Sometimes, you just need a bowl of cereal. Something about it is nostalgic and just a little bit magical, bringing back memories of Saturday morning cartoons and sickly-sweet cereal milk.

But therein lies the problem: the sickly-sweetness. Most cereals (even the ones that aren’t marketed toward kids) are loaded with sugar — no marshmallows or color-changing milk required!

Luckily, there are plenty of options totally free of added sugars, and even some that are low enough in carbs to be keto-friendly. Here are our favorites.

Cereal is serious business. Cereal business? Anyway, before we get started, let’s define some terms.

Sugar shuffle

  • Natural sugar: Sugar that’s naturally found in things like milk and fruit. Not necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re trying to limit total sugar or if you’re on keto, it’s something to be mindful of.
  • Added sugar: Sugar that’s added to foods during processing. High added sugar intake is associated with an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, dental issues, and some other health conditions. It’s best to limit your added sugar intake as much as possible.
  • Carbs: The portion of food that has the largest effect on your blood sugar levels. If you’re not on a low carb diet like keto, you get most of your energy from carbs. And contrary to popular belief, they’re not evil — they’re just misunderstood.
  • Fiber: The portion of carbs that your body doesn’t digest. Oh, and it helps ya poop.
  • Sugar alcohols: These provide sweetness but are mostly calorie- and carb-free. You’ll find these in sweet, keto-friendly cereals.
  • Net carbs: The total number of carbs minus fiber and sugar alcohols. If you’re on keto, you’re probably counting your daily net carb intake.
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The tricky thing about added sugar is that it has more than 100 different names you might find on ingredient labels (sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, glycerin, and honey, to name a few).

So, the best way to check for added sugar is to look at the nutrition label. You’ll want to choose a cereal that contains 0 grams of added sugar.

Helpful hint: To minimize total sugar when you eat cereal, use an unsweetened plant-based milk instead of cow’s milk, which contains natural sugar.

Use this legend to identify the price range per ounce of these cereals.

  • $ = under $0.76 per ounce
  • $$ = $0.76–$1.50 per ounce
  • $$$ = over $1.50 per ounce

These cereals aren’t carb-free. In fact, many are made with carb-rich whole grains. But they’re all unsweetened and free of added sugars.

Three Wishes Unsweetened Grain-Free Cereal

This gluten-free option is made from our favorite buzzworthy bean: chickpeas! It’s also vegan and has a decent bit of protein (a rarity in the cereal world).

Nutrition per 3/4-cup (35-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 15 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 3 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 0 grams
  • Net carbs: 12 grams

Price: $$

Buy this cereal.

Kashi 7 Whole Grain Puffs

This puffed cereal is made with wheat, brown rice, oats, barley, triticale, rye, buckwheat, and sesame seeds. Definitely pick up a box if you’re trying to upgrade your whole-grain game.

Nutrition per 1 1/2-cup (40-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 32 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 4 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 0 grams
  • Net carbs: 28 grams

Price: $

Buy this cereal.

Arrowhead Mills Natural Puffed Corn Cereal

This cereal has a single, solitary ingredient: corn. With no added sugar or salt, it makes a perfect bowl of cereal with some almond milk or an excellent crunchy snack on its own.

Nutrition per 1-cup (16-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 12 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 2 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 0 grams
  • Net carbs: 10 grams

Price: $$

Buy this cereal.

Nature’s Path Rice Puffs

Ready to make some next-level crispy rice cereal treats? Gotta start with next-level rice cereal. This single-ingredient cereal is made with only puffed organic brown rice.

Nutrition per 1-cup (16-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 13 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Sugar alcohols: 0 grams
  • Net carbs: 12 grams

Price: $

Buy this cereal.

Barbara’s Shredded Wheat

This shredded wheat from Barbara’s boasts 5 grams of fiber per serving, the highest on this list. That’s sure to help things down below move smoothly. It also contains just one ingredient: whole wheat.

Nutrition per 2-biscuit (40-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 32 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 5 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 0 grams
  • Net carbs: 27 grams

Price: $

Buy this cereal.

Nature’s Path Gluten-Free Homestyle Instant Oatmeal

Prefer hot cereal? These instant oatmeal packets from Nature’s Path are vegan and gluten-free. Just be careful choosing other oatmeal products if you have a gluten intolerance, because not all oats are guaranteed to be gluten-free.

Nutrition per 1-packet (40-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 34 grams
  • Sugar: 1 gram
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 6 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 0 grams
  • Net carbs: 28 grams

Price: $

Buy this cereal.

These keto-friendly cereals are low in net carbs. Most of them may contain zero-calorie sweeteners like stevia along with sugar alcohols.

Highkey Frosted Protein Cereal

Missing sweet, crunchy cereal on your keto diet? Highkey knows how you feel. This cereal is sweetened with monk fruit and sugar alcohols and packed with protein to help keep you full.

Nutrition per 1/2-cup (28-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 11 grams
  • Sugar: <1 gram
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 3 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 8 grams
  • Net carbs: 0 grams

Price: $$

Buy this cereal.

Cereal School Peanut Butter Cereal

These peanut butter puffs are high in protein and conveniently packaged in single-serving bags. We have a serial lack of self-control when it comes to cereal, so these portion-controlled bags are A++.

Nutrition per 1-bag (26-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 5 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 0 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 4 grams
  • Net carbs: 1 gram

Price: $$$

Buy this cereal.

Magic Spoon Fruity

This brightly colored cereal is a throwback in a box. The colors come from natural sources like turmeric, spirulina, and veggie juice, and it’s sweetened with monk fruit, stevia, and another natural sugar substitute called allulose.

Nutrition per 3/4-cup (28-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 10 grams
  • Sugar: 0 grams
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 1 gram
  • Sugar alcohols: 6 grams
  • Net carbs: 3 grams

Price: $$

Buy this cereal.

Livlo Granolo Chocolate Hazelnut Keto Granola

The best thing about cereal is how wide-ranging the flavors are. Cookies, cinnamon toast, toaster pastries? Yup, yup, and yup. And now you can take care of your hazelnut and chocolate cravings, too, with this keto-friendly granola.

Nutrition per 1/3-cup (35-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 10 grams
  • Sugar: 1 gram
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 4 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 5 grams
  • Net carbs: 1 gram

Price: $$

Buy this cereal.

Diabetic Kitchen Almond Butter Granola

Another fiber-rich choice, this keto-friendly granola is made with nuts and hemp hearts coated in unsweetened almond butter. Best of all, it’s totally free of sugar and sweeteners. Sign. Us. Up.

Nutrition per 1/3-cup (36-gram) serving:

  • Total carbs: 9 grams
  • Sugar: 1 gram
  • Added sugar: 0 grams
  • Fiber: 5 grams
  • Sugar alcohols: 0 grams
  • Net carbs: 4 grams

Price: $$

Buy this cereal.

Grab your favorite bowl and dive in!