The Best Cereal for People with Diabetes (2024)

Think you have to give up cereal just because you have diabetes? No way! Find out how to choose the best cereal for diabetics and grab one of the choices on the list for your next quick and easy breakfast or snack!

Breakfast and blood sugar

Eating breakfast – one with plenty of complex carbohydrates, protein, and fat – is a great way to help manage your blood sugars.

After fasting all night, some people may wake up with high blood sugars as a response to blood sugar dropping too low overnight and your liver spilling glucose into the blood to help bring it back up. Even if you wake up with a higher than normal blood sugar, eating breakfast is still important.

Pair lean protein and healthy fats with complex carbohydrates like fruit or whole grains. This balance will help slow the digestion of carbohydrates and release of glucose into the blood for a more even blood sugar response after your morning meal. A balanced breakfast can set you up for a great day of blood sugar management!

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Can people with diabetes eat cereal?

Yes! Cereal is not off limits just because you have diabetes. However, a big bowl of sugary cereal with milk could easily spike your blood sugar. When choosing a cereal to eat when you have diabetes, you’ll want to focus on the ingredients, grams of carbohydrates, fiber, protein, portion size, and what you’re adding to the cereal.

How to choose diabetes-friendly cereal

Cold breakfast cereal or hot cereal like oatmeal all fit into a diabetes meal plan if you follow these tips:

• Protein– Select a cereal that has protein to help keep you fuller longer and help to slow down digestion.
• Fiber– Fiber is a carbohydrate that your body can’t digest, doesn’t raise your blood sugar, and helps lower the cereal’s total net carbs. Choose a cereal with at least 3 grams of fiber per serving.
• Net Carbs– Choose a cereal that has 20 grams of net carbs or less per serving. Pay attention to the serving size as they can range from half of a cup to one and a half cups.
• Whole Grains– While whole grains raise your blood sugar, they won’t cause a sudden spike like refined grains. Whole grains are unprocessed and have more essential nutrients and fiber than refined grains. Choose cereals made with whole oats, barley, bran, wheat, or brown rice.

How to eat cereal if you have diabetes

You can eat cereal and still manage your diabetes, but you do have to be mindful of a few things to prevent high blood sugar from eating cereal.

• Be mindful of portions. Cereal does not have a universal portion size and it can range from just half of a cup to almost 2 cups. If you’re looking at the number of carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and calories in your cereal, make sure you’re sticking to the indicated portion size.
• What about milk? If you add dairy milk to your cereal, you’ll be adding another 6-15 grams of carbohydrates, depending on how much you use. Milk has a natural sugar called lactose that will raise your blood sugar like other carbohydrates. If your cereal is already on the higher end with carbohydrates, use unsweetened almond milk or soy milk for only 1-5 grams of carbohydrates per cup.

The best cereal for diabetics

Magic Spoon Cereal

This cereal comes in fun flavors like peanut butter, frosted, fruit, and cocoa and has only 4 to 5 grams of net carbs per cup serving. While it’s lacking in whole grains and fiber, it’s high in protein and sweetened with low calorie natural sweeteners like monk fruit, allulose, and stevia.

Catalina Crunch

You’ll never feel deprived with so many flavors to choose from, including dark chocolate, cinnamon toast, chocolate banana, honey graham, mint chocolate chip, and maple waffle. Every half cup has only 5 to 7 grams of net carbs and 11 grams of protein.

It’s sweetened with monk fruit, so you get sweetness without the blood sugar spikes. Just be mindful of the portion, as one serving is only half a cup of cereal.

Kashi Go Lean

Per one and a quarter cup portion, this cereal is higher in total carbohydrates than the others but can still be a good cereal for diabetics. With 13 grams of fiber, each big serving has 27 grams of net carbs. The 12 grams of protein will help you feel energized and full all morning long.

Three Wishes Cinnamon Cereal

Chickpeas, pea protein, and tapioca add fiber, protein, and other nutrients like iron, calcium, and potassium to this plant-based low-carb cereal. With 8 grams of protein, only 3 grams of added sugar, and 17 grams of net carbs per serving, this cereal is a great snack or breakfast.

Nature’s Path Smart Bran Cereal

Wheat bran, oat fiber, and psyllium bran husk make up the bulk of this whole grain cereal. While it does have 8 grams of added sugar per serving, it also has 17 grams of fiber and 4 grams of protein. With only 15 grams of net carbs per serving, this cereal is a delicious and fiber-packed breakfast perfect for balanced blood sugar.

Each cup of this grain-free cereal has 27 grams of net carbs. While it’s not necessarily a low-carb option, it’s packed with whole food ingredients like cassava, sunflower protein, and dates and has 5 grams of plant protein. Stick to one cup and pair with unsweetened soy milk for a higher protein, sweet and delicious breakfast.

Arrowhead Mills Oat Bran Flakes

These oat bran flakes have 4 grams of fiber, 5 grams of protein, and only 21 grams of net carbs per cup. The soluble fiber in oats can help to slow down the digestion and absorption of sugar, helping to stabilize blood sugars.

The bottom line

Cereal can easily fit into a diabetes meal plan, especially if you choose one of the best cereal for diabetics included in this list. Good choices are high in fiber and protein, include whole grains over refined grains, and have less than 25 grams of net carbs per serving. Be mindful of the portion size and what kind of milk you pair your cereal with to most effectively manage your blood sugars.