{"id":695,"date":"2023-10-02T20:09:56","date_gmt":"2023-10-02T20:09:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/s37407.p1377.sites.pressdns.com\/resources\/21-best-low-sugar-cereals-for-kids\/"},"modified":"2023-10-02T20:09:56","modified_gmt":"2023-10-02T20:09:56","slug":"21-best-low-sugar-cereals-for-kids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/21-best-low-sugar-cereals-for-kids\/","title":{"rendered":"The 13 best low-sugar cereals for kids"},"content":{"rendered":"

There’s a reason cereal is a breakfast staple. It’s quick. It’s easy. And there’s no denying its deliciousness. But due to the amount of sugar some cereals contain — particularly ones marketed toward children<\/a> — it isn’t always the best choice for them. In addition to high-sugar diets being linked to Type 2 diabetes<\/a> and cavities, too much sugar can have an impact on how kids perform at school when it’s consumed first thing in the morning. Luckily, there are options for low sugar cereals for kids that also taste good.<\/p>

“When kids consume a lot of sugar for breakfast, it reduces their ability to concentrate in class and increases irritability throughout the day, as their blood sugar spikes and then crashes,” says Lorraine Kearney, nutritionist and founder of New York City Nutrition<\/a>.  <\/p>

Does this mean you need to clear out the breakfast shelf in your pantry forever? Not necessarily. But you may want to restock it with low-sugar cereals. According to Katharine Jeffcoat, a registered dietician at Portland Pediatric & Family Nutrition<\/a>, there are four key things to look for when choosing the best cereal for kids:<\/p>

  1. Whole grains. <\/strong>“Parents should look for the first ingredient to be whole grain oats or wheat flour,” says Jeffcoat.<\/span> <\/li>
  2. Fiber. <\/strong>Cereals should have 3 grams or more of fiber per serving.<\/span> <\/li>
  3. Sugar. <\/strong>Total added sugar should be 6 grams or less per serving. <\/span> <\/li>
  4. Protein. <\/strong>Protein should be 3 grams or more per serving.  <\/span> <\/li><\/ol>

    “For children ages 6 to 8, the recommendation for total added sugar per day is under 40 grams to meet the dietary guidelines of 10% or less of added sugar,” says Jeffcoat. “I encourage parents to limit sugar at breakfast to 10 grams or less to stay at or below their child’s daily added sugar recommendation.” <\/p>

    And for younger kids (ages 2 to 5), the number is a lot lower at 25 grams per day<\/a>.  <\/p>

    Wondering about the best low-sugar cereal for kids? Here are 13 delicious options.<\/p>

    Classic low-sugar cereals<\/h2>

    1. Cheerios<\/h3>
    \"\"
    Image via Cheerios<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>

    According to Jeffcoat, regular Cheerios<\/a> are “always an excellent choice.”<\/p>