The best cereal for diabetes has little or no added sugar and more fiber and protein than a typical box. As a dietitian living with type 1 diabetes, I’ve tried a LOT of them, and these are the 13 I recommend most, from Catalina Crunch and Magic Spoon to good old plain Cheerios.
Breakfast cereal can be tricky for blood sugars, but there are plenty of ways to enjoy it while living with diabetes! Below you’ll find what I look for on the label, my favorite brands for type 1 and type 2 diabetes, low carb and sugar free cereals, and the worst cereals for blood sugar.
The cereals I recommend most
Your grocery store likely offers many different cereal options, several of which are great for people with diabetes. Some are classics you already know, and some are newer or smaller brands. Below are the 13 I recommend most.
What to look for in a diabetes friendly breakfast cereal
When looking for a blood sugar friendly cereal, we want to seek out three things:
- Low or no added sugar
- >5g fiber/serving
- >5g protein/serving
And, if you’re like most people and want to eat your cereal with milk, you’ve got a variety of options there as well. I recommend choosing 2% or whole milk, or an unsweetened plant based milk.
How to enjoy traditional cereal with diabetes
Below I’m going to discuss my picks for best cereal for diabetes, but in reality (just like any other food), there are ways to enjoy traditional breakfast cereals if you choose to. Yes, they may be more difficult to navigate than the brands I recommend below. And yes, it may take more planning. But, it is possible.
Pairing your breakfast cereal with a protein source and a fiber source is the best way to help keep blood sugars stable.
13 best cereals for type 2 and type 1 diabetes
Ok, so let’s take a look at some of my favorite breakfast cereals for diabetes that both taste good and meet the criteria I listed above.
- Catalina Crunch Cereal
- Magic Spoon
- Three Wishes
- Plain Cheerios
- Love Grown Power Puffs +
- Love Grown Keto Granola
- Power O’s
- KIND Healthy Grains Granola
- Gr8nola
- Nature’s Path Organic Ketola Crunch
- Nature’s Path Organic Coconut & Cashew Butter Granola
- Nature’s Path Organic Qia Super Flakes
- Ratio Keto Friendly Cereal
(Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you choose to purchase the product through the link in this post, at no extra cost to you.)
1. Catalina Crunch Cereal
Catalina Crunch cereal is my personal favorite when it comes to taste. And, their nutrition profile is ideal for stable blood sugars: 6g fiber and 11g protein in each ½ cup serving, with zero grams of sugar. It is sweetened with a combination of stevia and monk fruit, and comes in a long list of delicious flavors.
- Serving: ½ cup
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 11g
- Added sugar: 0g
2. Magic Spoon
Magic Spoon cereal comes in lots of fun flavors like Blueberry Muffin and Cookies & Cream. They’re like a more blood sugar friendly version of some of your favorite cereals as a kid! Each serving contains 4-5g net carbohydrate, 12-14g protein, and <1g sugar. It’s sweetened with allulose and monk fruit, and all of their flavors are gluten free and grain free. The fruity flavor is my favorite and honestly reminds me of fruit loops!
- Fiber: 1g (Fruity)
- Protein: 13g
- Added sugar: 0g
3. Three Wishes
Three Wishes comes in 6 flavor options, all of which are grain free and gluten free. Each serving offers 8g protein and only 3g sugar. Even more intriguing, it’s made from a base of chickpea flour which helps increase the fiber and protein content. Find it at stores like Sprouts and Whole Foods.
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 8g
- Added sugar: 3g
4. Plain Cheerios
Yes, the classic Cheerios you know and love offer a great blood sugar friendly option for breakfast when paired with protein rich milk or unsweetened Greek yogurt. Cheerios are low in sugar compared to most breakfast cereals and contain 4g fiber/serving. And, since they’re made with gluten free oat flour, they are a gluten free food.
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 5g
- Added sugar: 1g
5. Love Grown Power Puffs +
Love Grown Power Puffs + pack 12g protein and 5g fiber per serving. They’re sweetened with cane sugar and monk fruit, so they do have a little added sugar. Heads up: Love Grown has dropped Power Puffs from its website, so they may be hard to find.
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 12g
- Total sugar: 6g
6. Love Grown Keto Granola
Another Love Grown product to try is their Keto Granola. It’s made from a variety of blood sugar friendly ingredients like cashews, pecans, almonds and pumpkin seeds. So, it’s loaded with protein, fiber, and not a lot of sugar. You can try all three flavors: Chocolate Cherry Cashew, Maple Cashew Pecan, and Pumpkin Almond Cashew. This one has also disappeared from Love Grown’s site and a lot of stores, so it may be discontinued.
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Added sugar: 0g
7. Love Grown Power O’s
Love Grown Power O’s were the first product I tried from the brand, and they did not disappoint. They’re made from a base of beans and brown rice, and come in Chocolate, Cinnamon, and Original flavors. A serving of the Original flavor has 6g protein, 5g fiber, and no added sugar. Check the label on the flavored versions, since they can have some added sugar.
- Fiber: 5g (Original)
- Protein: 6g
- Added sugar: 0g
8. KIND Healthy Grains Granola
KIND Healthy Grains Granola comes in lots of different flavors that are all delicious! The amounts of added sugar vary from flavor to flavor, and some are on the higher side (the Almond Butter flavor has 11g added sugar per ⅔ cup), so it works best as a crunchy topping on Greek yogurt rather than a full bowl. And, since the main ingredients include nuts, nut butter, seeds, and oats, protein is 10+g/serving for most flavors.
- Serving: ⅔ cup
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 10g
- Added sugar: 11g
9. Gr8nola
Gr8nola offers a delicious classic granola option sweetened with a touch of honey and monk fruit. Other ingredients include almonds and fiber-rich flaxseeds. It comes in 5 different flavors, all of which are delicious! Note: Gr8nola is now sold only on Amazon.
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Added sugar: 5g
10. Nature’s Path Organic Ketola Crunch
Nature’s Path Organic Ketola Crunch is a relatively new product on the market, but I have a feeling it’s going to be around for the long haul. It comes in three flavors: Blueberry Cinnamon, Toasted Pumpkin Seed & Vanilla, and Dark Chocolate Chip & Nut. This seems to have replace their previous no added sugar line, which I also loved. For this line though, the Dark Chocolate Chip & Nut has been my favorite flavor! Ketola Crunch isn’t on Nature’s Path’s website anymore and it’s getting harder to find in stores. It’s sweetened with erythritol and monk fruit.
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 5g
- Added sugar: 0g
11. Nature’s Path Organic Coconut & Cashew Butter Granola
I could probably finish a whole bag of this granola in one sitting… it’s that good! Ingredients include cashew butter, coconut chunks, cashews, oats, and a touch of sea salt. It’s also gluten free and has only 5g added sugar/serving.
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Added Sugar: 5g
12. Nature’s Path Organic Qia Super Flakes
The crunch on this cereal is incredible… even after a few minutes of sitting in milk! This was my favorite breakfast cereal when I was in school to become a dietitian and I have many fond memories of enjoying a bowl of this while studying!
While it is a little lower in protein than some of our other choices on this list, it has a very healthy amount of fiber. Qi’a Superflakes can be tough to find in US stores now, so you might need to look online.
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 6g
- Added sugar: 5g
13. Ratio Keto Friendly Cereal
Ratio Keto Friendly Cereal has a very light and crunchy texture, and comes in several different flavors. My personal favorite is the vanilla almond crunch. They use a combination of a small amount of added sugar and erythritol to sweeten the cereal. Ratio seems to have replaced this cereal with its Protein Fiber cereal line, which has more protein (20g per cup) and a little more added sugar (5g in the Cinnamon Almond flavor).
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 10g
- Added sugar: 2g
Low carb cereals for diabetes (and granola)
All of the cereals listed above are blood sugar friendly and can be included in a list of the best cereals for diabetes. But, not all of them are considered low carb. Low carb options include:
- Catalina Crunch Cereal
- Magic Spoon
- Three Wishes
- Love Grown Keto Granola
- Nature’s Path Organic Ketola Crunch
Sugar free cereal for diabetes
Sugar free cereals on our list include:
- Catalina Crunch
- Magic Spoon
Low glycemic index cereals
Most of the cereals on our list as well as many others on the market are low glycemic cereals. Remember, we’re looking for low amounts of sugar and higher amounts of fiber and protein. Some low glycemic cereal options include:
- Catalina Crunch Cereal
- Magic Spoon
- Three Wishes
- Plain Cheerios
- Love Grown Power Puffs +
- Love Grown Power O’s
Worst cereals for diabetes
Most traditional breakfast cereals do not have a lot of fiber or protein and are higher in sugar. This combination can make it difficult to maintain stable blood sugars after eating. So, you can choose some more blood sugar friendly options, like the ones I listed above… or, make sure to eat a protein and fiber source before eating your cereal to help promote slower absorption of the carbohydrate in your breakfast cereal.
Cream of wheat and diabetes
Cream of wheat does not contain a lot of protein and fiber. If you enjoy cream of wheat, be sure to also eat protein and fiber sources with it. This could include eggs, nut butter, nuts, higher fiber fruits, and seeds.
Plain Cheerios are a good pick for people with diabetes
Plain Cheerios can be a great option for people with diabetes, especially paired with protein-rich milk or unsweetened Greek yogurt.
More dietitian-approved brand guides
Here are more of my brand roundups:
- The 9 Best Protein Powders for Diabetes
- Best Bread for Diabetes – Brands, Carbs, & Sugar
- 19 Top Choices for Low Carb Pasta and Noodles
- 28 Best Energy and Protein Bars for Diabetes
- 61 Best Packaged Snacks for Diabetes
Updated November 2026. Originally posted January 2023.
One Response
Thanks for the list of cereals. Breakfast has always been the most difficult for me to figure out. Is there a more friendly milk to accompany the cereals or does that matter? I’ve tried the nut milks and am not a fan. I’ve also tried Fairlife milk but never with cereal.