Honey Nut Cheerios is the second best-selling cereal in America behind Original Cheerios. Given its popularity, many people have questions about its sugar content, particularly how much is in it.
This article discusses the amount of sugar in Honey Nut Cheerios and provides a comparison of its sugar to other popular cereals. By the end of this article, you will have a clearer understanding of the topic.
Here is what you need to know about Honey Nut Cheerios and its sugar…
Honey Nut Cheerios Sugar Content
Honey Nut Cheerios has 12 grams of total sugar in a 1-cup serving size without milk. All of the 12 grams are considered added sugar.
Here are the full nutrition facts for this cereal:
| Cereal Only | % Daily Value | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving Size | 1 Cup (37g) | |
| Calories | 140 | |
| Total Fat | 2g | 3% |
| Saturated Fat | 0g | |
| Trans Fat | 0g | |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 0.5g | |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 0.5g | |
| Cholesterol | 0mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 210mg | 9% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 30g | 11% |
| Dietary Fiber | 3g | 10% |
| Soluble Fiber | <1g | |
| Total Sugars | 12g | |
| Includes 12g Added Sugars | 24% | |
| Protein | 3g | |
| Vitamin D | 2mcg | 10% |
| Calcium | 130mg | 10% |
| Iron | 3.6mg | 20% |
| Potassium | 150mg | 4% |
How Are Honey Nut Cheerios Sweetened?
Honey Nut Cheerios contains three primary sweeteners to make it appealing to cereal fans:
Its primary sweetener is sugar.
Of course, the cereal is also made with real honey. Despite it being a natural sugar, honey is still considered an added sugar in regard to labeling requirements.
The final sweetener is brown sugar syrup which is commonly made by dissolving the sugar in hot water to form a syrupy liquid.
All of the sweeteners above help contribute to this cereal’s 12 grams of total sugar which all are considered added sugar.
These are the full ingredients for Honey Nut Cheerios for your reference:
Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Corn Starch, Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Canola Oil, Natural Almond Flavor. Vitamin E (Mixed Tocopherols) Added To Preserve Freshness. Vitamins And Minerals: Calcium Carbonate, Vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbate), Iron And Zinc (Mineral Nutrients), A B Vitamin (Niacinamide), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Vitamin B1 (Thiamin Mononitrate), Vitamin A (Palmitate), Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), A B Vitamin (Folic Acid), Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3.
Honey Nut Cheerios vs Other Popular Cereals Sugar Content
This table provides a comparison of the sugar in Honey Nut Cheerios to other popular cereals. The data is for the cereal only without the addition of milk. Milk contains natural sugar in the form of lactose and will increase total sugars if used. The sugar in milk varies based on type (i.e. 2%, whole mile, etc.) and quantity.
Overall, the sugar in Honey Nut Cheerios is similar to several kid-friendly cereals such as Frosted Flakes, Fruity Pebbles, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Froot Loops. Original Cheerios is a much better option with its minimal added sugar.
| Cereal | Serving Size | Total Sugar(g) | Added Sugar(g) | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey Nut Cheerios | 1 Cup (37g) | 12g | 12g | 140 |
| Original Cheerios | 1 1/2 Cup (39g) | 2g | 1g | 140 |
| Kellogg’s Froot Loops | 1 1/3 Cup (39g) | 12g | 12g | 150 |
| Fruity Pebbles | 1 Cup (36g) | 12g | 12g | 140 |
| Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes | 1 Cup (37g) | 12g | 12g | 130 |
| Kellogg’s Corn Flakes | 1 1/2 Cup (42g) | 4g | 4g | 150 |
| Post Raisin Bran | 1 1/4 Cup (61g) | 20g | 9g | 190 |
| Honey Bunches of Oats With Almonds | 1 Cup (42g) | 9g | 8g | 170 |
| Cinnamon Toast Crunch | 1 Cup (41g) | 12g | 12g | 170 |
| Trix | 1 1/4 Cup (39g) | 12g | 12g | 160 |
| Cap ‘n Crunch | 1 Cup (38g) | 17g | 17g | 150 |
| Kix – Original | 1 1/2 Cup (40g) | 4g | 4g | 160 |
| Lucky Charms | 1 Cup (36g) | 12g | 12g | 140 |
| Post Shredded Wheat | 1 1/3 Cup (60g) | 0g | 0g | 210 |
Recommended Daily Sugar
Health professionals recommend that we limit added sugars in our diets. These are the sugars added during processing such as regular sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, sucrose, dextrose, and many others.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are an often-cited source for nutritional recommendations. These guidelines are created by the Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) for the general public.
The Dietary Guidelines recommend that added sugars be limited to less than 10% of total calories daily. This means that a person who eats a 1,500-calorie diet, for example, would be allowed to consume under 150 calories from added sugar a day. 150 calories are equivalent to about a maximum of 37 grams of added sugar in a day. The math on this is, (150 calories of added sugar ÷ 4 calories per gram of sugar = 37.5 grams of added sugar daily).
A serving of Honey Nut Cheerios alone won’t put most people over their daily recommended added sugar amount. However, it will greatly reduce the amount you will be allowed to consume for the remainder of the day when following the recommendations for added sugar.
Sources:
cheerios.com
Sollid, K. (2022, April 26). Added sugars labeling for honey and maple syrup: A less-sticky situation. Food Insight. Retrieved December 21, 2022, from https://foodinsight.org/sugars-labeling-of-honey-and-maple-syrup/#:~:text=Pure%20honey%2C%20pure%20maple%20syrup,daily%20value%20for%20added%20sugars.
