What’s not to love about cereal? Not only is a bowl of cereal easy to prepare, but it’s often a well-tolerated food choice during “morning sickness.” You can enjoy a bowl of cereal for breakfast or as a snack. Or even as a treat to help satisfy your sweet cravings!
Cereal gets a bad rap but can be a great food to eat during pregnancy! It’s a quick, easy, can fit in a balanced diet and, for the most part, an inexpensive way to provide nutrition during pregnancy. All types of cereal can fit into your pregnancy diet, yes, even Lucky Charms. When cereal is a staple in your diet, there are a few things to look out for. Try to choose a cereal with at least 5 grams of fiber and less than 10 grams of added sugar per serving. Keeping these considerations in mind helps to make cereal a healthy pregnancy breakfast. It also helps if you add a milk that provides protein like whole milk or soy milk.
When you want to include cereal, one of the following would make a great addition to your pregnancy diet. (I also encourage joining The Prenatal Nutrition Library. The library provides evidence-based preconception and pregnancy nutrition information to teach you how to eat confidently during pregnancy!)
10 Best Cereals For Pregnancy
Whole Grain Cereals For Pregnancy
Total Whole Grain Breakfast Cereal
Total Whole Grain Breakfast Cereal is fortified with vitamins and minerals to help support a healthy pregnancy. This cereal contains little added sugar and is made with whole-grain wheat.
One serving of Total Whole Grain Breakfast Cereal contains 100% of the daily value of vitamin C, vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. It contains 18mg of iron as well as a bump of folic acid (folate). Folate is an important nutrient for pregnancy. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. If you have the MTHFR gene mutation, it may be wise to limit or avoid cereal due to the folic acid.
Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal
Many people consider Ezekiel cereals from Food for Life as some of the most nutritious cereals on the market. They make it USDA Organic from sprouted live grains, seeds, and legumes!
Admittedly, for some people’s taste, it’s not the most flavorful cereal on the market, even with the inclusion of sea salt. But it can be easily mixed with other cereals or your favorite toppings like berries. There are several flavors to choose from, including almond and golden flax.
Regardless of which flavor you go with, if you’re trying to eat cereal that is high in fiber, Ezekiel is a great option. There are 6 grams of fiber per serving. (Check out this post for more fiber-rich foods for pregnancy!)
Cascadian Farm Organic Hearty Morning Fiber Cereal
Cascadian Farm is an organic cereal brand that produces a variety of flavorful breakfast cereals that are higher in fiber and lower in added sugar than many other options on the market. Each serving contains 10 grams of fiber, making this cereal an even more fiber-rich option than the Ezekial brand I mentioned before.
Cascadian Farm makes this cereal with whole-grain wheat. A one-cup serving of Cascadian Farm Organic Hearty Morning Fiber Cereal includes 6g of protein and 2mg of iron. Adding an extra source of protein, such as whole milk in your cereal or a side of eggs, would make this a well-balanced meal.
Quaker Old Fashioned Quaker Oats
Did you know oats fall into the category of cereal? It’s true! Oats are a whole grain cereal that is a great source of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Oatmeal is a very common way to eat oat cereal. Quaker Old Fashioned Quaker Oats is an example of a brand that is available at most grocery stores.
Each bowl of Quaker Old Fashioned Oatmeal provides you with whole grains and a boost of fiber. One serving, which is 1/2 cup dry, has 5 grams of protein and 4 grams of dietary fiber. It’s important to add additional protein to your bowl of oats or on the side to promote optimal blood sugar balance. For example, a scoop of collagen peptides powder or a plate of eggs on the side.
One of the great parts about oatmeal is the option to make it your own with toppings that you love. Nuts, seeds, berries, nut butter, and protein powder all make great additions to a bowl of oats.
Fortified Iron-Rich Cereal For Pregnancy
Post Grape Nuts Cereal
When it comes to an iron-rich cereal for pregnancy, Post Grape Nuts is one of the best options. It is fortified with 10 essential vitamins and minerals, including iron. It supplies 16.2 mg of iron per serving. The daily recommended intake for pregnancy is 27 mg of iron. This cereal is also a good source of vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 plays a crucial role during pregnancy in supporting your baby’s brain development and may help to reduce nausea.
Post makes Grape Nuts Cereal from whole-grain wheat flour, malted barley flour, salt, and dried yeast. In addition to iron, folic acid, and vitamin B6, Grape Nuts are fortified with zinc, vitamin B1, and vitamin B3.
Post Bran Flakes
You’re probably not too surprised to see bran flakes on this list, but there’s no denying their nutritional value. Post Bran Flakes offer a generous amount of dietary fiber and serve as a source of fortified iron. It’s touted as one of the best whole grain and bran cereals.
Post Bran Flakes are made with whole grain wheat and wheat bran. This cereal is fortified with nutrients like thiamin, zinc, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B2, folic acid, and vitamin D3. Each serving offers a large chunk of the daily recommended value of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12, like vitamin B6, helps support your growing baby’s brain development and helps make healthy red blood cells and DNA.
Kashi GO Original Breakfast Cereal
Kashi GO is one of my favorite cereals in general, but especially during pregnancy. A 1¼ cup serving of Kashi GO provides 12g of protein, 13g of fiber, and 8g of whole grains. It provides a slight boost of iron with 2.9mg.
Each serving has 8g of sugar, which meets the less than 10g per serving recommendation. Kashi GO is made from seven whole grains: hard red wheat, brown rice, barley, oats, rye, buckwheat, and triticale, as well as sesame seeds and corn.
Cereals Fortified with Folic Acid During Pregnancy
Keep in mind there is an upper limit for folic acid. Meaning you can get too much folic acid. Cereal should not be the main source of folate in your diet. If you have the MTHFR gene mutation, it may be wise to limit or avoid cereal due to the folic acid. I encourage primarily focusing on naturally folate-rich foods like fruits, vegetables, strawberries, avocados, and lentils for all pregnant people.
All Bran Complete Wheat Flakes
Kellogg’s All-Bran Complete Wheat Flakes Cereal is a cereal option that provides a good boost of fiber during pregnancy. This cereal also provides folic acid. Folic acid is the synthetic form of folate. Folate is especially important during pregnancy to reduce the risk of birth defects. It’s also tasty and fortified with iron for a boost.
All Bran Complete Wheat Flakes from Kellogg’s are made from whole grain wheat and wheat bran. A one-cup serving of All Bran Complete provides 33% of the daily value of folate (folic acid), as well as 40% of the daily value of iron.
Post Great Grains Raisins, Dates & Pecans Whole Grain Cereal
There’s no shortage of flavor when it comes to Post Great Grains. The Raisins, Dates, and Pecans variety of Great Grains cereal provide 33% of the daily recommended value of folic acid in a ¾-cup serving.
Each box of Great Grains Raisins, Dates, and Pecans cereal is made with whole-grain wheat, raisins, whole-grain rolled oats, dates, wheat flour, barley flour, pecans, and fortified nutrients. Some of the fortified nutrients include iron, zinc, vitamin B6, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B1, vitamin B12, and vitamin D.
Multi-Grain Cheerios
Multi-Grain Cheerio Cereal is a source of whole grains and is widely available for purchase in grocery stores across the United States. This tasty cereal contains less than 10g of added sugar per serving and is fortified with vitamins and minerals.
A single serving of MultiGrain Cheerios contains 235 mcg of folic acid or 39% of the daily recommended value. It is also fortified with thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, pantothenic acid, and zinc.
Cereal is a safe food for pregnancy that can be especially beneficial during times of difficult nausea and food aversions.
While I definitely encourage meeting nutrient needs with as many natural food sources as possible, cereal can be a great option when not much sounds good to eat. This is not an all-inclusive list. These are just ten examples of the many nutritious cereals that pregnant women can choose from. Again, all types of cereal can fit into your pregnancy diet, but if cereal will be a staple choice, aim to choose one with less than 10 grams of added sugar and 5 grams or more of fiber per serving. Cereal high in sugar can be enjoyed but thought of as a pregnancy treat.
For tips and guidance on how to find the most nutritious options for pregnancy when grocery shopping, head over to the blog and download The Prenatal Nutrition Library app on Apple or Android. The Prenatal Nutrition Library has 60-DAY meal plans for preconception through pregnancy (+ a 30-day gestational diabetes meal plan) to completely take the guesswork out of grocery shopping and planning for pregnancy.
