Cheerios and weight loss claims

Cheerios have a several things going for them nutritionally. Cheerios are:

• Made with whole grain oats as the primary ingredient
• Low in sugar (less than 1 gram)
• Low in fat (less than 2 grams)
• Relatively high in dietary fiber (3 grams, one gram of which is heart-healthy soluble fiber)
• Fairly low in sodium compared to other prepared foods (200 mg)
• Low in calories (a one cup serving as 100 calories)
• Cheerios also have zero cholesterol and are trans fat free.

The main disadvantage of Cheerios is that they are still a processed grain. Whether that matters to you really has to do with how you feel personally about food processing.

If you are trying to follow a clean eating or Whole Food/Slow Food philosophy, then in general you’ll choose organic rolled oats or oat groats over processed cold cereals like Cheerios that are made with oat flour.

Another benefit of eating cereals like Cheerios made with whole grain oats is the potential cholesterol-lowering effect of the soluble fiber in oats (and Cheerios.)

The fiber in oats and whole-grain oat products and cereals can help “sweep” cholesterol from the body, decreasing overall blood cholesterol levels and possibly reducing the risk of heart disease.

Cheerios have a comparable amount of souble oat fiber to a bowl of oat meal, so including Cheerios or other sources of soluble fiber in your diet is a good idea, in general.

Basically, Cheerios are a better option than many cereals. But that doesn’t make it healthy per se. It’s just healthier than other options. Cheerios alongside a well balanced diet can be helpful. Make sure you are following weight loss programs and watch your daily consumption of calories.

Cheerios Ingredients
Whole Grain Oats, Modified Corn Starch, Sugar, Oat Bran, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Oat Fiber, Tripotassium Phosphate, Corn Starch, Wheat Starch, Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) added to preserve freshness.

Cheerios Nutrition Information
Serving Size: 1 Cup (30g)

Amount per Serving:

Calories: 110
Calories from Fat: 18
Total Fat: 2g 4%
Saturated Fat: 0g 0%
Trans Fat: 0g
Cholesterol: 0mg 0%
Sodium: 210mg 9%
Potassium: 200mg 4%
Total Carbohydrates: 22g 8%
Fiber: 3g 12%
Sugar: 1g
Other Carbohydrates: 18g
Protein: 3g 2%

Cheerios Vitamins & Minerals

Vitamin A: 10%
Vitamin B6: 25%
Vitamin B12: 25%
Vitamin C: 10%
Vitamin D: 10%
Folic Acid: 50%
Niacin: 25%
Riboflavin: 25%
Thiamin: 25%
Calcium: 10%
Copper: 2%
Iron: 45%
Magnesium: 10%
Phosphorus: 10%
Zinc: 25%

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.