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25 foods graded

Cereals Tier List

Fiber and whole grains do the heavy lifting; sugar is the tax. The cartoon mascots are not scored, unfortunately for them.

SS tier · 3 foods

Fiber One (Original)

Sawdust chic — 45% fiber by weight.

225 kcal7.5g protein#1

All-Bran (Original)

Maximum bran, minimum fun.

301 kcal12.5g protein#2

Cheerios

The plain O’s — whole grain doing its best.

357 kcal14.3g protein#3

AA tier · 5 foods

Frosted Mini-Wheats

Whole wheat in a sugar jacket.

353 kcal8g protein#4

Wheaties

Breakfast of champions, 1960s edition.

333 kcal8.3g protein#5

Cream of Wheat (Instant Whole Grain)

Warm porridge, old-school comfort.

333 kcal13.3g protein#6

Honey Nut Cheerios

Cheerios with a honey-sugar upgrade.

378 kcal8.1g protein#7

Kashi Go (Original)

Protein-first cereal for the virtuous.

348 kcal19.2g protein#8

BB tier · 7 foods

Life (Original Multigrain)

The cereal Mikey likes.

375 kcal9.8g protein#9

Shredded Wheat (Post)

The edible Brillo pad — respect.

347 kcal12.2g protein#10

Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Cinnamon sugar squares — the taste you can see.

415 kcal4.9g protein#11

Cocoa Puffs

Chocolate for breakfast, no apologies.

389 kcal5.6g protein#12

Lucky Charms

Marshmallows with an oat alibi.

389 kcal8.3g protein#13

Reese's Puffs

Candy bar meets cereal bowl.

414 kcal7.1g protein#14

Golden Grahams

Graham crackers that skipped the s'more.

375 kcal5g protein#15

CC tier · 6 foods

Raisin Bran

Bran flakes hiding under raisins.

325 kcal7.9g protein#16

Oats

Beta-glucan fiber that actually moves cholesterol numbers. The breakfast default for a reason.

71 kcal2.5g protein#17

Froot Loops

Fruit-flavored the way crayons are fruit.

374 kcal5.7g protein#18

Special K

Diet-culture flakes, extra protein.

38 kcal18.4g protein#19

Granola

Health food by reputation — check the sugar before you commit.

471 kcal10.1g protein#20

Frosted Flakes

Corn flakes that gave up and got frosted.

364 kcal4.3g protein#21

DD tier · 4 foods

Corn Flakes

The original bland breakfast.

362 kcal6.1g protein#22

Rice Krispies

Snap, crackle, refined rice.

387 kcal6.6g protein#23

Cocoa Krispies

Rice Krispies' chocolate phase.

381 kcal6g protein#24

Corn Pops

Popped corn glazed in sugar.

384 kcal3.8g protein#25

How the grading works: scored per 100 calories on fixed benchmarks, weighted, ranked. Read the full methodology — the formula is published, argue with it.

Questions

How are cereals scored?

Every food is scored 0–100 per 100 calories across five factors (protein, fiber, micronutrients and more depending on the category), combined with fixed weights, then ranked. The top 10% of the board earn S tier. Full methodology.

What is the healthiest cereal?

By our numbers: Fiber One (Original) — S tier, 86/100. See its full breakdown.

A note before you eat your screen: grades are computed from published nutrition data with a transparent formula. They are a starting point for thinking about food, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about your diet.