Dietary fiber is the indigestible part of plant food which serves as a carbohydrate. Fiber is present in all fruits: prunes, plums, bananas, apples, vegetables: broccoli, carrots, artichokes, onions, and sweet potatoes, grains: oats, rye and barley, and legumes: peas, soybeans, and other beans.
But, not all fiber is created equal! There are numerous ways of differentiating between the different types of fiber. Food sources of dietary fiber are often divided according to whether they predominantly provide soluble or insoluble fiber. Plant foods contain both of these types of fiber in varying degrees.
These differences are important when it comes to fiber’s effect on your risk of developing certain diseases. That is because numerous recent studies have proven that eating a healthy high fiber diet appears to reduce people’s risk of developing such health conditions as heart disease, diabetes, diverticular disease, and constipation.
Current Recommendations
Currently, medical professionals suggest that children and adults consume at least 20 grams of dietary fiber per day from food, not supplements. The higher your daily calorie needs, the more fiber you need to consume; developing teens and men may require upwards of 30 to 35 grams per day or more. Yet the average American consumes only around 15 grams of dietary fiber a day.
Why Cereal Fibers?
Replacing your current non-high fiber cereal with a great tasting high fiber cereal is the simplest healthy change you can make in your dietary routine. In the past, high fiber cereals provided excellent nutritional value but offered little to no taste. Now this is no longer the case. Today, high-fiber cereals not only taste great but can also provide you with approximately 25 to 50 percent of the recommended dietary guidelines for fiber (based on a 2,500-calorie diet).
Which Cereals?
Choosing a high quality, high fiber cereal can be a daunting task. How do you know which cereals are best for you and your family? Do you base your decision on price, taste, fiber content, sugar content, calories, or all of the above?
Well, the good news is that we have done all of the research for you. Just continue reading and we will give you all of the information you need to confidently choose a healthy, great tasting, budget-friendly, high fiber cereal that your whole family will love.
| Name | Fiber (g) | Sugar (g) | Serving Size / Total Servings | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Updated 1/29/2011 | ||||
Fiber One Bran | 14 | 0 | 0.5 cup 15 servings | $3.98 $0.27 per serving |
Kashi GOLEAN Crunch! | 8 | 13 | 1 cup 8 servings | $3.33 $0.42 per serving |
| Post Shredded Wheat Original  | 8 | 19 | 1 cup 7 servings | $4.25 $0.61 per serving |
Kellogg's Raisin Bran Extra! | 7 | 13 | 1 cup 7 servings | $4.68 $0.67 per serving |
| Archer High Fiber | 10 | 14 | 1 cup 8 servings | $3.99 $0.50 per serving |
| Great Value Raisin Bran | 7 | 18 | 1 cup 10 servings | $2.99 $0.30 per serving |
| Nature's Path Organic Smart Bran, Psyllium & Oatbran  | 13 | 6 | 0.7 cup 10 servings | $3.67 $0.37 per serving |
| Barbara's Bakery High Fiber, Organic | 8 | 5 | 0.5 cup 12 servings | $4.79 $0.40 per serving |
| Bob's Red Mill Organic High Fiber Hot Cereal with Flaxseed  | 10 | 0 | 0.3 cup 11 servings | $3.03 $0.28 per serving |
| Weetabix Organic Crispy Flakes & Fiber Cereal  | 11 | 10 | 1.2 cup 6 servings | $3.89 $0.65 per serving |
Nutritional Labels
Our Analysis
The two cereals that do not have sugar are Fiber One Bran which contains Aspartame and Bob’s Red Mill Organic High Fiber Hot Cereal with Flaxseed which contains no sugar or sugar substitute. For those of you that are diabetic, you should look out for cereals that are low in sugar, low in calories, and high in fiber on a per serving basis.
- Least Expensive per Serving: Bob’s Red Mill Organic High Fiber Hot Cereal with Flaxseed
- Most Expensive per Serving: Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Extra! Cereal
- Least Fiber: Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Extra!
- Most Fiber: Fiber One Bran Cereal
- Least Amount of Sugar: Bob’s Red Mill Organic High Fiber Hot Cereal with Flaxseed, Fiber One Bran
- Most Amount of Sugar: Post Shredded Wheat Original Cereal
What is your opinion?
We would love to hear from you, our readers, what your experience has been with these cereals? How do they taste to you and your family? Which ones are your favorites? Let us know in the comments section.
Sources:
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Nutrition Resource, USDA Nutrient Data Laboratory
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August 5, 2010 at 5:39 AM
Your site is very informative and educating. Thanks
August 6, 2010 at 6:35 AM
I've only heard of the first four listed, but Kashi and Archer are both really good brand to go with. Raisin Bran is really delicious, even though it's the most sugary it's probably going to be the only one other than shredded wheat your kids will enjoy.
August 6, 2010 at 10:29 AM
I agree with the statement that delicious cereals will keep you coming back for more and this is especially true if they are high fiber. I included the sugar content to give readers like yourself a better idea of the nutritional contents of the different cereals.
August 16, 2010 at 4:25 AM
Thanks for the great article! I eat Fiber One bran cereal and it has 14g of fiber (not 4g). Thought you might want to know.
August 16, 2010 at 12:35 PM
Thanks for the correction. I will update the article accordingly.
August 23, 2010 at 4:47 AM
I hope you will keep updating your content constantly as you have one dedicated reader here.
August 26, 2010 at 10:41 AM
Hi Brigida,
We will certainly keep this post and others updated. Do you have any recommendations on what we can do to improve this post? We would love to hear your opinions.
September 7, 2010 at 8:48 PM
I'd love to know if you rely on any authorative sources here or its your own conclusions?
September 8, 2010 at 9:47 AM
Hi Dana
I wish there was an authoritative source for me to turn to but there is not. So, in order to come up with this list I took into consideration the daily recommended values of things like fiber, carbs and sugar. I analyzed the cereals based on which ones met the daily recommended values best and showcased the information with a graph so you can see for yourself and decide which cereal you're interested in trying. All of these cereals are a good choice for anyone looking to eat a healthier high fiber breakfast.
July 8, 2011 at 2:01 PM
Hi, Fiber one cereal appears on your list as having the hihest amount of fiber, yet below you listed it as having the least fiber! Why is that?
Also The only thing that works for me is eating Fiber One in the morning with 6 dried prunes. Unfortunately it appears that I am gaining weight with that. What can I do? I’m 64 years old and my bowel was damaged taking HBP pills.
July 8, 2011 at 8:27 PM
Hi Mary,
Thanks for catching the mistake in the article! I must have overlooked it when updating the article several months ago. I’ve gone ahead and fixed it.
As to the Fiber One and 6 dried prunes, you are eating around 226 calories for breakfast and it doesn’t make sense that you should be gaining weight with this meal. How are your meals the rest of the day? What is your level of activity? I would strongly advise talking to your doctor about your high blood pressure pills and their effects on your colon.
December 29, 2011 at 9:24 AM
I’ve tried several Kashi cereals and it turns out I am not a big fan. The ones with the best flavor seem to get soggy very quickly once milk is added. Fiber One Original is my favorite cereal. It doesn’t have any fancy flavoring, but it doesn’t get soggy. You can always give it your own flavoring by adding a small amount of cinnamon and splenda or tossing in some fruit. It’s a very filling cereal and if you eat just 1 cup a day you will have fulfilled your RDA of fiber!