Are Cheerios Healthy? Original Cheerios Nutrition Facts and Ingredients

Cheerios nutrition facts: are they healthy?

Here is one 39 g serving, from the manufacturer's label as listed in the USDA branded foods database:

The good part: 4 g of fiber per serving, about 14% of the 28 g daily value used on US labels, and 5 g of protein. Sugar is low for a boxed cereal at 2 g per serving. That is why the nutrition part of the score is fairly high, at Nutri-Score C on our calculation, held back mostly by salt.

The weaker part: 190 mg of sodium per serving, about 8% of the 2,300 mg daily value. And most of the calories come from starch: available carbohydrates make up 71% of the calories and fat only 16%. Carbs plus salt in a dry, crunchy food is a combination our method counts as easy to overeat, so the overeating part of the score is low.

The serving on the label is 39 g. If you pour a bigger bowl, the calories, sodium and carbs go up with it, so it is worth measuring once to see what your usual bowl is.

Cheerios ingredients

The main ingredients, in label order:

• Whole grain oats. the first ingredient, and the source of most of the fiber and protein.
• Corn starch. a refined starch. It adds crunch and calories, but no fiber.
• Sugar. a small amount, which is why a serving has 2 g of sugar.
• Salt. the main source of the sodium.
• Tripotassium phosphate. an acidity regulator (E340), one of the two additive codes our method counts on this label.

The rest of the list is vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) to keep the cereal fresh, and added vitamins and minerals: calcium carbonate, iron, zinc, vitamin C, niacinamide, vitamin B6, vitamin A, thiamin, folic acid, vitamin B12 and vitamin D3. That fortification is why Cheerios are often mentioned as a source of iron.

Are Cheerios ultra-processed?

Original Cheerios are not, on our method. NOVA, the food-processing scale used in nutrition research, defines group 3, processed foods, as products made by adding salt, sugar or a similar ingredient to whole foods. Oats with a little sugar and salt fit that group.

Group 4, ultra-processed, is marked by ingredients you rarely find in a kitchen, such as flavors, colors, emulsifiers, sweeteners, protein isolates and maltodextrin. None of those are on this label, so Truvi puts it in NOVA 3.

The NOVA authors do name breakfast cereals as a common ultra-processed food, and many flavored cereals land in group 4. Original Cheerios are closer to the plain end of the cereal aisle. Flavored Cheerios have their own, longer labels, so check the box you buy.

Why Cheerios score 60, not higher

The Truvi score (our method) combines three parts of the label: processing, nutrition and how easy the food is to overeat. Cheerios do well on nutrition and reasonably on processing (NOVA 3, two additive codes). They lose most points on the overeating part: 3.6 calories per gram, mostly from starch, with salt added.

The cereals that score higher below are all NOVA 1, mostly plain oats and grains. If you want the convenience of Cheerios with fewer of these trade-offs, plain oats are the simple swap.

Breakfast cereals that score higher

These five score higher on the same scale. All five are NOVA 1, the least processed group, and most are plain oats or plain grains.

• 

  Giant Giant, Puffed Wheat

  Plain puffed wheat. Per 17 g serving: 60 calories, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber and no sugar.

  NOVA 1 · Reported at Delhaize · Photo: openfoodfacts-contributors, CC BY-SA 3.0

  96Excellent

• 

  Nature's Path Original Regenerative Instant Hot Oatmeal Imp

  Nature's Path Original instant oatmeal. Per 50 g serving: 190 calories, 8 g protein, 6 g fiber and 1 g sugar.

  NOVA 1 · Photo: macrofactor, CC BY-SA 3.0

  94Excellent

• 

  Van Zoelen Muesli Met Rozijnen

  A Dutch oat and raisin muesli, NOVA 1. It is sold mainly in Europe, so it may be hard to find in US stores.

  NOVA 1 · Photo: leander, CC BY-SA 3.0

  88Excellent

• 

  Avelina Raisins & Almonds Instant Oatmeal

  Instant oatmeal with raisins and almonds, NOVA 1.

  NOVA 1 · Photo: kiliweb, CC BY-SA 3.0

  88Excellent

• 

  good and gather Quick Oats

  Store-brand quick oats. Per 40 g serving: 150 calories, 5 g protein, 4 g fiber and no sugar.

  NOVA 1 · Photo: kiliweb, CC BY-SA 3.0

  85Excellent

Full ingredient list and nutrition

Whole Grain Oats, Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness.Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Iron and Zinc (mineral nutrients), Vitamin C (sodium ascorbate), A B Vitamin (niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride), Vitamin A (palmitate), Vitamin B1 (thiamin mononitrate), A B Vitamin (folic acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.

Questions people ask