14 Breakfast Cereal Brands That Use Whole Grains

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You can find cereal stocked in 70% of American households, according to Civic Science. The majority of families who enjoy cereal admit to doing so at least once a week, and the love for this breakfast staple is present across all age groups. Still, despite their popularity, cereals often get a bad reputation from a nutritional standpoint — they traditionally contain a lot of sugar and are made with refined, heavily processed grains. But as consumers are becoming more health-conscious, the cereal industry has had to evolve. One of the biggest changes that many brands implemented was prioritizing whole grains in their products.

Refined grains remove the nutritional parts of the kernel — the germ and bran — which contain fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. What's left is the part without a high nutritional value beyond carbohydrates. In whole grains, however, the entire kernel stays intact, which means you're getting the full nutrition of the grain — that's why they are considered a vital part of a healthy diet. Consumption of whole grains has also been linked to lower risks of several serious diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, obesity, stroke, chronic inflammation, and more. Given that a daily recommended intake of whole grains is 48 grams or more, here are 14 cereal brands that can help you meet that goal.

Quaker is a company that's been in the breakfast cereals game since 1877 — the brand was even enjoyed on the Titanic! The company offers four different lines of cold cereal, all of which are made with whole grains. The brand's Cinnamon Oatmeal Squares, for example, all come with 46 grams of whole grains per serving, which nearly covers the recommended daily intake.

Civic Science data shows Cheerios is America's favorite cereal, so it's good to know that it's made from whole-grain oat flour. The amount of whole grains differs depending on the individual product in the brand's lineup, though. The original Cheerios provide 34 grams of whole grains per serving, the Fruity Cheerios come in at 21 grams per serving, and the protein-centered Cinnamon Cheerios Protein still bring in 12 grams of whole grains per serving.

The Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal has a big presence in the snacking category, and its cereals have long been a popular snack choice, particularly among the youth. It may not be as packed with whole grains as some other brands, but it still offers between 13 and 16 grams of whole grains per serving, depending on the individual flavor.

Despite being different in color, all Froot Loops actually have the same flavor, and they're all made with whole grains, too. You'll get 15 grams of whole grains per 39-gram serving from your morning bowl of Froot Loops, as well as vitamins D, C, B6, and B12. The cereal is also a good source of iron, providing 25% of the recommended daily intake.

If you've ever dreamed of making Reese's Peanut Butter Cups a permanent part of your breakfast rotation, Reese's Puffs are a good nutritional compromise. They're made with the same peanut butter that's in the Cups and the same cocoa that's in Hershey's chocolate. The puffs come with 15 grams of whole grains per serving, making them a delicious yet well-rounded choice of cereal.

Lucky Charms is another cereal that often feels like more of a snack, thanks to the addition of toasted marshmallows — and yet, the whole line is made with whole grains. The standard Lucky Charms come with 19 grams of whole grains per serving, but the winner of the brand's lineup is the Lucky Charms Minis with 22 grams per serving — almost half the recommended daily intake.

It's not just the big name brands that have incorporated whole grains into their cereals. Walmart offers a wide lineup of Great Value cereals, and many are made with whole grains — though not all, so make sure to read the label. Even those that are made with whole grains greatly differ in the content per serving. For example, the Cinnamon Oat Crunch flavor contains 24 grams of whole grains per serving, while the Bite Size Frosted Strawberry Shredded Wheat offers the complete 48 grams.

Made with whole-grain wheat as its first ingredient, the beloved Golden Grahams cereal contains 14 grams of whole grains per serving. Our taste tester ranked them among the best breakfast cereals, noting they taste just like Graham crackers. Aside from being enjoyed for breakfast, this cereal is often used as a topping for various desserts such as brownies or cakes, giving those sweet treats a little extra boost of nutrition.

Most of us have likely nibbled on Cocoa Puffs straight out of the box without any milk, but this cereal still makes a darn good, chocolate-flavored breakfast with a side of 16 grams of whole grains per serving. It also doesn't have any artificial flavors and is additionally a good source of calcium, iron, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, and D.

Chex cereals are all made with whole grains, but as with several brands on this list, the content vastly varies based on the individual flavor. The Peanut Butter Chex, for example, has only 12 grams of whole grains per serving, while the Wheat Chex has a whopping 52 grams, exceeding the recommended daily minimum.

Kellogg's Special K cereal is indeed made with whole grains, but the brand unfortunately doesn't share exactly how many grains per gram you're getting in its individual flavors. Still, whole grains are the very first ingredient in most of the brand's products, including the absolute best special K cereal flavor on store shelves, Fruit & Yogurt. This particular flavor also comes with 3 grams of fiber and 60% of the daily recommended intake of iron in a single 42-gram serving.

Those who love raisins appreciate this dried fruit's natural sweetness and chewy texture. Raisins can add a dash of extra interest to many baked goods, and they also have a place in your breakfast bowl of cereal, which is why many people choose Raisin Bran Crunch as their breakfast cereal. A single 55-gram serving also features 17 grams of whole grains, 4 grams of fiber, and real, tasty raisins.

Kashi uses whole grains in its products, but as its breakfast cereal lineup includes a wide variety of flavors, make sure to check the label to learn the exact amount. Some flavors fall in the mid-range, such as the Maple Waffle Bites with 22 grams of whole grains per serving. However, the brand also has several flavors that boast the entire daily recommended amount of whole grains, such as Cinnamon Harvest, Island Vanilla, and Berry Fruitful.

Millville is Aldi's private-brand, budget-friendly spin on the most popular name-brand cereals. Its products are made in the U.S., and many contain whole grains, although not all of them. Some of the Millville flavors that definitely have whole grains are Blueberry Frosted Shredded Wheat, Bran Flakes, and even the Honey Graham Squares, which is the best Aldi breakfast cereal in our eyes.