10 Cereals You Should Be Eating And 10 You Shouldn't

Breakfast can be a tricky meal to plan. Some cereals are quite healthy and are a great way to start your day, while others have more sugar and other not-so-healthy ingredients than you really need so early in the morning (or, in some cases, all day long). Knowing which cereals you should and shouldn't eat can help you make more informed choices while grocery shopping — and whenever hunger strikes.

Uncle Sam Original definitely fits the bill for a healthy breakfast cereal. Dietitian Tamara Duker Freuman, M.S., R.D., told Reader's Digest it fits all the criteria for a "truly healthy cereal," like 100 percent whole grain, little added sugar, and a recognizable and short ingredient list.

If you're looking for a healthy gluten-free breakfast cereal, Purely Elizabeth Ancient Grain Granola Cereal is one you should consider. Dietitian Joanna Li, R.D., told Reader's Digest that it's sweetened with coconut palm sugar instead of evaporated cane sugar and contains chia seeds for healthy omega-3's and coconut oil to help keep you full and feel satisfied.

Dietitian Joanna Li, R.D., told Reader's Digest that the reason why this cereal is such a good option is because it's made from sprouted grains. "Sprouting makes grains easier to digest and the nutrients more easily absorbed," she said. Not only that, but the relatively high fiber and protein content and the fact that it's sugar-free makes it even better.

If you regularly reach for Barbara's Original Puffins, you're already making a good choice. According to Greatist, because it's high in fiber and relatively low in sugar, this wheat-free and dairy-free cereal is one that you should be eating. Even better, it's a relatively blank canvas, so you can dress it up with different milks, fruit, spices like cinnamon or cardamom, and more.

Wheaties are an oldie, but a goodie, and if you're already eating Wheaties regularly, you're making a pretty good choice when it comes to breakfast cereals. According to Greatist, each serving of Wheaties contains three grams of fiber, which helps offset the (still relatively low) four grams of sugar.

Though you might have adored it as a kid, you probably shouldn't be eating Froot Loops on a regular basis. According to Cheat Sheet, half a cup of Froot Loops contains about 12 grams of sugar. That's an awful lot of sugar.

It's probably not shocking that Cinnamon Toast Crunch isn't all that great for you. Lisa Moskovitz, R.D., C.D.N., told Eat This, Not That that BHT, a preservative that might be lurking in your Cinnamon Toast Crunch, "is still highly controversial and limited research exists on whether it is harmful to the body or carcinogenic." Plus, a concern for Cinnamon Toast Crunch, like many other cereals, is its sugar content. It also contains about 12 grams of sugar per cup, which you definitely want to know before indulging.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cereal, made by Kellogg, might be the least-surprising cereal on this list. According to Eat This, Not That, 40 percent of the cereal's calories come from sugar. The two grams of fat and 12 grams of sugar, plus the potential for artificial ingredients and all kinds of preservatives, mean it's not a good breakfast choice and you probably shouldn't be eating it very often.

While General Mills has already removed artificial colors (and flavors) from Trix, they'll be coming back due to public outcry. According to Men's Health, Trix, like quite a few other cereals that you shouldn't eat, is high in sugar and low in fiber. It just won't keep you full.

Since they're called "frosted," it's probably not surprising that Frosted Flakes really aren't the best choice you can make when it comes to breakfast cereal. According to Rodale's Organic Life, the full-sugar Frosted Flakes has 11 grams of sugar per serving, while the reduced-sugar version still has eight. That's still more sugar than you want in a breakfast cereal.