8 Best High Fiber Cereals for Weight Control

If you’ve learned about why fiber is a key component to your diet, you may be asking yourself what products you can incorporate to increase your fiber intake. (If you haven’t yet learned about the amazing properties of fiber, check out our blog on fiber for fullness here).

Increasing your fiber intake from nearly nothing to iDiet’s recommended 40+ grams a day can seem like a daunting task, especially when you need both insoluble fiber (e.g., wheat bran, corn bran) and soluble fiber (e.g., whole grains, legumes, fruits, and vegetables) throughout the day. This is where High Fiber Cereal, (aka “HFC” or “fiber” to iDieters) comes in handy. ☺

High Fiber Cereals (HFCs) are a fantastic way to get a large amount of fiber in one or two daily servings! Not only do most HFCs have at least a third of your daily recommended fiber, but they are portable and versatile — you can keep them with you at all times to have in yogurt, in salads, and even as an ice cream topper (a personal favorite!).

With so many products out there stating that they are “high in fiber” right on the box, how can you identify a really good product? It’s easy, just follow these two simple rules (or just take our brand suggestions, which we don’t even receive payment for!)

High Fiber Cereal (HFC) Golden Rules:

1. Ideally 10 grams of fiber per ½ cup serving.
   This ensures that it really is high in fiber.
2. No more than 80 calories per ½ cup serving.
   This ensures that the balance of fiber and protein outweighs that of fat and sugar.

You’ll be surprised to find that there are quite a few cereals that meet these criteria! And the best part? Most of them are actually really delicious!

Start with these Great High Fiber Cereals:

(Note that all of the HFCs listed below are shown in ½ cup servings, but this is not always the way they are listed on the box… so beware)

1. FiberOne Original (½ cup)
   14 grams of fiber, 60 calories
2. Nature’s Path Organic Smartbran (½ cup)
   10 grams of fiber, 70 calories
   Organic, Non-GMO, nothing artificial
3. All-Bran Original (½ cup)
   10 grams of fiber, 80 calories
4. Trader Joe’s High Fiber Cereal (½ cup)
   7 grams of fiber, 60 calories
      Non-GMO, nothing artificial
5. All-Bran Bran Buds (½ cup)
   [Note: The recommended servings size is 1/3 cup and fits the rules, so eat less of this one due to the calorie density]
   20 grams of fiber, 120 calories

Regional High Fiber Cereals:

Depending on where you live, you may find other generic or store brands that work. In New England, Dr. Roberts also buys:

1. Stop & Shop Fiber Select (½ cup) [Comparable to FiberOne Original]
   14 grams of fiber, 50 calories
2. Market Basket Fiber Active (½ cup)
   14 grams of fiber, 60 calories

Supplemental High Fiber Cereals

To be mixed with the Great HFCs
(Note: These cereals do not meet both HFC Rules as they are either too low in fiber or too high in calories), but they are still good options to mix into another HFC cereal for variety and additional taste!

1. FiberOne 80 – Honey Squares (½ cup)
   7 grams of fiber, 55 calories
2. FiberOne 80 – Chocolate (½ cup)
   6 grams of fiber, 55 calories
3. Kashi Go Original (½ cup) (formerly called Kashi Go Lean or Go Rise)
   5 grams of fiber, 80 calories
      Non-GMO, nothing artificial

You may also want to know that that the FiberOne cereals contain artificial sweeteners. Some people prefer to avoid these kinds of sweeteners, and of course that is a personal choice. We at the iDiet have reviewed the scientific literature extensively and are comfortable saying that artificial sweeteners approved by the FDA are not harmful in moderation — and have the important advantage that you can avoid sugar completely! Over time, most iDieters find that they lose their cravings for sweet tastes when they avoid sugar and substitute artificial sweeteners, so that they progress to a diet without any sweeteners, which of course is a great place to end up. ☺ In the meantime, the decision is yours and there are options both with and without artificial sweeteners to choose from.

Here are a few of the ways the iDiet team likes to enjoy fiber cereals:

1. As a cereal! ☺
   With milk and fresh or frozen berries
2. As an unlimited dry snack (really, have as often as you are hungry!)
   A serving of HFC with 2 teaspoons of added flavorings (e.g., peanuts or chocolate chips or raisins)
   Remember to drink a full glass of water with each serving of high-fiber cereal.
3. As an additive
   In Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, ice cream, soup, salad (even as a breading for fish and poultry)

When it comes to incorporating HFCs into your diet, the most important thing is that you find some options that you enjoy.
Many of our dieters say that they have fiber for breakfast nearly every day, and still look forward to it. Find the one that speaks to you and stock up on it, because once you start, you’ll never want to run out ☺

Fiberfully Yours,
Dr. Susan Roberts and The iDiet Team