People with diabetes, especially youth, are a growing health concern. There are several great cereal options for people with diabetes. It’s not simply about being sugar-free, but fiber content is also a critically important factor for blood sugar and healthy eating.
Dietary fiber helps regulate blood sugar levels by improving control over blood glucose levels and thus maintaining a low glycemic index. This is one of the cerealverse’s superpowers. A facade that blends in with all others in the cereal aisle, but the ability to leap…well, you get it.
These are our favorite Clark Kent’s of the cerealverse. What are yours?
Sections
Diabetic Kitchen – Cinnamon Pecan Granola Cereal with No Added Sugar
A cereal with cinnamon and nuts, does it get better than that? Not all cereals with that pairing are sugar-free. But, Diabetic Kitchen has made it their life’s goal for people with diabetes to eat cereal free of everything except taste.
It’s among the few breakfast cereal options for a low-carb diet that is also a stand-alone hero among low sugar cereals. This is a completely pure cereal that will keep both your taste buds and blood sugar happy.
General Mills – Cheerios
A real OG (Original Giant) of the cerealverse. Cheerios not only taste great but have stood the test of time because almost everyone can enjoy them, including people with diabetes. A cup serving of Cheerios with half a banana and milk is 41 grams of carbs. Swap in unsweetened almond milk, and it’s even better.
HighKey – Zero Sugar Chocolate Cereal
Specifically designed for people who have to live with daily concerns regarding their blood glucose levels. To manage diabetes, people think they need to sacrifice flavor for safety. Well, HighKey’s mission has ended that. With only a single gram of sugar and 10 grams of protein, this is the go-to cereal if you are missing the taste of the other puffed rice giants.
Post – Grape-nuts
This cereal is listed on virtually every list of approved foods for blood sugar issues. It’s whole grains with low net carbs. The cereal has no added sugar and is high in both fiber and protein. And it can be eaten as a cold or hot cereal. In fact, when heated many say it’s better than instant oatmeal.
Barbara’s Bakery – Puffins Cereal, Honey Rice
Barbara’s is a big favorite among people who live with daily monitoring of blood sugar levels. As far as whole-grain cereals go, this is sort of a revolutionary take on an old idea.
This is a whole food breakfast cereal that everyone can enjoy. Well, almost anyone. It is whole grain wheat bran, so it’s not Keto-friendly, but it is vegan, kosher, and diabetic friendly. Add in some fresh fruit, and it’s as good as whole-grain toast with freshly made jam.
Diabetic Kitchen – Cinnamon Pecan Granola Cereal
Their name says it all. But it’s the taste that gets them on the list. The only negative you could have with this cereal is the lack of healthy fat. But, as far as a quality healthy nut mix goes, you won’t do much better. Added bonus, you can blend this into the most incredible nut butter you’ve ever had and turn your morning meal into a reason to get out of bed in the morning.
NuTrail™ – Keto Vanilla Strawberry Nut Granola Cereal
This cereal is so new that many may not have heard about it till now. With that said, those in the know love it so much that the company has had to limit this cereal to 1 box per order.
This is called the best cereal for clean eating. There are no artificial sweeteners here. Only dried fruit and chopped nuts. This is not one of those processed cereals, nor is it whole grains. It’s eating cereal from the bag, not a bowl.
Kellogg’s – Special K
Speaking of cerealverse OGs, is there a bigger one?
Kellogg’s Special K has marketed itself as a healthy breakfast cereal option from day 1. Rice cereals such as Special K do affect blood sugar levels, but less than other cereals, like muesli. It has only 5 grams of sugar, but there it is also virtually fiber-free. But, it does have 7 grams of protein and is basically fat-free.
On the glycemic index, Special K ranks 69 with a glycemic load of 14. So, diabetics need to decide for themselves, but some should be able to enjoy the occasional bowl of this classic cereal.
Arrowhead Mills – Organic Oat Bran Flakes
The American Diabetes Association recommends oats over rice and bran cereals as the best breakfast cereal. With that in mind, it may be difficult to beat this option. Arrowhead Mills didn’t actually create this cereal to be a great option for blood sugar issues, it sort of just worked out that way.
Diabetic Kitchen – Almond Butter Granola Cereal
If you need to watch your blood sugar and love almonds, this is definitely for you. This is a do it all type of cereal. Eat it directly out of the bag, use it as a topping, or add some almond milk for a true almond lover’s delight.
Post – Bran Flakes
Wow, the OGs are coming out for this list. Post Bran Flakes is high in fiber and low in sugar, and in the low to moderate range of the glycemic index, so this is a good cereal and a healthy option that the entire family can eat together for breakfast.
Love Grown – Original Power O’s
How about a bowl of toasted rice and bean cereal? Trust us; it tastes better than that sounds. The beans are simply a plant-based source of protein. It’s the rice that keeps this bowl of cereal together. Almost completely sugar-free, the single gram of sugar is natural, not added. Yea, it’s basically rice and beans the American way.
Kellogg’s – All-Bran Flakes
A king of whole grains, Kellogg’s All-Bran Flakes is a big favorite among the diabetic community. It tends to simply have more flavor and substance. While at the same time, it’s a great neutral palette to have fun with; add fruits, nuts, or various kinds of milk like almond milk. It really elevates the bowl to a new dimension while still maintaining its healthy status.
Quaker – Crunchy Corn Bran
Quaker is best known for oats, but they are actually an expert in all whole grains. This cereal is a good example of that. It’s a simple cereal taken to new levels, not to mention sweetness. Some cereal lovers will argue that this could be the most underrated cereal of all time. Others will say Quaker should have stuck to oatmeal. Where do you stand?
FAQs
Is Shredded Wheat cereal good for diabetics?
Diabetic is a general term, but in reality, some people with diabetes can handle carbohydrates (and especially sugars) better than others. For those who can digest and handle carbs better, then Shredded Wheat is a good cereal choice. For a cereal, it’s relatively low in sugar and is a good source of fiber.
What cereal has the least amount of sugar?
One of the best sugar-free cereals would be General Mills Fiber 1. Fiber 1 has no sugar at all and is very high in fiber; 15 grams of dietary fiber per serving. So, whether you’re a diabetic or simply cutting sugar out of your diet, this is a good cereal option.
What kind of cold cereal can a diabetic eat?
For people with diabetes, when it comes to which breakfast cereals are the best ones to eat, it comes down to digestibility and sugar. Cereals that are very low to having no sugar are good, and the higher the fiber content, the better. High fiber and low to no sugar is the best ratio to look for.
What cereals should diabetics avoid?
As with all food in general, the unhealthier a food is, it also tends to be a bad choice for people who suffer from diabetes. Obviously, you would want to avoid sugary cereals. Cereals with a high glycemic index. As well as avoiding cereals with refined grains, at least when listed among the top or primary ingredients.
Final Thoughts
Sugar in cereal takes far more forms than simple table sugar. It can be maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or even fruit juice concentrates. But the effects are the same for people’s blood sugars.
So, we believe having a list of the best cereal for diabetics is important. But, what do you think about our list?