11 Cereals That Will Ruin Your Health
Breakfast might set the tone for your day, but not every cereal in your cupboard is doing you any favors. A lot of the popular ones are loaded with sugar, artificial stuff, and not much real nutrition.
They may taste great and stir up some childhood nostalgia, but without knowing it, you could be starting your day in a way that works against your health goals.
1. Froot Loops: Rainbow of Regret
The vibrant, multicolored rings might brighten your morning bowl, but they’re doing nothing for your health. These fruity-looking loops contain virtually no actual fruit – just a mountain of sugar and artificial dyes.
My kids beg for these at the grocery store, mesmerized by the colorful toucan on the box. I finally let them try some last year, and they bounced off the walls all afternoon!
One serving packs nearly 12 grams of sugar with minimal fiber or nutrition.
2. Honey Smacks: Sugar Smackdown
Don’t let the honey in the name fool you. This cereal delivers a whopping 18 grams of sugar per serving – one of the highest sugar contents among mainstream cereals. The puffed wheat provides little nutritional value.
Even more concerning, these golden puffs contain hydrogenated oils, artificial flavors, and BHT, a controversial preservative.
That sweet taste comes at a steep price for your body, potentially contributing to inflammation and blood sugar spikes.
3. Lucky Charms: Magically Malicious
Those colorful marshmallow charms might be magically delicious, but they’re maliciously unhealthy. The cereal contains artificial dyes linked to hyperactivity in children and a concerning ingredient list full of processed additives.
Growing up, Saturday mornings meant Lucky Charms and cartoons at my grandmother’s house. I’d pick out all the marshmallows first, leaving the boring oat pieces for last.
Now I understand why my mother limited these special treats to grandma’s house – they’re essentially dessert masquerading as breakfast!
4. Cinnamon Toast Crunch: Dessert in Disguise
The cinnamon-sugar coating that makes these squares so irresistible is exactly what makes them problematic. Each serving contains 12 grams of sugar and refined flour that spikes blood sugar levels faster than you can say “cinnamon swirl.”
The cereal also contains BHT, a preservative that some studies suggest may have potential health concerns. Despite the “whole grain” marketing claims, the minimal fiber content (2g) doesn’t offset the sugar rush your body experiences.
5. Frosted Flakes: Tony’s Sugar Trap
They’re gr-r-reatly problematic for your health! Despite the iconic tiger’s enthusiastic endorsement, these cornflakes are coated with a shocking amount of sugar – 13 grams per serving before you even add more sugar to the milk.
I still remember the sugar crystals crunching between my teeth as a kid, leaving that sweet film on the roof of my mouth.
The minimal fiber (around 1 gram) means you’ll likely be hungry again long before lunch, creating a cycle of cravings and crashes.
6. Apple Jacks: Fruity Fakery
Despite the apple in the name and the pictures of fruit on the box, you won’t find much actual apples in these colorful O’s. What you will find is a hefty dose of sugar (12g per serving) and artificial food dyes like Red 40 and Blue 1.
The cereal contains minimal fiber and virtually no nutritional benefits from real apples. Instead, it relies on “apple juice concentrate” far down the ingredient list, after all the sugar and artificial ingredients have made their appearance.
7. Reese’s Puffs: Candy for Breakfast
When your cereal shares a name with a candy, that should be your first red flag. These chocolate and peanut butter puffs don’t even pretend to be healthy – they’re literally candy in cereal form. Each serving contains 13 grams of sugar and a laundry list of artificial ingredients.
My nephew once asked why he couldn’t have Reese’s cups for breakfast, but could have Reese’s Puffs. Honestly, I couldn’t come up with a logical answer – they’re nutritionally quite similar!
8. Cap’n Crunch: Mouth-Scraping Mayhem
Beyond the notorious roof-of-mouth scraping texture, this cereal harbors a boatload of health concerns. With 12 grams of sugar per serving and yellow dye #5 and #6, the Cap’n’s treasures are better left buried.
The corn and oat concoction provides minimal nutritional benefits, while the high sugar content could contribute to health issues.
Even the “Crunch Berries” version contains zero actual berries – just more artificially colored sugar bombs that leave your milk looking like a chemistry experiment.
9. Cocoa Puffs: Chocolate Chaos
The cuckoo bird isn’t the only crazy thing about this cereal. These chocolate bombs contain 13 grams of sugar per serving, with ingredients like corn syrup, canola oil, and artificial flavors making up the chocolatey coating.
I once thought the chocolate milk left behind was a delightful bonus. Now I realize it’s just evidence of all the sugar and artificial colors washing off into your bowl!
The minimal fiber content (1g) means this breakfast won’t keep hunger at bay for long.
10. Fruity Pebbles: Stone Age Sugar Rush
Fred Flintstone wouldn’t recognize the ingredient list in his namesake cereal. These colorful rice crisps contain six different artificial dyes and 12 grams of sugar per serving – that’s 3 teaspoons in one small bowl!
The vibrant colors might look fun, but they come from controversial dyes like Yellow 6 and Red 40. Rice, the main ingredient, is so processed that it offers minimal nutritional value, making this cereal essentially colored sugar with a side of refined carbs.
11. Trix: Not Just for Kids, Not Good for Anyone
The silly rabbit should be trying to protect kids from this cereal, not get his paws on it. These colorful puffs contain artificial dyes linked to attention issues in children and 12 grams of sugar per serving.
When my daughter had a sleepover, I let the girls pick any cereal they wanted as a special treat. They chose Trix and were bouncing off the walls an hour later, then crashing hard mid-morning.
The minimal fiber and protein mean this cereal offers little nutritional value beyond a quick sugar high.