Breakfast cereals have gone from fuel to fluff how to select the healthiest ones

They’re colorful, crunchy — and packed with junk. A new study suggests that many kid-friendly breakfast cereals are slipping in nutritional value, with more fat, sugar and sodium sneaking into every spoonful. Researchers say the shift may be feeding America’s obesity crisis, which now affects 1 in 5 children and adolescents nationwide. The Post spoke with two NYC-area nutrition experts to get the scoop on the healthiest cereal options and smarter breakfast swaps for the most important meal of the day. Cereal continues to dominate at the breakfast table. Nearly three-quarters of US households reached for a cereal box in 2023, according to CivicScience polling.While just 12% ate it daily, 18% had it three or four times a week and 23% reached for a bowl once or twice a week.But habits are changing.

The same survey found that nearly one in three Americans are now seeking healthier cereal options, such as those low in sugar and high in fiber. In the new study, researchers examined 1,200 new or revamped cereals that hit US grocery store shelves between 2010 and 2023.They focused on products specifically marketed to children 5 to 12, often boasting bright packaging, cartoon mascots and tempting prizes inside.The results suggest that breakfast is starting to look a lot more like dessert. Over the 13-year period, the average fat content per serving grew by nearly 34%, jumping from just 0.13 grams in 2010 to a whopping 1.51 grams in 2023. Sodium also surged, increasing 32% to more than 200 milligrams per serving on average. While total carbohydrates stayed mostly flat, average sugar content climbed by nearly 11%.In many cases, just one bowl exceeds 45% of the American Heart Association’s daily recommended limit for children.

“With cereal, that’s just them starting off the day,” Dr.Josephine Connolly-Schoonen, executive director of the nutrition division at Stony Brook Medicine, told The Post.

“You can quite easily see how they’ll exceed the recom...