Like many of Kellogg’s long-running products, Mini-Wheats Cereal has had many alternative flavors made over the years. In fact, when it was first released in 1969, it came in two different flavors: regular and cinnamon and brown sugar flavor.
The original Frosted Mini-Wheats have stayed on breakfast shelves across America since then, and several alternative flavors have come and gone. Currently, there are 7 varieties of Mini-Wheats available: Frosted Mini-Wheats Original, Chocolate, Blueberry, Little Bites, Strawberry, Pumpkin Spice, and Cinnamon Roll.
Consumers have their favorites, but which is the most nutritious flavor? This article will break down the core 7 to find out!
Sections
Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size Cereal
Although these claim to be the original, the shredded wheat found in a packet of frosted Mini-Wheats are a lot smaller than how they appeared in 1969. Still, they retain the shredded wheat simplicity and lightly sugared taste. The whole grain wheat layers are nice and crunchy. These layers also hold a lot of the delicious flavor that is released when in contact with milk.
A standard, 60g serving of 25 biscuits features 210 calories, 12g of added sugars, and 1.5g of fat. Most importantly, this serving contains 6g of dietary fiber and 5g of protein, which are both pretty good amounts for a box of sugary cereal
Little Bites Frosted Mini-Wheats Chocolate
This flavor is one of the most popular of the Frosted Mini-Wheats breakfast cereal range – turning your milk chocolatey and creating a more appetizing flavor than the original!
Frosted Mini-Wheats Chocolate achieves this chocolate flavor by using a combination of chocolate, cocoa butter, vanilla extract, and added sugar. This combination creates a very distinct flavoring.
Although this version has more flavor, it has slightly less nutritional value than the original. A serving of this cereal contains 2g of fat, which is slightly more than the original. However, apart from that change, Chocolate Mini Wheats remain much the same. They actually feature fewer calories, with 190 per serve.
Plus, with 18mg of iron and 400mcg of folate, it has plenty of vitamins and minerals.
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Blueberry Cereal
For those who have their Frosted Mini-Wheats with fruit, Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Blueberry does the job for you. Frosted Mini-Wheats Blueberry features both natural and artificial flavors to create the Blueberry taste, however, it may not be as nutritious as putting real fruit in. To get the color, Kellogg’s put in vegetable and fruit juice.
For this reason, it cannot be compared to Kellogg’s other fruity cereals, such as Special K Blueberry, which is made with real blueberries.
A 60g serving of Blueberry features 210 calories and only 1g of fat, making it a better option for weight watchers. It also features 5g of protein and fiber, alongside 12g of added sugars.
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites
Frosted Mini-Wheats Little Bites deliver the same delicious flavor as the original, except in half the size. Despite their mini size, this version still contains 45 grams of whole grains per serving, delivering the same nutritious flavors. This grain frosted biscuit also acts as a great source of fiber and protein.
With 6g of fiber, 11g of total sugars, 5g of protein, and 47g of total carbohydrates, it’s basically only the size that’s different about this variety. So, whichever size you prefer to eat the cereal, you don’t have to worry about a change in nutrition – they’re both pretty much the same!
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Strawberry Cereal
Like most Mini-Wheat varieties to hit the shelves, the Frosted Mini-Wheats Strawberry version doesn’t actually feature any fruit and only has the flavor of strawberry. Kellogg’s achieves this distinctly sugary strawberry taste by adding natural and artificial flavors. Like the Blueberry version, it creates a strawberry appearance by adding vegetable juice to the ingredient list.
The carbohydrate number in this cereal is slightly higher than in other varieties, with 51g per serving. Besides this difference, the nutritional value remains much the same as the rest, with 210 calories, 1g of fat, 10mg of sodium, 6g of dietary fiber, 12g of added sugars, and 5g of protein.
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Pumpkin Spice Cereal
Like a lot of pumpkin-spiced products on the market, this one disappears from the shelves periodically. It tends to appear at the end of summer, and leave by the end of fall. However, with a ‘limited edition’ sticker on its box, you can expect Pumpkin Spice to fly off the shelves whenever it emerges. So, if you see it, buy it – as you might not get another chance!
This variety of the cereal creates a distinctly fall flavor by adding brown rice syrup, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and other natural flavorings. These additions do not affect the nutritious value of the product, with 210 calories, 1.5g total of total fat, 49g of carbs, 6g of dietary fiber, and 5g of protein.
Frosted Mini-Wheats Cinnamon Roll Cereal
If you like to start your day off with a cinnamon roll but would like to increase your fiber intake, then Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats Cinnamon Roll are a good choice for you! Made with real cinnamon, gelatin, soybean oil, brown rice syrup, and other natural flavorings, this variety is certainly one of the most flavorful.
Tasting authentically like a cinnamon roll from the bakery, this sugary delight surprisingly manages to meet the nutritional value standards set by the original cereal. This variety, in fact, features more dietary fiber than any other variety of the cereal, with 7g found in each 60-gram serving. This truly qualifies the cereal as a high-fiber cereal.
In addition to its high fiber content, you’ll also find 210 calories, 1g of total fat, 12g of sugar, 50g of carbs, and 5g of protein in each serving. So, while this flavor provides plenty of fiber, there is a slight increase in carbs that you need to consider.
FAQs
Does Kellogg’s still make Maple and Brown Sugar Mini-wheats?
Unfortunately Kellogg’s discontinued Maple and Brown Sugar Mini-Wheats. As of 2022, Kellogg’s has announced no plans of bringing it back, unlike some of the other limited edition flavors, such as Pumpkin Spice.
What kind of gelatin is featured in Frosted Mini-Wheats?
Kellogg’s has stated that the gelatin used in Frosted Mini-Wheats is beef-based. This same gelatin is used in a number of their products, including Rice Krispies Treats, Kellogg’s Frosted Pop-Tarts, and Kellogg’s Krave Treat Bars.
Are Frosted Mini-Wheats healthier than Raisin Bran?
All varieties of Frosted Mini-Wheats contain less sugar than Raisin Bran. In a single serving, Raisin Bran contains 17g of total sugars, while Frosted Mini-Wheats typically only feature 12g.
Given that both brands feature whole grains, they both provide a healthy amount of fiber per serving. Some varieties of Frosted Minis, contain 1g of fiber more than Raisin Bran, including Cinnamon Roll Cereal.
Conclusion
The reason Frosted Mini-Wheats are one of the most beloved brands is not just down to its sugary taste, it’s also because they’re quite nutritious! With a minimum of 5g of fiber per serving, even flavors like Cinnamon Roll offers plenty of nutrients.
Based on our comparative analysis of the main flavors, it appears that they all almost offer the same nutritional value. The standard 12g of sugar is a lot, but it’s relatively low compared to other supposed ‘health’ cereals on the market, such as Raisin Bran. Overall, all varieties of Mini-Wheat are a good source of protein and fiber, with minimal fat.