Our product recommendations are selected by editors, tested first-hand, or expert-approved. We may earn a commission through links on our site.
If you’re one of the nearly 300 million Americans who start their day with a bowl of cereal (1), you might be sitting on an easy opportunity to upgrade your health: High-fiber cereal.
Cereal is typically loaded with sugar and refined grains—a blood sugar spike (and crash) waiting to happen. Choosing a high-fiber option helps to slow down digestion and balance blood sugar levels, keeping you energized and satisfied for hours. Dietary fiber also feeds the beneficial bacteria in your gut, making your gut microbiome more robust, and improving digestive, immune, and brain health in the process (2).
Eating more fiber might help you live longer, too. Total fiber intake, including cereal fiber, has been associated with reduced inflammation and risk of cardiovascular disease (3). A 2023 review published in Clinical Nutrition found that dietary fiber from both whole grains and cereal was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality (4).
If a fiber/cereal mashup is giving you visions of cardboard, hear us out. The cereal aisle is stocked with a range of high-fiber options that taste great (swear), and cater to specific dietary needs like gluten-free or allergy-free. The best high-fiber cereals you can buy, and everything else you should know, below.
What is High-Fiber Cereal?
Tons of cereal brands market their cereal as a good source of fiber. But to be considered high fiber, a bowl of cereal should provide at least six grams of fiber, which is around 20 percent of the Daily Value (DV) for fiber (5).
Is All High-Fiber Cereal Healthy?
Not necessarily. A serving of Kashi Go Honey Almond Flax Crunch has 8 grams of fiber, but it also contains 10 grams of added sugar. High sugar intake is linked to chronic health conditions like cardiovascular disease and obesity (6, 7). The American Heart Association recommends men consume no more than 38 grams of sugar per day (8). Aim to stay under 6 to 7 grams of added sugar per serving of cereal.
The first ingredient of a high-fiber cereal should be 100 percent whole grain like whole wheat or oats, not sugar or enriched flour. Scan the ingredient list for things like modified food starch and other questionable additives you may not want floating in your milk every morning.
Some forms of fiber may also be more ideal than others. Isolated fibers like inulin, corn bran, or chicory root may not be as ideal as the intact fiber that occurs naturally in whole grains and seeds. A cereal with whole grain fiber (like whole wheat or rolled oats) ensures you’re getting the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals from the whole food in addition to the fiber.
HEALTHY SNACKS
The Healthiest High-Fiber Cereals
The high-fiber cereals on this list check the boxes for fiber, flavor, texture, and more without going overboard on sugar and other additives.
Bob’s Red Mill 7 Grain Cereal
Each spoonful of this hot cereal delivers a full spectrum of whole grains including wheat, oats, rye, tritacle (a hybrid of wheat and rye), barley, brown rice, and oat bran. Eating more whole grains naturally boosts your fiber intake, and can improve several markers of metabolic health like fasting glucose, fasting insulin, and hemoglobin A1C (HbA1) (9).
You won’t find any added sugar or preservatives here, which is a rarity in the cereal aisle. And since the grains are coarsely ground, they only take around 10 minutes to cook. On its own, the cereal is a bit bland, so stir in some cinnamon for a punch of flavor.
Per serving (1/4 cup): 150 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 30 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 5 g protein, 0 mg sodium
Seven Sundays Wild & Free Muesli
Most granola is a low-fiber sugar bomb. Muesli is a better bet. Seven Sundays Wild & Free Muesli is packed with goods like sorghum and buckwheat (for fiber), blueberries (for antioxidants), and chia seeds (for heart-healthy omega-3’s and more fiber). This gluten-free combo also provides a solid amount of plant-based protein at 8 grams of protein per serving.
If you like blueberries, you’ll be a fan of this muesli, and the hint of lemon is a nice and bright flavor twist. For a grab-and-go breakfast, pop the muesli in a bowl, top with milk of choice, stir, and let soak overnight in the fridge. Or go one better for gut health and replace the milk with kefir, a fermented drink that’s loaded with gut healthy probiotics.
Per serving (1/2 cup): 240 calories, 6 g fat, 3 g saturated fat, 40 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 8 g protein, 5 mg sodium
Nature’s Path Flax Plus Raisin Bran
Bran is one of three layers that make up a wheat kernel. Of the layers, bran harbors the most fiber. In its isolated format, bran gives cereal a boost of insoluble fiber, and adds bulk to your stool, helping to keep digestion moving along (10)—super sexy morning talk.
Classic Raisin Bran isn’t a terrible option for fiber, but Nature’s Path Flax Plus Raisin Bran is better. It contains more fiber (9 grams versus 7), less sugar (6 grams versus 9), and is certified organic. Plus, we appreciate the lack of typical mystery malt flavor and stale raisins you might be used to with the OG.
Per serving (1 1/4 cups): 210 calories, 2.5 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 45 g carbs, 9 g fiber, 13 g sugar, 6 g protein, 210 mg sodium
Barbara’s Shredded Wheat Cereal
Barbara’s Shredded Wheat Cereal is proof that less is more. This squeaky clean guise of shredded wheat contains just one single ingredient: whole grain wheat. A study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that when people consumed 48 grams (right around one serving of this cereal) of a wheat-based cereal for three weeks they experienced an uptick in the number of beneficial microorganisms in their gut microbiome (11).
In one serving you’ll find exactly 7 grams of fiber and 0 grams of sugar. Top it with warm milk for a protein boost and fruit, nuts, or seeds for more fiber.
Per serving (2 biscuits): 170 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 41 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 0 g sugar, 6 g protein, 0 mg sodium
HOLOS Cocoa Organic Overnight Muesli
This next-level muesli tastes too indulgent to be so nutritionally well-rounded. The main ingredient is oats which contain high amounts of beta-glucan, a unique soluble fiber that can improve cholesterol numbers to help support better heart health (9). Each single-serving pouch provides a winning combo of fiber, healthy fats, and protein thanks to the sprouted brown rice protein powder.
This cereal also contains added probiotics along with a range of minerals like iron, manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. But it’s the mulberries, goji berries, chia seeds, and crunchy cacao nibs that really take this cereal over the top.
Per serving (1 pouch): 370 calories, 10 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 49 g carbs, 11 g fiber, 9 g sugar, 20 g protein, 240 mg sodium
Ezekiel 4:9 Flax Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal
Ezekiel’s 4:9 Flax Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal stands out thanks to the sprouted organic grains including wheat, millet, spelt, and barley. Sprouting grains amplifies their nutrients, making them easier for us to use by decreasing levels of anti-nutrients—compounds like lectins that can hinder the absorption of micronutrients like iron and calcium (12).
The sprouted lentils and soybeans bump up the protein content, making this cereal one of the best high-protein cereals to boot. Each serving also delivers half the daily requirement for zinc and selenium. Zinc can help maintain healthy testosterone levels, while selenium has been linked to longer telomeres—an important biomarker of aging (13, 14).
The texture and size of these cereal grains make them great for sprinkling over yogurt or cottage cheese for even more protein.
Per serving (1/2 cup): 370 calories, 3 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 35 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 1 g sugar, 8 g protein, 160 mg sodium
Uncle Sam Original Wheat Berry Flakes
This cereal boasts a lofty fiber count and minimal, non-GMO ingredient list at a more budget-friendly price. The star ingredient, flaxseeds, are chock full of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids. A review published in The British Journal of Medicine linked a high intake of alpha-linolenic acid—the type of omega-3 found in flax—to a 10 percent lower risk of all-cause mortality, an 8 percent lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, and an 11 percent reduced risk of death from coronary heart disease, compared with lower consumption levels (15).
Some reviewers love the taste, others find it bland. Add bananas, berries, or a bit of monk fruit sweetener to sweeten it up.
Per serving (3/4 cup): 220 calories, 6 g fat, 0.5 g saturated fat, 43 g carbs, 10 g fiber, <1 g sugar, 8 g protein, 140 mg sodium
- Consumption of Breakfast Cereals (Cold) in the U.S. 2011-2024.
- Influence of Foods and Nutrition on the Gut Microbiome and Implications for Intestinal Health.
- Intake and Sources of Dietary Fiber, Inflammation, and Cardiovascular Disease in Older US Adults.
- Dietary Fiber Intake and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies.
- Reference Amounts Customarily Consumed: List of Products for Each Product Category: Guidance for Industry.
- Associations of Dietary Sugar Types with Coronary Heart Disease Risk: A Prospective Cohort Study.
- The Dose Makes the Poison: Sugar and Obesity in the United States Review.
- How Much Sugar Is Too Much?
- Effects of Whole Grain Intake on Glycemic Traits: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.
- Wheat Bran: Its Composition and Benefits to Health, a European Perspective.
- Whole-Grain Wheat Breakfast Cereal has a Prebiotic Effect on the Human Gut Microbiota: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Crossover Study.
- The Cholesterol Effect of Oats and Oat Beta Glucan: Modes of Action and Potential Role of Bile Acids and the Microbiome.
- Nutritional and End-Use Perspectives of Sprouted Grain: A Comprehensive Review.
- Correlation Between Serum Zinc and Testosterone: A Systematic Review.
- Association of Dietary Selenium Intake With Telomere Length in Middle-Aged and Older Adults.
- Dietary Intake and Biomarkers of Alpha Linoleic Acid and Risk of All Cause, Cardiovascular, and Cancer Mortality: Systematic Review and Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Cohort Studies.
