Type 2 Diabetes Nutrition & Weight Loss Should You Eat Cereal for Breakfast if You Have Diabetes? By Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN facebook twitter linkedin instagram Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, is a registered dietitian and certified diabetes care and education specialist. Learn about our editorial process Barbie Cervoni MS, RD, CDCES, CDN Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Ana Maria Kausel, MD on September 18, 2020 facebook twitter Ana Maria Kausel, MD, is double board-certified in internal medicine and endocrinology/diabetes and metabolism. She works in private practice and is affiliated with Mount Sinai St. Luke's/Mount Sinai West. Learn about our Medical Review Board Ana Maria Kausel, MD on September 18, 2020 Print Verywell / Zorica Lakonic Table of Contents View All Breakfast Guidelines Can Cereal be Healthy? Lowering Carbs Whole Grains Hidden Sweeteners Good Brands We've heard countless times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day—it can jump start metabolism, prevent food cravings, and help people lose weight. The most common complaint of "non breakfast eaters" is that they don't have time in the morning to eat and need quick breakfast ideas. While it's probably better to eat something for breakfast than nothing at all, cold cereal may not be the best choice for someone with diabetes who is trying to lose weight. Lower Carbohydrate, Higher Fat, and Protein Breakfast Studies have shown that starting the day with a higher fat, higher protein, lower carbohydrate breakfast can have a positive effect on blood sugar levels and weight control in patients with diabetes. Protein and fat tend to be more satiating, and can keep you feeling full for longer, typically resulting in lower overall calorie intake. In addition, blood sugars tend to rise after breakfast and many people are resistant to insulin in the morning, which can also cause blood sugars to spike. Elevated blood sugars may cause additional carbohydrate cravings and lead to excess calorie and carbohydrate intake, often resulting in excess sugar in the blood. Can Cereal be Healthy? When breakfast meal planning, it's important to know some cereals are healthier than others. When choosing a cereal, it's important to choose a cereal that is low in sugar and high in fiber. In specific terms, look for cereals that have six grams of sugar and at least three grams of fiber. Processed, refined, high-sugar cereals are rich in calories, carbohydrates, and sugar, none of which is great for diabetes. On the other hand, whole grain cereals made with healthy ingredients such as nuts can be considered healthy. Of note, following a diet rich in whole grains can reduce the risk of heart disease. If you choose wisely and watch your portions, you can enjoy cereal. In fact, many cereals are fortified with vitamins and minerals, which can help people meet their nutritional needs. For someone with diabetes, a good time to eat cereal can be before exercise. Physical activity helps to burn sugar (or glucose). If you are someone who takes an oral medication or insulin that can cause your blood sugar to drop, you'll likely need to eat carbohydrates before exercise to prevent low blood sugars during physical activity. Tips to Lower the Carb Content in Cereal Choose a hot cereal like oatmeal, quinoa, or another whole grain blend, and add chopped nuts or nut butter for added fiber, protein, and healthy fat. For example, 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal with 3/4 cup blueberries, and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, topped with cinnamonIf you are choosing a cold cereal: Read the label and stick to one serving, measure it with a measuring cup and use a small bowl to make the portion appear largerChoose a cereal that is whole grain (the first ingredient should say whole)Choose a cereal that has at least three grams of fiber and no more than six grams of sugarAvoid adding dried fruit, sugar, or other calorie sweeteners, such as agave, honey, table sugarAdd one serving of high-fiber fruit to increase fiber content, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberriesChoose unsweetened almond milk for less carbohydrate than cow's milkSkip the milk altogether and make a yogurt parfait: Using low-fat Greek yogurt will boost protein content and reduce carbohydrate content Types of Whole Grains Found in Cereal OatsWhole oat flourWhole wheat flourWheat branWhole corn/cornmealWhole grain buckwheatWhole grain spelt flakesBarleyBrown riceMilletQuinoaWild rice Watch Out for Common Hidden Sweeteners Agave nectarBrown sugarCane crystals and sugarCorn sweetener and syrupCrystalline fructoseDextroseEvaporated cane juiceFructoseFruit juice concentratesGlucoseHoneyHigh-fructose corn syrupMalt syrupMaltoseMaple syrupMolassesRaw sugarSucroseSyrup What Are Some Good Brands? If you are someone with diabetes, you can assess which cereals work best for you by testing your blood sugar before and two hours after you eat. If your blood sugar is at goal, then you're on track. Many people say their blood sugars are best and they feel the most satisfied when they eat the following brands of cold cereal: Cascadian Farm Organic Purely O'sCheeriosPost Bran FlakesWheatiesQuaker Crunchy Corn BranKixFiber OneBarbara’s Bakery Puffins (Cinnamon and Honey Rice)Kashi (certain varities), such as, Puffed Rice, GoLeanKellogg’s Special K High ProteinKellogg’s All Bran A Word From Verywell Cereal isn't a good choice for everyone with diabetes, but it may be better than eating nothing at all. It can add vitamins, minerals, and fiber to your diet as well as help prevent low blood sugars. The key to eating cereal is to stick to one serving and watch your add-ons. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! We know healthy eating is key to help manage diabetes, but that doesn't make it easy. Our free nutrition guide is here to help. Sign up and receive your free copy! Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Gannon MC, Nuttall FQ. Effect of a high-protein, low-carbohydrate diet on blood glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes. 2004;53(9):2375-2382. doi:10.2337/diabetes.53.9.2375 American Heart Association. The greatness of whole grains. Updated October 5, 2016. Francois ME, Baldi JC, Manning PJ, et al. "Exercise snacks" before meals: A novel strategy to improve glycaemic control in individuals with insulin resistance. Diabetologia. 2014;57(7):1437-1445. doi:10.1007/s00125-014-3244-6 Additional Reading Rabinovitz HR, Boa M, Ganz T, et al. Big breakfast rich in protein and fat improves glycemic control in type 2 diabetics. Obesity. 2014 May;22(5):E46-54. doi:10.1002/oby.20654