Pregnancy is among the most delicate and challenging phases of any woman’s life. Among other things, it puts a big restriction on what you can and can’t eat. Our buying guide on the best cereal for pregnancy is a natural response to numerous expecting women.
Changes in your diet are probably the first significant things you’ll need to deal with. Diet matters because the type of food you consume will affect not just you, but the little human growing inside of you.
Naturally, like any other pregnant woman, you’ll sit down and research all there is to know about diet-related aspects.
If you’ve already done intensive research, you’ll know that cereals are extremely beneficial for both your health and your baby’s.
Cereals contain minerals and nutrients needed to keep your health in top shape. These components are effective for the healthy development of your baby as well.
With that said, let’s get started.
The Best Cereals For Pregnant Women
1. Multi-Grain Cheerios
As you might’ve already guessed, this particular cereal contains a variety of grains (five in total).
It has all of the crucial minerals and prenatal vitamins your body will require throughout your pregnancy.
The sugar content in Multi-Grain Cheerios is quite low, making it among the top contenders for the best cereal for pregnancy.
As mentioned earlier, this particular cereal is rich in all of the essential components. It’s rich in calcium, folic acid, and iron, among others.
Are you wondering how important calcium, folic acid, and iron are for healthy pregnancy? Check out this study by the NCBI.
The best aspect about the Multi-Grain Cheerios is its health benefits, aside from simply being tasty.
All in all, Multi-Grain Cheerios contains components that are incredibly healthy for you, especially during pregnancy.
You can get an 18oz box of this cereal for about $4-5 USD.
Pros
- Contains the 9 essential minerals and vitamins, like Vitamin B12, E, and riboflavin.
- Is a rich source of calcium, folic acid, and iron.
- Provides an abundant amount of fiber, aiding digestion.
- Minimal sugar content.
Cons
- Ultimately, it falls under the category of “Processed Food.”
- Heavy consumption is not recommended.
2. Cinnamon Crunch by Cascadian Farm
With no cholesterol and low-fat content, this next mention in our best cereal for pregnant women list is among the top fan favorites.
If you’ve had this cereal before, you’ll know that it contains coatings of sprinkled sugars and cinnamon. In case you didn’t, well, now you do!
Cinnamon Crunch doesn’t make use of any genetically modified components and is made with organic ingredients.
Just like our first mention, this cereal is also healthy for your heart.
Cinnamon Crunch doesn’t contain additives, flavoring agents, or artificial coloring components.
Every serving of this tasty and healthy cereal offers you whole grain and fiber in abundance. You get about 15 grams of whole grain and 3 grams of fiber in each serving.
This cereal is packed with a variety of crucial vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin E and Tocopherols. The latter helps keep the cereal fresh for a longer time.
Change of food preferences, cravings, and loss of appetite are quite common during pregnancy. Because of this, there’s a high chance you’ll have difficulty keeping your diet in check.
You can have Cinnamon Crunch by Cascadian Farm as a quick fix, dessert, appetizer, or a healthy breakfast.
A 14oz box of this particular cereal will usually cost you about $4-5 USD.
Aside from the components mentioned above, this cereal also contains rice flour, sunflower oil, and cane sugar, among other things.
Pros
- Uses whole grains and organic ingredients.
- Strong cinnamon flavor
Cons
- Uses dextrose and contains excess sugar.
3. Whole Grain Cereal by Weetabix
For all of the expecting mothers out there, listen here! This cereal is most likely to become your ideal breakfast item for the rest of your pregnancy journey.
The amount of fat and sugar in this cereal is incredibly low. Not only that, but it’s also abundantly rich in fiber, which makes digestion extremely efficient.
As you know, your body requires a ton of essential vitamins and minerals during pregnancy.
Keeping that in mind specifically, this cereal not only contains those crucial minerals, but you can also find Vitamin B1 (Thiamine).
And that’s not all! This cereal is also a rich source of iron.
If you didn’t know, iron-rich foods (other than folic acid) are among the most crucial elements for your pregnancy diet. Especially in your 2nd and 3rd trimesters, iron becomes even more vital for you and your baby.
When it comes to taste, we’d say this cereal is about 7 out of 10 on the taste scale. You can have it either cold or hot, depending on your preferences.
The cereal doesn’t make use of any artificial flavoring or coloring agents. Plus, it doesn’t contain any genetically modified components.
Across the board, Whole Grain Cereal by Weetabix uses a variety of healthy ingredients. Among them, the most notable ones are wheat, salt, cane sugar (dehydrated), and extracts of barley milk.
A 14oz box of this cereal will amount to about $20 USD.
Pros
- Uses organic ingredients and non-GMO.
- Contains vital minerals and vitamins such as Iron and Thiamine.
Cons
- Comes at a high price point.
4. Rice Biscuits Cereal by Happy Belly
The next mention of our list is definitely the answer to your cravings. Simply put, this cereal is tasty and healthy.
If you love Rice Chex, you’ll seriously binge on this cereal for the months to come.
The Happy Belly is a local Amazon brand that delivers nutrients and all that’s good and tasty in the form of cereals. Other than making cereals for pregnant women, they also produce cereal for babies.
Since they’re an Amazon brand, the customer service they provide is reliable and trustworthy. If you have any issues with your box of cereals, you can conveniently approach the customer service staff.
This cereal doesn’t contain any corn syrup, which is a source of high sugar in the form of fructose.
Plus, the cereal has no added colors or artificial flavoring agents.
Rice Biscuits Cereal by Happy Belly is an everyday source of a total of eight essential minerals and vitamins.
This cereal contains Vitamins B12, D, Vitamin A, B1 (Thiamine), B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B6, and C. Other than these, the cereal also provides folic acid and reduced iron.
As we’ve already mentioned earlier, folic acid and iron are critically important for pregnant women. Having these components in your diet is essential.
Pros
- The cereal contains multiple vital minerals and vitamins such as folic acid, iron, and Vitamin B2.
- The cereal remains fresh for extended periods because of Tocopherols.
Cons
- It goes out of stock quite often.
5. Honey Nut Cheerios
With no added colors or artificial flavoring agents, this cereal is among the best cereals for pregnant women.
This choice doesn’t contain any gluten as well.It makes for a tasty and healthy snack alternative for your cravings.
Were you aware that consuming food items with a high gluten concentration is not safe for your child? Yes, that’s correct.
Doing so increases the chances of your child developing Type 1 Diabetes.
Since it’s healthy and nutritious, you and your child can both enjoy this cereal for breakfast.
The sweetness of the cereal isn’t because of any added sugar. Instead, it comes from real honey.
Oat cereals are toasted, which makes them crunchy and gives them a splendid texture that goes perfectly with milk.
Just like our other mentions in the buying guide, this cereal also doesn’t disappoint on the health parameters.
It provides you with a variety of minerals and vitamins, leaving no voids in your diet.
The cereal contains crucial vitamins such as Vitamins D3, B12, B9, B2, Vitamin A, B1, and B6, among others.
Vitamin B1 or Thiamine enhances your and your baby’s ability to use carbs as energy. It’s also crucial for the healthy brain development of your baby.
Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin is another component found in the cereal that’s crucial for the development of your baby’s nerves, muscles, and bones.
It’s also a rich source of zinc, iron, and calcium carbonate. These components are essential for the healthy growth and development of your infant.
A 10oz box of Honey Nut Cheerios will cost you about USD 12-13.
Pros
- Provides essential nutrients such as Zinc, Iron, Riboflavin, and Thiamine.
- No flavoring agents/added colors.
Cons
- A little expensive.
Things to Keep In Mind
Deciding which box of cereals to buy can literally become a nightmare if you don’t have certain points in mind.
That’s why, in this section, we’ll list down a few points that will help you shortlist the best cereal for pregnancy.
Focus on Per-Serving Content
During pregnancy, it can become difficult to decide what is “healthy” and what’s not.
With so many meal options, you’ll have to stay focused on choosing one that offers you the most well-rounded and balanced options.
If you wish to feel full for longer periods, every serving of cereal should provide a minimum of five grams of fiber. Try to limit sugar amounts to ten grams at most.
Unable to do this? You still have options. In that case, you can also choose to mix a variety of cereals together.
This way, you’ll be able to get the desired amounts of sugar, protein, and dietary fiber.
Choose High-Fiber and High-Iron Cereals
During pregnancy, nutrients such as fiber and iron, are among the most mentioned components.
Having food items that are rich in fiber isn’t just satiating, but also aids your digestive system.
You’re physically connected with your baby through the placenta. That’s how the exchange of bodily fluids and other vital nutrients takes place.
Iron is a component that assists in effectively enhancing circulation between the baby and you.
On a daily basis, make sure that you’re taking in25 grams of fiber and 27 milligrams of iron at minimum.
FAQs
- I’m halfway through my pregnancy. Can I eat fortified foods?
Absolutely, and you’ll be surprised to learn that it’s actually advised by many doctors as a complement to regular meals with cereals.
The reason is that cereals are a great source of minerals, vitamins, and nutrients that could otherwise be lacking in your regular healthy diet.
- Can I eat any type of cereal during pregnancy?
Typically, you shouldn’t have any issues doing this. At the same time, we’d advise you to do thorough research before purchasing and eating any cereals.
If you’re finding that difficult, simply choose from our immersive list.
Summary
These were the best cereals for pregnancy that we could find on the market. Each one of these cereal boxes is packed with nutrients, minerals, and vitamins that will help you and your baby.
These cereal boxes offer a great alternative to your cravings, and they are healthy as well.
You’ll find many cereal brands claiming to offer a ton of things. At the same time, only a few hold up their end of the bargain.
That’s why we’d recommend that you pick from our curated list.
Share this list with your loved ones, and let us know which one you liked the best!
Check out this video to learn about the importance of nutrition during pregnancy.
