I used to eat cereal almost daily.  I thought I was eating good cereal……Cheerios, Total, etc.  I stopped the sugary ones like Captain Crunch years ago!  Although, I did get into the habit of a very sugary version of Cheerios that so many people like–Honey Nut Cheerios.

Is Cereal Healthy?  Is Cereal good for a diet?

Two different issues, but I think that overall, it is a diet killer and possibly not very good for you either.

Honey Nut Cheerios, had an equivalent amount of sugar to the Fruity Pebbles. Every other cereal had significantly more. In fact, some of the cereals sailed past the halfway mark for how much sugar many experts believe we should consume in a day.

Ways that Cereal is causing you to gain weight.

• Your bowl is too big: Depending on the box of cereal you choose, a serving size is about three-quarters to one-and-a-quarter cups. If you use the biggest bowl you have and just mindlessly pour, you could be devouring over 400 calories instead of the usual 120 to 200.
• You’re a little nuts: Sliced almonds, pecans, and walnuts offer healthy fats and protein, but they’re also pretty high in calories.

• You’re using a bottomless bowl: You measure out a serving of cereal, pour in the milk, and spoon away. But when you get to the bottom of the bowl, you have so much milk left, you have to add a little more cereal. But you add too much, so you need to pour in a little more milk. 
• You load up on dried fruit to up the fiber: Raisins, dates, banana chips, and dried cherries do offer a little bit of fiber, but because they contain hardly any water, dried fruits are super calorie dense. A quarter cup of dried cranberries is over 100 calories. You’re better off using fresh fruit since it’s lower in calories and higher in fiber.
• You’re in love with low-fat milk: The more fat in your milk, the more calories. One cup of whole milk contains 150 calories, and two percent has 130. If you go for 90 calories of non-fat milk.  Better yet, try Almond milk.  It is good and low carb and calories.
• You’re still into kids cereal: Lucky Charms, Cocoa Pebbles, Apple Jacks, Froot Loops (AND HONEY NUT CHEERIOS) — they might be sweet and tasty, but they contain tons of sugar and hardly any nutrition. That means you’ll polish off your bowl and an hour later, hunger will have you reaching for more food, which will end up packing on the pounds. Choose cereals high in protein and fiber.  Then, you won’t go into a sugar roller coaster soon after and feel awful and need a hit of sugar again.

One CUP of Cheerios is 111 calories and 22g of carbs.  A bit high for my taste, but better than 143 calories and almost 30g of carbs.  And remember that is only ONE measured cup.  How many cups do you usually pour for yourself?  Use a measuring cup and see how little a cup really is before you continue eating cereal and wonder why you are gaining weight.

HEALTH:

I gave up on all wheat products.  I lost weight and I lost my wheat belly from looking pregnant!  Less bloated and no more IBS.  It improved my health and my weight.  I felt like wheat was killing me.  I was super sluggish and I am not anymore.