Eating cereal for dinner may be a quick fix for evening hunger pangs after a long day at work, but that mound of flakes probably raises the question: Is this “bad” for me? After all, if you’re reaching for the sweet stuff—Fruity Pebbles or Lucky Charms still hit, right?!— you may worry your bowl leaves a lot to be desired in terms of nutritional value.
But good news for those nights when you can’t be bothered to fire up the oven or UberEats: Experts say cereal isn’t necessarily lacking in this regard. In fact, a bowl can contain “a lot of vitamins and minerals because it is fortified,” Jasmine Hormati, MS, RD, a certified intuitive eating counselor and the founder of the New York City–based practice Mendinground Nutrition, tells SELF. “Depending on the type you get,” she adds, “it can have a significant amount of fiber in it,” even.
Consider our preconceived notions challenged. Still, eating a bowl of cereal (or two, or three) can’t possibly be an ideal choice of evening meal, can it? With this question in mind, we dug in.
First thing to keep in mind: Eating cereal is better than eating nothing at all. Given the choice between skipping dinner and having a bowl of Trix, definitely have the Trix, according to Hormati. Making dinner can be daunting when you’re tired and low on energy, so that box of Raisin Bran or Rice Krispies can really come in handy on days that leave you drained. Cereal is “a simple meal that doesn’t involve a lot of planning, cooking, and cleaning,” Hormati says. What’s more, she adds, cereal “also isn’t expensive and it’s shelf-stable, so it’s easy to have it stocked in the kitchen.” Low-effort, cheap, and durable? Say no more.
Besides, like we mentioned above, cereal can actually be surprisingly nutritious. Even stereotypically “bad” (sugary) options like Cocoa Puffs and Cinnamon Toast Crunch often bring something to the table. In lots of cases, for instance, they “are still going to be fortified with B vitamins, even folic acid,” Emily Van Eck, MS, RDN, an Austin-based dietitian nutritionist, tells SELF. And that’s important, since B vitamins serve a bunch of critical functions, like forming red blood cells and helping your body process food for energy.
Of course, that’s not to say that breakfast cereals don’t have any nutritional downsides. Many cereals are ultraprocessed, meaning they are highly manipulated before they hit shelves. This doesn’t make them inherently unhealthy, but a common additive—extra sugar—might not be doing your body any favors. The problem: Taking in too much added sugar can increase your risk for a host of health problems, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease. That’s why the CDC recommends only 10% of your daily total calories come from it.
Unfortunately, the vast majority of breakfast cereals are pretty packed. In an analysis of 262 breakfast cereals published in the journal Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada in 2017, researchers found that only 19 (7%) were sugar-free, and nearly half of the cereals analyzed contained two to three types of sugar. What’s more, many cereals, especially those made with white flour and other refined grains, don’t offer a good balance of the three major macros: carbs, protein, and fats. While they are high in simple carbs, they tend to be lower in protein, fiber, and other essential nutrients as well.
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