The Best Cereal for Diabetics

Do you have diabetes and are looking for a healthy breakfast cereal option? This blog post will discuss the types of cereal that can be eaten in the morning to ensure a balanced breakfast and help blood sugar management. We will also determine what diabetics must focus on when selecting cereals or oatmeal.

• How to turn a boring cereal into a mouth-watering breakfast cereal?
• What cereal is good for diabetics to eat?
• What cereal contains whole grains?
• Lost of ingredients to watch out for.
• Tips for selecting your cereal or oatmeal.

During a morning rush, you rarely get a chance to have a proper breakfast, but eating cereal can be just enough. However, choosing the best cereal for people with diabetes is not easy.

Mostly, brands load their cereal with quick-digesting carbohydrates and sugars. Such carbs rate high on the glycemic index, meaning your body will break these down quickly and increase your blood sugar levels. Luckily, not all cereals are the same. So, read on to discover more diabetic-friendly cereal options to have for breakfast without increasing your blood sugar.

What Is the Best Breakfast Cereal for Diabetics to Eat?

It was not easy to classify these cereals according to how healthy they are for diabetics. I mainly looked at the number of added sugars and carbohydrates they contain. According to Amazon ratings, some products score better, but it doesn’t mean they are healthier for diabetics. That said, let’s find out the best diabetic cereal on the market for breakfast.

How Can Diabetics Turn a Boring Breakfast Into a Mouth-watering Joy?

The first thing that people with diabetes should remember is that most breakfast cereals that are “sugar-free” might not always be the best choice, since they might contain unhealthy artificial sweeteners. You should avoid low-sugar cereals because they can still contain a bit of sugar, and try to eat cereal with high-fiber content instead.

I eat 20 grams of oatmeal with unsweetened almond milk containing added calcium and 20 grams of dark chocolate for breakfast. Sometimes I also add half a banana. It keeps me good till lunch.

• You can select any hot cereal like quinoa, oatmeal, or any other whole-grain blend. For added fiber, you can add nut butter or chopped nuts. For example, you can have ½ cup of cooked oatmeal with chopped walnuts and ¾ cup of blueberries topped with cinnamon. With this cereal, you can also get additional protein and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
• But if you are not a very big fan of hot cereal. You can also choose cold cereal; however, you must be conscious of serving it. Always use a small bowl so you don’t over-serve.
• It would help if you selected whole-grain wheat cereal or whole-wheat flakes cereal. Stay away from processed cereals.
• It’s best to pick a cereal with six grams of sugar or less and three grams of fiber.
• Refrain from adding additional sugars, dried fruit, and other sweeteners like table sugar, honey, and agave. You can always use sweeteners for diabetics.
• Add one serving of high-fiber fruit to increase fiber, like raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries.
• Always add low-fat Greek yogurt or unsweetened Greek yogurt that will boost the protein content while reducing the carbohydrate content.
• People with diabetes eat cereal best with almond milk, unsweetened plant-based milk or soy milk.

What Breakfast Cereals Contain Whole Grains?

Breakfast cereal for diabetics should be whole grain with more fiber and a lower glycemic index. This is because apart from lowering blood glucose levels, this type of cereal is also packed with nutrients that promote weight loss and heart health! Hence, ensure that “whole grain” is written on the nutrition label or box.

If your favorite brand doesn’t offer whole-grain cereals, you may have to try other options.

Examples of cereals that contain whole grains include,

• Brown rice
• Barley
• Whole grain spelled flakes
• Whole-grain buckwheat
• Whole corn/ cornmeal
• Wheat bran
• Whole-wheat flour
• Whole oat flour
• Oats
• White rice
• Quinoa
• Millet

Ingredients You Must Be Cautious of in Your Cereal

Always ensure your cereal doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup, sugar, or ingredients with more than five grams of sugar per serving. These cereals are often called “cereal crack” because they contain a lot of sugars and make it difficult to maintain blood glucose levels for diabetics.

If you want your cereal to be nutritious, avoid the ingredients below as much as possible. If the cereal is labeled “low-fat”, then there will be some added sugar content to balance out flavor profiles, so stay away from those types! The best low-fat options include Kashi Go Lean Crunch Cereal (it has only two grams of sugar), Grape-Nuts Flakes (two grams), and Wheaties Breakfast Bar (four grams).

• Brown sugar, Raw sugar, Cane sugar
• Agave nectar, Honey
• Glucose, Fructose, Sucrose, Dextrose, Maltose, Crystalline fructose
• Fruit juice concentrates, Evaporated cane juice
• Syrup, Maple syrup, Malt syrup, High fructose corn syrup
• Molasses

What Should a Type 2 Diabetic Eat for Breakfast?

Great breakfast options for people with diabetes include oatmeal, whole-grain waffles, or cereal. Cereals with less sugar content and more whole wheat are recommended.

If you have a type 1 or type 2 diabetes diagnosis, then it’s likely that breakfast is one of your most important meals. Eating healthy foods for breakfast will make it more enjoyable and also assist in balancing out your blood sugars for a more leisurely morning. So what should a type 2 and type 1 diabetic eat? Well, there are many options, some better than others, but this list will help you further.

Always consult your doctor before making any dietary changes in case something else occurs or if certain medications make it hard to process sugars properly. Once again, these options are not perfect, but they can help people who want to maintain stable blood sugars come at breakfast time!

Overnight Oatmeal or Regular Oatmeal

You can also try oatmeal, as it’s high in fiber and will keep preventing high blood sugar. For people with diabetes who want oatmeal as their breakfast cereal, it’s important to know that some types of oats can be really high in sugar, so they should go for steel-cut oats instead since these have a much lower glycemic index rolled or quick-cooking oats.

You may also want to avoid flavored instant oatmeals because these usually contain artificial sweeteners, which could lead to weight gain over time or other health problems like insulin resistance. Add unsweetened almond milk to regulate your blood glucose levels when eating oatmeal. 

Spread

Spreads are a great option for breakfast, including peanut butter and other spreads. Nut butter is a healthy fat that will help your body absorb the nutrients in fruits, vegetables, legumes, etc…

Peanut or almond spread is perfect because it contains unsaturated plant fat, which helps with weight loss/control and adds an extra dose of vitamins!

Eggs

Another great breakfast is eggs. They contain a lot of protein, and egg white is a great source of healthy fat! You can serve it as poached, hard-boiled, or scrambled eggs. A large egg easily contains 6 grams of protein.

Fruit

You can also enjoy delicious fruit for breakfast. They are a great source of vitamins and minerals. It also contains a lot of fiber, which is good for the digestive system! Adding them as a topping to your cereal is a great idea to make this morning meal even more nutritious!

Fruits are also very versatile and delicious! You can have them with yogurt, breakfast cereals, oatmeal, or as toppings on your whole-grain toast.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Cereal is a type of food that many people enjoy in the morning. What you may not know is that there are cereals for diabetics available on the market today, but they might be difficult to find because supermarkets don’t typically stock them. You should watch for low-sugar cereal options with whole grains, as this will help ensure your blood sugar levels stay stable throughout the day and avoid spikes in hunger later on. Oatmeal can also make a good breakfast if you prefer something warm over cold cereal or need more protein than oats provide. Remember these tips when stocking up on cereals for people with diabetes!