High Fiber Cereal Ultimate Guide
High fiber cereal provides a great option for athletes to meet their daily fiber needs, especially when they’re looking for a nutritious and filling breakfast before a training, competition or game.
Whether a high fiber cereal is eaten for a meal or healthy snacks, the high fiber content in breakfast cereals slows digestion and helps blood sugar stay steady, providing sustained energy.
Because there are a variety of options available from hot cereals to granola to crunchy flakes, athletes can find a cereal that is high in fiber that meets their nutrition needs and tastes good.
Before you head to the grocery store, read below to learn more about the best high fiber cereal options for athletes and how to incorporate cereals that are high in fiber into meals and snacks.
What are the benefits of high fiber cereals?
Overall, fiber has many important health benefits for athletes from improving general health to disease prevention to impacting performance.
Fiber plays a huge role in supporting digestive health, promoting regular bowel movements and preventing the discomfort and bloating that can sometimes occur during intense exercise.
Benefits of high fiber cereals include: improved gut health, increased satiety, steady blood sugar and sustained energy.
Research shows that those who eat breakfast cereals are more likely to have diets higher in vitamins and minerals. (1) Also, fiber has been shown to have an impact on calcium and bone health. (2)
Emerging research also suggests that consuming fiber rich diets can increase the diversity of the gut microbiome in athletes, and that the gut microbiome is connected to performance outcomes in athletes. (2)
Additionally, the microbiome has a role in preventing inflammation which can directly impact athletic performance.
Types of fiber found in high fiber cereal
High fiber cereal contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, and both have a number of health benefits..
Soluble fiber, like oat bran, dissolves in water and forms a gel like substance that slows digestion. Research shows that soluble fiber can help lower blood cholesterol and and help your body regulate its use of blood sugar. (3)
Insoluble fibers do not dissolve in water. These are found in plant foods and it’s what gives plants structure. Some people call insoluble fiber “nature’s broom” because it doesn’t absorb water and helps move food through your system.
How much fiber should an athlete eat?
Generally, the amount of fiber an athlete eats depends on the number of calories you eat each day. The US Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends about 14 grams per 1000 calories. (4)
Therefore, athletes requirements will be higher as they require more calories to fuel for sport.
However athletes and the general population only eat about 15 grams per day, about half of the recommended amounts of fiber. (5)
General recommendations for daily fiber intake
Age (years) | Fiber Recommendations (grams/day) | |
Men | Women | |
4-8 | 25 g | 25 g |
9-13 | 31 g | 26 g |
14-18 | 38 g | 26 g |
19-30 | 38 g | 25 g |
31-50 | 38 g | 25 g |
51-70 | 21 g | 30 g |
What cereals have the most fiber?
Cereals with the most fiber will be those that list whole grains as their first ingredients.
Look for these words for cereal that is high in fiber
- Whole grains
- Oats
- Millet
- Spelt
- Quinoa
- Whole wheat
- Wheat bran
- Amaranth
- Rice bran
- Corn bran
- Buckwheat
The ultimate list of 50 high fiber cereals
The following list contains cereals that are high in fiber. However, use this as a guide in combination with the serving size and calorie information to make the best choice for adding more fiber in your diet.
Cereal | Fiber (g/serving) | Serving Size | Sugar (g/serving) | Calories (per serving) |
---|---|---|---|---|
All-Bran Bran Buds | 17 g | 1/2 cup | 12 g | 110 |
Fiber One Original | 17 g | 2/3 cup | 0 g | 90 |
Kashi GO® Cereal Original | 13 g | 1 1/4 cup | 8 g | 180 |
Kashi GO® Lean Original | 12 g | 1 1/4 cup | 8 g | 200 |
Uncle Sam Original | 10 g | 3/4 cup | <1 g | 220 |
Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal | 9 g | 2/3 cup | 5 g | 80 |
Kashi GO® Crunch | 9 g | 3/4 cup | 13 g | 190 |
Nature’s Path Organic Optimum Power | 9 g | 1 cup | 9 g | 210 |
General Mills Whole Wheat Chex | 8 g | 1 cup | 6 g | 210 |
Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size | 8 g | 1 1/3 cup | 0 g | 210 |
Kashi GO® Honey Almond Flax Crunch | 8 g | 3/4 cup | 12 g | 200 |
Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Multibran Flakes | 7 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 150 |
Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes | 7 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 160 |
Post Grape-Nuts | 7 g | 1/2 cup | 5 g | 200 |
Kellogg’s Raisin Bran | 7 g | 1 cup | 17 g | 190 |
Barbara’s Shredded Wheat | 7 g | 2 biscuits | 0 g | 170 |
Kashi Heart to Heart Honey Toasted Oat | 6 g | 1 cup | 7 g | 150 |
Kellogg’s Frosted Mini-Wheats | 6 g | 25 biscuits | 12 g | 210 |
Barbara’s Original Puffins | 6 g | 1 cup | 6 g | 130 |
Barbara’s Morning Oat Crunch | 6 g | 1 1/4 cup | 10 g | 210 |
Kirkland Signature Nature’s Path Organic Ancient Grains with Almonds | 6 g | 3/4 cup | 9 g | 250 |
Bob’s Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal | 6 g | 1/4 cup (dry) | 0 g | 150 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Oat Bran Flakes | 6 g | 1 cup | 6 g | 170 |
Kashi Heart to Heart Warm Cinnamon Oat | 5 g | 1 cup | 7 g | 150 |
Quaker Oatmeal Squares | 5 g | 1 cup | 9 g | 210 |
Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Pumpkin Seed granola | 5 g | 1/2 cup | 10 g | 260 |
Great Grains Banana Nut Crunch | 5 g | 1 cup | 10 g | 230 |
Barbara’s Multigrain Spoonfuls | 5 g | 1 cup | 7 g | 140 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Steel Cut Oats | 5 g | 1/3 cup | 0 g | 170 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Spelt Flakes | 5 g | 1 cup | 9 g | 190 |
Cascadian Farm Organic Harvest Berry | 5 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 220 |
Cheerios | 4 g | 1 1/4 cup | 4 g | 140 |
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs | 4 g | 1 1/2 cup | 0 g | 150 |
Bear Naked Granola, Peanut Butter | 4 g | 1/2 cup | 11 g | 260 |
KIND Healthy Grains Oats & Honey | 4 g | 1/2 cup | 11 g | 250 |
Quaker Old Fashioned Oats | 4 g | 1/2 cup (dry) | 1 g | 150 |
Cascadian Farm Organic Graham Crunch | 4 g | 1 cup | 11 g | 150 |
Barbara’s Multigrain Puffins | 4 g | 1 cup | 7 g | 130 |
KIND Healthy Grains Oats & Honey | 4 g | 1/2 cup | 11 g | 250 |
Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli | 4 g | 1/4 cup | 5 g | 140 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Amaranth Flakes | 4 g | 1 1/4 cup | 6 g | 210 |
Nature’s Path Organic Mesa Sunrise | 4 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 160 |
Nature’s Path Organic Gluten-Free Millet Rice Flakes | 4 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 160 |
Cascadian Farm Organic Simply O’s | 4 g | 1 1/2 cup | 1 g | 140 |
Annie’s™ Organic Frosted Oat Flakes Cereal | 4 g | 1 cup | 10 g | 160 |
Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Peanut Butter Panda Puffs | 3 g | 1 cup | 9 g | 170 |
Kellogg’s Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal | 3 g | 1 cup | 11 g | 150 |
Cascadian Farm Organic Cinnamon Harvest | 3 g | 1 cup | 11 g | 140 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Gluten Free Maple Buckwheat Flakes | 3 g | 1 cup | 14 g | 190 |
Honey Nut Cheerios | 3 g | 1 cup | 12 g | 140 |
What are cereals are high in fiber and low in sugar?
Generally, the best high fiber cereals are those with at least 4 grams of fiber per serving, and less than 7 g of sugar per serving.
Hot cereal, like oatmeal, and other cereals with no added sugar or sweeteners tend to be lower in overall sugar content.
Instead of choosing a high sugar cereal, pick a cereal with less sugar and top with fresh fruit to add sweetness, if needed.
Here are our top picks for cereal that is high in fiber and low in sugar
Cereal | Fiber (g/serving) | Serving Size | Sugar (g/serving) | Calories (per serving) |
---|---|---|---|---|
Barbara’s Original Puffins | 6 g | 1 cup | 6 g | 130 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Oat Bran Flakes | 6 g | 1 cup | 6 g | 170 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Amaranth Flakes | 4 g | 1 1/4 cup | 6 g | 210 |
General Mills Whole Wheat Chex | 8 g | 1 cup | 6 g | 210 |
Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal | 9 g | 2/3 cup | 5 g | 80 |
Nature’s Path Organic Flax Plus Multibran Flakes | 7 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 150 |
Nature’s Path Heritage Flakes | 7 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 160 |
Post Grape-Nuts | 7 g | 1/2 cup | 5 g | 200 |
Cascadian Farm Organic Harvest Berry | 5 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 220 |
Bob’s Red Mill Old Country Style Muesli | 4 g | 1/4 cup | 5 g | 140 |
Nature’s Path Organic Mesa Sunrise | 4 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 160 |
Nature’s Path Organic Gluten-Free Millet Rice Flakes | 4 g | 1 cup | 5 g | 160 |
Cheerios | 4 g | 1 1/4 cup | 4 g | 140 |
Quaker Old Fashioned Oats | 4 g | 1/2 cup (dry) | 1 g | 150 |
Cascadian Farm Organic Simply O’s | 4 g | 1 1/2 cup | 1 g | 140 |
Fiber One Original | 17 g | 2/3 cup | 0 g | 90 |
Post Shredded Wheat Spoon Size | 8 g | 1 1/3 cup | 0 g | 210 |
Barbara’s Shredded Wheat | 7 g | 2 biscuits | 0 g | 170 |
Bob’s Red Mill 7 Grain Hot Cereal | 6 g | 1/4 cup (dry) | 0 g | 150 |
Arrowhead Mills Organic Steel Cut Oats | 5 g | 1/3 cup | 0 g | 170 |
Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs | 4 g | 1 1/2 cup | 0 g | 150 |
Uncle Sam Original | 10 g | 3/4 cup | <1 g | 220 |
How to incorporate high fiber cereal into your diet
You can incorporate high fiber cereal into your diet in several ways. Although most often people choose to eat cereal with fiber at breakfast with milk, you can add these cereals into your diet many other ways.
Indeed, high fiber cereals can be eaten as a healthy snack or as part of another athlete meal.
If you don’t normally eat a lot of fiber, you should begin adding fiber slowly and also make sure you’re staying hydrated and drinking enough water.
Consider these other suggestions for eating more high fiber cereal
- Top your regular cereal with high fiber cereal, or mix half and half
- Sprinkle non-sweetened cereal on salads, grain bowls or casseroles
- Add into low fat greek yogurt to make a fresh berry parfait
- Eat dry cereal as a healthy snack option
- Mix with dried fruit and nuts to make a trail mix
- Stir into pancake or waffle batter for added texture and taste
- Use as a topping for ice cream or frozen yogurt
Final thoughts
Eating high fiber cereal is an excellent way for athletes to incorporate more fiber and whole grains in their diet.
Boosting your fiber, vitamins and minerals will support your journey towards optimal athletic performance.
Check out our blog post on 11 ways to add more whole grains to your soccer player diet.
Steph Magill, MS, RD, CD, FAND has over 20 years in public health and nutrition experience. As a performance nutritionist, Stephanie specializes in sports nutrition and provides simple and actionable information so that athletes can be well fueled for high performance on and off the field. Stephanie has a Master’s Degree in Nutrition and is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.