Gwynedd Stuart
If you’re looking to consume a little more protein in the morning but you still insist on eating cereal rather than, say, eggs (we get it, the egg ick is real), good news: More and more protein cereals seem to be populating the cereal aisle. Icons like Cheerios and Honey Bunches of Oats now make higher protein options, and big protein brands like Premier Protein are expanding into the cereal aisle. But which protein cereals are worthy of your best bowl? That’s what we wanted to find out.
Videos by Sporked
What we looked for in the best protein cereal:
- Protein, duh. Regular cereals have around 3g protein per serving, all of the cereals on this list have at least 8g per serving.
- Good crunch. Some higher protein cereals are totally grain free, which means they are made of things like pea protein, milk protein, and tapioca. Some of them retain their crunch in milk better than others.
- Protein flavor that isn’t overwhelming. A lot of these are made with added protein and you can tell. The cereals that didn’t taste as much like protein powder ranked higher on our list.
Here are six of the best protein cereals we’ve tried so far.
The following article contains affiliate links that may generate a small commission to us when you make a purchase through the link. Learn more about how we work with affiliates here.
- Magic Spoon Frosted (13g)
-
If you’re looking for a cereal that’s totally sugar free and very low carb (just 4 net carbs per serving after you account for the fiber and allulose), Magic Spoon is the way to go. The texture isn’t for everyone (nor is the aftertaste of monk fruit sweetener), but it manages to scratch that I-need-something-sweet-and-wet-and-crunchy itch. We’ve tried pretty much every flavor at one point or another; Frosted isn’t our favorite, but it’s close and it makes this list because it’s the most neutral of all the Magic Spoon flavors and a great place to start if you’re new to the brand
Credit: Liv Averett / Magic Spoon
- Three Wishes Fruity (8g)
-
Three Wishes cereals are totally grain free (and, therefore, gluten free) and very low sugar (3g a serving), which makes them stand apart from other protein cereals on this list, some of which are just as loaded with sugar as their non-protein counterparts. Three Wishes Fruity isn’t as low carb as Magic Spoon, but I like the crunch factor and the bold fruit flavor. It tastes like Froot Loops on steroids, but I think the bold, zingy, citrussy flavor covers up ingredients like chickpea and pea protein. The fruity flavor might be a little phony and intense for some people, but it gets more mild as the cereal sits in milk.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Kashi Go Peanut Butter Crunch Protein + Fiber (10g)
-
This Kashi high protein cereal is precisely the kind of thing that you can convince yourself tastes good if you eat a lot of diet foods. And okay, fine, it does taste good, but it definitely tastes like health food. It’s made with soy flakes, brown rice syrup, and a puffed whole grain blend with hard red wheat triticale grain, brown rice and rye; that’s all well and good, but peanut butter is the star of the show here. This cereal has a really lovely honey-peanut flavor even though there isn’t honey in the ingredients. It’s the best high protein cereal for people who love peanut butter and have made peace with Kashi’s approach to healthy cereal.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Premier Protein Chocolate Almond Cereal (20g)
-
Premier Protein’s new line of Post cereals are sweetened with stevia, which is my least favorite alternative sweetener because it has an extremely powerful aftertaste. The flakes are kinda weird, too—they’re made of a blend of wheat, corn, and pea protein, and they’re VERY rigid. (Be careful when you chew or they’ll impale your gums!) All the same, this chocolate cereal was one of my faves. The cocoa flavor is bold and even though the flakes require caution, they’re crunchy and satisfying and don’t get soggy in milk. Chocolate and robust crunch aside, what makes this one of the best protein cereals is that it’s really packed with protein—20g is about what’s in a shake! Pretty good for a bowl of cereal.
Credit: Liv Averett / Target
- Honey Bunches of Oats Protein Cinnamon (9g)
-
Okay, the two best protein cereals on our list aren’t as protein packed as Premier Protein, but they taste the least like protein cereal and that’s a win. Honey Bunches of Oats Protein would be indistinguishable from regular Honey Bunches of Oats if the sweet clusters didn’t seem to be held together with some sort of protein substance with a noticeable taste. But the wheat and corn flakes are light, crisp, and tasty, and they have a mellow sweetness that’s pretty lovely with the kick of cinnamon in this one. The protein flavor is definitely there, but this cereal’s other positive attributes make it easier to ignore.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
- Cinnamon Protein Cheerios (8g)
-
If you’re seeking out a protein cereal that’s also low sugar and low carb, you’ll need to look elsewhere on this list. Protein Cheerios have just as much sugar as most other flavored breakfast cereals (by which I mean, a lot), but if we’re talking about overall flavor, they’re the clear winner. They have the same light crunch as regular Cheerios with an assertive cinnamon spice and light sweetness that balances out the slightly savory flavor of the pea protein in the mix. Eight grams of protein isn’t nothing, and if you’re looking for a cereal you’ll actually want to eat because it doesn’t taste like protein cereal, this is the best protein cereal to buy.
Credit: Liv Averett / Walmart
Best Basic
Best Fruity
Best Peanutty
Best Chocolate
Runner Up
Jordan Myrick
Griffin Parker
Sporked Staff
Thoughts? Questions? Complete disagreement? Leave a comment!