The 7 Healthiest Cereals to Eat Before Your 9 a.m. Class

(Photo Credit: Small Kitchen College)

Cereal is the optimal college breakfast food. Easy, quick, and healthful, cereals are great for low-maintenance groggy-eyed mornings before your 9 a.m. class. You do want to be sure to choose cereals that are low in sugar (that's the most important thing), and high in fiber if you can stand it. Cereal's also a good afternoon or late-night snack, especially when you've got a lot of studying on your plate. Here are the yummiest and most nourishing cereals to eat!

1. Homemade granola. By making granola yourself, you are exactly aware of the ingredients in your cereal. You can adjust the recipe to be healthier, or align it to your personal taste. It's also great to mix rich, delicious granola with a leaner cereal in the morning, in essence creating your own Honey Bunches of Oats. Check out the olive oil maple recipe on BGSK!

2. Oatmeal. As with homemade granola, you add the sweetener on top of the oatmeal, eliminating unnecessary processed sugars. I like my oatmeal with a dash of skim milk and a pinch of brown sugar. Or try it the way Phoebe's dad enjoys his breakfast: with blueberries and dried cherries.

3. Oat bran. With only a two-minute cooking time, oat bran is perfect before rushing off to class. Add some bananas and honey, and you're out the door.

4. Grits. The creamy texture of grits is perfect for cold wintery mornings. Keep your morning sugar-free by going savory: embellish with a sprinkle of cheese and a slice of butter. And, if you like your breakfast stick-to-your-ribs filling, a fried egg.

5. Whole grain cereals.If you prefer cold cereal, stick to whole grains that are more filling, healthier, and give you more energy than their over-processed surgar-laden alternatives. One-ingredient whole grain cereals (shredded wheat, puffed wheat, oatmeal) usually do not contain refined grains. Kashi, Healthy Choice, Grape Nuts, Puffins (pictured) and Cheerios are all great whole grain options. Watch your serving size!

6. Bran. Another great cold cereal option are bran cereals packed with fiber, Vitamin B, and iron. Try Raisin Bran, Multi-Bran Chex, or Cracklin' Oat Bran.

7. Wheat Berries. Wheat berries great because of their versatility; tasty for breakfast, or as a side salad for lunch or dinner. Try adding some chopped cranberries, walnuts, and maple syrup. Whip up a big batch in the morning and save the rest for dinner.

&mdash Emma Hazen for Small Kitchen College

Emma Hazen attends the Gallatin School of Individualized Study at New York University hailing from California. Read more...

 

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Comments

[Ellamenta]

01:42 PM on 09/26/2011

"Grits, which are uniform fragments of kernels of corn that have had both the bran and the germ removed, are significantly less nutritious than some other cereals, like oatmeal." New York Times
"Grits do not provide a high quantity of protein, but each serving contains 1.4 g per serving."
http://www.livestrong.com/article/402789-are-grits-healthy-to-eat/#ixzz1Z555bnO7
Oatmeal, in contrast, provides 5 g of protein per serving.
A serving of grits provides 2 g fiber, while a serving of oatmeal supplies 3 g.

Finally, grits are generally served with butter, adding fat, but no other significant nutrients, while other cereals are served with milk.
I stand by my position.

[frank day]

10:58 PM on 09/26/2011

I grew up eating grits every day.

Compared to what kids eat now I was very lucky.

You don't know what you're talking about.

[RCrown2]

11:58 PM on 09/24/2011

Some of these are ok suggestions. But, as much as I like Puffins, only their Honey Rice is whole grain, and all of the Bran cereals listed have more ingredients than needed in a cereal. Stick to making your own (this goes for almost all foods) and you are usually better off.

[hector74elp]

03:13 PM on 09/24/2011

Oatmeal!!! Great thing about oatmeal - it freezes well. Simple to make: steel cut oats, dried fruit, ground flax seeds, skim evap milk.

[Christine Casabar]

03:24 PM on 09/23/2011

Muesli is the best.

[Demarcus Jackson]

08:26 PM on 09/21/2011

I live by oatmeal.

I eat mine with a little 2% milk and a pinch of cinnamon, brown-sugar and nutmeg :-)

[GraceNotes]

02:30 PM on 09/21/2011

Grits are also known for soaking up liquids. Making them the perfect little meal to have before a night of imbibing.

[Jonathan Gallo]

01:00 PM on 09/21/2011

I have Puffin's Peanutbutter It is like crack! So addicting!

[Ellamenta]

12:26 PM on 09/21/2011

I'm sorry--but there is absolutely no data supporting this set of selections. It is just the personal opinion of the blogger. How can they be labeled "healthiest"? What about Special K Protein Plus, for example? I know it is from a major manufacturer, and that is a no-no for many health mavens, but if you look at the nutritional information, it puts most of these selections in the shade. And how does grits get on anyone's "healthiest" list? I am a Southerner and love my grits, but no way is it healthy.

[emmashaze]

11:40 AM on 09/26/2011

I'm sorry, where is your "data" supporting your anti-grits crusade? Of course this is my personal opinion--isn't that the nature of a blog post? I am not a nutritionist. I am a college student. Personally, for this article I didn't want to recommend boring, gross-tasting diet cereals marketed by corporations as "healthy" such as Special K. I wanted to recommend cereals that my college peers may not have thought to eat for breakfast. I wanted to offer some alternatives to the usual cereals that line the dining halls: Capn' Crunch, Frosted Flakes, Lucky Charms, etc. What do you even mean by healthy? It's a relative term. For your information, 1 cup of grits in water is 143 calories. It's a good source of carbohydrates to keep you going the rest of your day. Grits are low in fat, sugar, and sodium. Grits are also a good source of iron, niacin, riboflavin, selenium, thiamin and vitamin A.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_5272476_grits-nutritional-value.html
http://www.livestrong.com/article/402789-are-grits-healthy-to-eat/

[Matt Blanc]

11:20 AM on 09/21/2011

Cracklin Oat Bran! A health food? It's loaded with sugar, and was so sweet we used to eat it like cookies. Delicious but I wouldn't put it on this list.