20 Cereals With High Dietary Fiber (Dietitian Picks!)
If you want a cereal that will actually keep you full then you want a cereal that has fiber in it. Here is a dietitians list of 20 cereals with high dietary fiber that will help you hit your fiber goals and keep you full all morning long!
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the cereal aisle of the grocery store? With so many options to choose from, it can feel impossible to find a healthy cereal that will nourish your body and actually keep you full.
Hey, I’m Lauren, I’m a dietitian on a mission to make heathy eating feel easy and doable for you and I’m here to help you with your cereal dilemma. While there are a few different nutrients I would look at when choosing a cereal that will keep me full, one of the most important nutrients you want in your cereal is fiber.
Cereals can range from 0 grams of fiber to 20+ grams of fiber, which makes a big difference in how long they will keep you full AND their impact on your overall health. Instead of having you pick your way through cereal food labels, I made it easy for you and have rounded up 20 cereals high in fiber and then separated that list into two categories: high fiber cereals with low added sugar and other high fiber cereals (that are a bit higher in added sugar). This way, you can pick the cereal that works best for you, your family, and your tastebuds!
What is Dietary Fiber?
Everyone talks about eating more fiber but do you know what fiber is? Let’s start here!
Dietary fiber is a type of carbohydrate found in many different plant foods like grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and legumes. Animal proteins do not contain fiber and fiber provides very little energy (or calories) to the body because we actually cannot digest it!
There are actually many different types of fiber and, while our body cannot digest it, fiber has been shown to have many positive impacts on our health including:
and more!
Multiple health organizations including the CDC, American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and others all recommend including fiber in your diet. If anyone has ever told you not to eat fiber, walk away because we have tons of research showing its value in a healthy diet.
How much fiber should I be eating?
Great question, because most people aren’t eating enough! Generally speaking, the broad recommendation is to include at least 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories that you eat. So if you are eating a 2,000 calorie diet then you would want at least 28 grams of fiber in your day.
The American Heart Association recommends eating at least 25 to 30 grams of fiber per day from food. More specifically, the recommendation is:
Currently, the average American is only eating about 10-15 grams of fiber per day… much lower than the recommendation. There are many reasons why our fiber intake has decreased included high intake of refined carbohydrates, low intake of fruits and vegetables, and an increasing popularity in low carbohydrate diets which can remove many high fiber foods from your plate.
As clearly stated above, including fiber in your diet can have alot of health benefits and many Americans need to work towards including more fiber on their plate. Two easy ways to eat more fiber include:
Make sure you are eating enough carbohydrates and ensure you are getting those carbohydrates from healthy and colorful sources like whole grains, fruits, and even vegetables. The more colorful your diet is, generally the more fiber you are eating.
You can also use the food label to your advantage to make sure you are picking fiber rich grains and high fiber packed options, which is where this list of high fiber cereals will come in handy.
Tips to pick a high fiber cereal:
I already rounded up a list of cereals high in dietary fiber but this is by no means an exhaustive list and it would be good for you to have tools in your toolbox to help you choose a high fiber cereal on your own!
Here are 3 food label reading tips that will help you pick a higher fiber cereal:
Have at least 1 gram of fiber for every 10 grams of total carbohydrates: For example, if your cereal has 40 grams of carbohydrates then you would want at least 4 grams of fiber. If you cereal has 20 grams of carbohydrates, then you would want at least 2 grams of carbohydrates. This helps ensure that the carbohydrates in your cereal are higher in fiber content and will digest slower, keeping you fuller for longer.
Use the Daily Value %: This is that percentage number you see on the very right hand side of the label. I like to pick a cereal that is at minimum a '“good source of fiber” which means it provides between 10-20% of your daily value for fiber. Ideally, I like to pick a cereal that is an “excellent source of fiber” which means it provides 20% or more of your daily fiber needs. An easy label reading hack that will save you time!
Read the ingredients: More specifically, what is the first word listed in the ingredients panel? You want to see words like “whole wheat” or “whole grain” as these mean the entire grain kernel is included in that cereal and these cereals will be higher in fiber than other more refined cereals.
20 Cereals High In Dietary Fiber
1) High fiber cereals that are low in added sugar:
These cereals are high in fiber and have an added sugar content of <6 grams per serving.
2) Other high fiber cereals
While this list of high fiber cereals is slightly higher in added sugar, these cereals are still excellent sources of dietary fiber and could be sweeter options that your family would enjoy.
And there you have 20 cereals high in dietary fiber that will keep you full throughout the morning and help you reach your fiber goals for the day. From cereals that are lower in added sugar, a little bit sweeter, organic and non-organic, there really is a high fiber cereal for everybody!
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Disclaimer: Please note that I am a registered dietitian but I am not YOUR registered dietitian. This information is meant to be educational and should not be used as personalized medical or nutrition advice. This blog may contain affiliate links and any purchase made through my links gives me a small commission and supports Lauren Twigge Nutrition. Recipe round ups may also feature links to other content creators.
Hey! I’m Lauren
I’m a registered dietitian and my goal is to give you tips and tricks to make healthy eating fun, easy, and even delicious!