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Consumer Reports Rates Kids' Cereal

Cereal makers spend a whopping $229 million a year on advertising to grab kids' attention and convince them to nag their parents to buy their favorite brands.

But just what are you feeding your family? Consumer Reports breaks it down.

Consumer Reports rated the nutrition of 27 kids' cereals. Ellen Klosz and her colleagues focused on calories, sugar, fiber and sodium. Most didn't earn a "very good" nutrition rating.

Kellogg's Corn Pops was down at the bottom, rating only fair.

"A one-cup serving has no fiber at all and 12 grams of sugar," Klosz said.

Kellogg's Honey Smacks and Post Golden Crisp also rated fair with more than 50 percent sugar.

And Rice Krispies didn't rate much higher. Even though it has a lot less sugar, it doesn't have any fiber.

"Fiber helps digestion and keeps you feeling full longer, so you might not gain as much weight," Klosz said.

Consumer Reports' nutritional ratings are based on the serving size listed on the box.

To see how that compares to the amount kids actually pour themselves, testers asked 91 children to pour out a bowl of cereal. The amount was often a lot more than a serving size and that means kids can get a lot more sugar.

Consumer Reports did find a few kids' cereals that rated very good: Cheerios, Honey Nut Cheerios, Kix and Life.

"They're relatively low in sugar. They have some fiber. And they're a good source of calcium and iron," Klosz said.

Regular Cheerios earned top ratings for nutrition. It only has one gram of sugar per serving and a healthful three grams of fiber.

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