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The Healthiest Cereal Choices to Help You Live Longer

The Healthiest Cereal Choices to Help You Live Longer

By Rachael Schultz

Eating enough whole grains and cereal fibers may reduce your risk of early death, a Harvard study shows. Stock up on 10 healthy breakfast brands

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The Health Benefit of Cereal

Corbis Images

Good news for cereal eaters: eating enough whole grains and cereal fibers may reduce your risk of early death, mostly due to illnesses like diabetes, cancer, and respiratory disease, reports a new study in BMC Medicine. The ideal number? A woman eating 1,800 calories should aim for about 53 grams of whole grains a day, according to the study.

But don’t start filling your cart with every box on the shelf. The emphasis here is on whole—grains without the word listed in front have been processed and lost most of their disease-fighting nutrients. Plus most varieties are covered in sugar, defeating the purpose of a healthy breakfast.

The 10 cereals we rounded up, though, are not only made from whole grains but have low enough sugar levels to keep your morning bowl a disease-fighting dish.

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General Mills Cheerios

General Mills

Not all cereals from your childhood are bad: These o’s are actually from whole grain oats. There is added sugar, but it only weighs in at one gram a bowl. Eat up!

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Kashi Honey Puffs

Kashi

Made from whole wheat, rice, oats, barley, rye, and buckwheat, this cereal is packed with almost half of your daily-recommended servings of whole grains.

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18 Rabbits Felicitas Granola

18 Rabbits

This whole rolled oats-based granola is nut-free and sweetened with maple syrup, Bing cherries, and vanilla.

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General Mills Fiber One

General Mills

Not only is this cereal made from whole grain wheat, but it also offers over half your daily fiber recommendation. Plus, it has zero grams of sugar.

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Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal, Golden Flax

Ezekiel

One of the least processed cereals on this list, this cereal packs a number of whole grains, from sprouted wheat to sprouted lentils. Plus, it has eight grams of protein and no sugar.

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Post Grape Nuts

Post

It may be a classic, but Grape Nuts’ are made from whole grain wheat flour, and a single bowl doesn’t overload you with sugar like most other cereals.

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Kellogg Special K Protein

Kellogg

Not only is Special K a great source of whole grains, but this bowl also boasts 10 grams of protein—without even factoring in the milk.

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Nature’s Path Millet Rice

Nature’s Path

This array of whole grains (including oats, brown rice, and millet) is sweetened with fruit juice for a little more deliciousness.

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Alpen No Sugar Added

Alpen

This muesli is packed with whole wheat and rolled oats, then topped with raisins and nuts for a sweet-and-crunchy healthy finish.

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Cascadian Farm Hearty Morning

Cascadian Farm

With whole grain wheat flakes, granola clusters made from whole grain oats, and crunchy bran, this cereal is a bowl full of fiber and whole grains.

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