
Like many in the Baby Bust generation, I grew up on dry, boxed cereal. Sure, my mom would whip up bacon and eggs or homemade donuts on special occasions, but on most days, breakfast meant a bowl of sugar-coated cereal from a brightly colored box, often with a cool toy inside.
Cereal was one of the first processed foods created to make eating more convenient—not necessarily healthier. It requires no cooking or prep, making it easy for busy moms to feed the family while getting ready for work. But what was the cost of this convenience?
Cereal has often been hailed as the biggest success story of the modern food industry. Michael Pollan, a well-known author and speaker, described breakfast cereals as the “archetypal processed food product of modern capitalist food economics.”
The Power of Cereal Advertising
Cereal ads were catchy, fun, and oh-so-tempting. I remember picking my cereal of the week based solely on the commercials. Food companies pour millions into advertisements that target kids and convince adults that cereal is a healthy, economical choice. They use contests, online games, celebrity endorsements, and jingles to reel us in. The message is clear: we don’t have time to prepare real food, so why bother when dry cereal can supposedly give us all the nutrients we need? If only that were true.
Marion Nestle, a nutrition professor at NYU, summed it up perfectly: “Cereal companies have spent fortunes convincing parents that a kid’s breakfast means cereal, and that sugary cereals are fun, benign, and all kids will eat… No public health agency has a budget anywhere near that spent on a single cereal. Kids should not be eating sugar for breakfast. They should be eating real food.”

What’s Really in Your Cereal?
In reality, cereal is just a cleverly packaged mix of cheap ingredients like sugar and corn, along with even cheaper additives like artificial flavors and colors. Don’t be fooled—these highly processed food fakes offer little to no real nutrients. Most are sprayed with synthetic vitamins and minerals, and sometimes fortified with protein, but that doesn’t make them healthy.
You’ve probably seen claims like “All Natural,” “Low Fat,” or “Good Source of Vitamin A” on cereal boxes. Even these so-called “healthy” cereals are loaded with synthetic and sometimes toxic additives, making them more suitable for a dog’s bowl than your breakfast table.
The GMO Factor
Not only are most boxed cereals packed with unhealthy additives, but they’re also likely made with genetically modified (GMO) ingredients. According to Consumer Reports, genetic engineering in food crops can introduce allergens, toxins, and other unintended changes that may affect human health.
Here’s a breakdown of the percentage of genetically modified crops grown in the U.S.:
- Cotton (for cottonseed oil): 94%
- Soybeans: 93%
- Sugar Beets: 90%
- Canola: 88%
- Corn: 88%
What’s even worse is that some food manufacturers admit to using GMO ingredients.
General Mills: They state on their website that because U.S. farmers use GMO seeds, about 70% of foods on grocery store shelves likely contain GMO ingredients. If a product lists corn, soy, canola, cottonseed, or beet sugar and it’s not organic, it likely contains GMOs.
Quaker: In a 2015 email, Quaker admitted they don’t exclude GMO ingredients and rely on FDA assurances that GMO foods are no different from traditionally bred foods.
Kellogg’s: They also acknowledged that their foods likely include GMO ingredients in proportion to the U.S. food supply.
Are you noticing a trend? Here are some dry cereals you might want to avoid:

Cereals to Avoid
Honey Smacks: This cereal is 56% sugar by weight, meaning one cup has more sugar than a Twinkie. It also contains trans fats and BHT, a preservative used in jet fuel and rubber.
Froot Loops: With sugar as the first ingredient, Froot Loops is 41.4% sugar by weight. It’s also packed with artificial colors linked to hyperactivity in children.
Apple Jacks: This cereal is 42.9% sugar by weight and contains GMO corn, artificial colors, and BHT.
Golden Crisps: This cereal is 51.9% sugar by weight, contains trans fats, and almost no fiber.
French Toast Crunch: With 40% of its calories from sugar, this cereal is loaded with processed corn syrup and artificial additives.
Reese’s Puffs: Named after a candy, this cereal contains 33% sugar and artificial colors.
Lucky Charms: Despite the whole grains, this cereal is full of sugar, modified corn starch, artificial dyes, and flavors.
Rice Krispies: Although low in sugar, Rice Krispies contains trans fats, BHT, GMO grains, and no fiber.
Raisin Bran: While better than most, Raisin Bran still contains 18 grams of sugar and 46 grams of carbohydrates per serving.
JIF Peanut Butter Cereal: With 40% of its calories from sugar, this cereal also contains hydrogenated vegetable oil.
Corn Pops: Though low in sugar, Corn Pops contain dangerous hydrogenated oils linked to heart problems.

Healthier Alternatives
If you must have cereal, opt for brands that avoid GMOs, pesticides, and unhealthy additives. Here are a few:
- Go Raw
- Kais Foods
- Laughing Giraffe
- Lydia’s Organic
- Ambrosial Granola
- Nature’s Path Organics
The Best Choice: Real Food
Of course, the best option is to eat real, whole, organic food. It might take a few extra minutes to prepare, but real food is packed with the nutrients your body needs to thrive. It’s worth the effort every time!