,” or “part of a healthy breakfast”? Unfortunately, researchers have found little connection between health claims and overall nutritional content. In fact, for many cereals, the bulk of the nutritional value relies on something that’s not even in the box: milk.
A closer look at seven popular breakfast cereals
Here are the seven top-selling breakfast cereals in the US: