Best Vegan Cereals Ranked and Reviewed Including Fun & Tasty and Healthy, But Delicious Vegan Cereals
If you’re lucky enough to live in a modern town or city, it’s likely you now have access to some incredible vegan food options. One of those options being vegan cereal.
Personally, I’ve always found choosing cereal quite overwhelming. You walk into that brightly lit aisle only to face a never-ending wall of cereals to choose from. Where do you even start?
In this guide, I’ve decided to rank all the best vegan cereals currently available at all good supermarkets plus others that you can buy online.
Choosing the right vegan cereal for you really depends on your preference. Some eat cereal for fun. Others consider it an essential part of their daily meals. Therefore, I’ve broken the cereals down into “Fun & Tasty” and “Healthy, But Delicious.”
So here it is, the ultimate list of vegan cereals. To develop this list, I have used a combination of my own experience, customer reviews, and best ingredients/brands. Let’s start with the fun & tasty vegan cereals.
Fun & Tasty Vegan Cereals
Fun & tasty vegan cereals are those that I consider being really tasty but not necessarily healthy. I know, vegan is supposed to be all kale juices and wheatgrass shots. Well, it’s not!
These cereals usually include naughty ingredients and eating lots of sugar shouldn’t be part of anyone’s healthy vegan meal plan.
But who says cereal has to be serious and healthy? Cereal can be eaten at any time or any place. Just grab a bowl and your favorite plant milk.
Cap'N Crunch
That’s right! Cap’n Crunch is entirely vegan, including the original, berries, and peanut butter crunch versions. This American staple is widely available worldwide in most supermarkets and is a fun and nostalgic cereal to enjoy in the morning.
Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs
Reese’s Puffs are pure comfort food to many people. They’re especially delicious with cold almond milk and are a great way to enjoy your morning. Like the Cap’n Crunch above, this is an “accidentally vegan” product, which means they’re made vegan without explicitly aiming to be a vegan product.
Classic Trix
Trix is a fun and delicious multi-colored cereal for the whole family to enjoy. Kids especially enjoy the different shapes and colors. It’s also made with whole grain, so it isn’t too bad for your health. Classic Trix is best with cold soy milk.
Cookie Crisp
When I was younger, I was obsessed with Cookie Crisp. It’s essentially eating a bowl full of mini chocolate chip cookies with ice-cold milk. Delicious! Cookie Crisps are a great treat to enjoy at any time of the day and are best served with cold almond milk.
Golden Grahams
Fun fact: Golden Grahams used to be made with honey until it was recently taken out of the ingredient list and swapped with vegan-friendly brown sugar syrup. Golden Grahams were a popular cereal in my household growing up, now I enjoy the odd bowl with cold almond milk for a delicious breakfast.
Annie's Organic Cocoa Bunnies
This is a mix of healthy but naughty ingredients to create a tasty bowl of chocolatey goodness. Annie’s uses only organic ingredients, including healthy whole grains and natural flavors. These cocoa bunnies are deliciously served with cold oat milk.
Healthy, But Delicious Vegan Cereal
These are the cereals that vegans should really focus on. Not only are they delicious, but they use real ingredients and are packed with essential nutrients. Some are fortified with B12 , calcium, and zinc plus other nutrients vegans struggle to get through plant foods.
Nature's Path Organic Gluten-Free Sunrise Crunchy Maple
Organic and gluten-free, but absolutely delicious. Nature’s Path Sunrise Crunchy Maple cereal is an excellent start to any day. It even contains a healthy dose (11% RDI) of Omega-3, which is an essential nutrient and one that vegans struggle to get through plant foods.
ELAN Paleo Dark Chocolate Granola Cereal
Don’t be put off by the word “paleo”, it doesn’t contain chunks of wild boar or elk. This is a high-quality and nutrient-dense cereal from ELAN. I like the fact it’s made with a combination of natural nuts, seeds, and cacao beans. It’s also soy-free, sugar-free, and is a GMO-certified product.
If that’s not enough, it also contains natural MCT Oil from coconut. MCT has been shown to give you an instant hit of energy and can support weight loss.
Living Intentions Activated Superfood Cereal in Cacao Crunch
Organic, probiotic, non-GMO, gluten-free, paleo, vegan, and kosher. Not a bad start from Living Intentions. This is a superfood cereal packed with superfoods such as maca root, astragalus, reishi, cordyceps, and even includes some 2 billion CFU’s of probiotic cultures.
Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal
Ezekial 4:9 is all about taking things back to a time where food was pure and healthy. This is a sprouted cereal, which means the whole grains used have been sprouted, allowing for more nutrients to enter the body.
The vegan versions include almond, cinnamon raisin, flax & chia, flax, original flake, raisin flake, and sprouted whole grain. You get all nine essential amino acids, and it’s all-natural, and there are no preservatives.
Kashi Sweet Potato Sunshine Cereal
“Sweet potato in a cereal?” I know it sounds weird, but it works, believe me! It is also packed with antioxidants and essential nutrients that have been designed to start your day on the right foot. All the ingredients are certified organic and non-GMO.
The ingredients are sourced locally in California, only using the best sweet potatoes to deliver a healthy dose of vitamin A, fiber, and potassium.
KIND Healthy Grains Granola Clusters
This dense and ultra-healthy cereal is made using a combination of gluten-free oats, brown rice, buckwheat, millet, amaranth, quinoa. We’re talking serious nutrient-packed grains that deliver some serious protein and antioxidants right at the start of your day.
You also get flax seeds, which are a great source of Omega-3, and some natural vitamin E, which supports a healthy immune system and helps your cells regenerate.
What Makes a Great Vegan Cereal?
This question really depends on what type of cereal eater you’re. Do you eat cereal for a fun, albeit slightly unhealthy meal? Or is your cereal part of your healthy vegan meal plan?
As most people who eat unhealthy cereals probably don’t care about the nutrient content, here are the ingredients that make up a quality healthy vegan cereal.
Ingredients for Great Vegan Cereal
Whole Grains
Whole grains are an excellent choice for vegans as they’re packed with nutrients, including:
- Protein
- Fiber
- B vitamins
- Antioxidants
- Trace minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium).
Research has consistently found that a diet rich in whole grains can reduce your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, and some forms of cancer.
The best whole grains to choose from are whole wheat, whole oats, whole rye, whole barley, quinoa, and corn. Usually, a vegan cereal that mixes two or more of these whole grains is the right choice. For example, Nature's Path Organic Gluten-Free Sunrise Crunchy Maple.
Those cereals with sprouted grains are also great for health as they allow more of the nutrients to be absorbed in your body. For example, Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal.
Nuts and Seeds
Nuts and seeds are an essential part of a vegan’s diet, but many simply don’t eat enough during the day. You only need a small number of high-quality nutrients such as protein, B vitamins, omega-3, zinc, selenium, and much more.
So, a good idea is to buy cereal that includes nuts and seeds, such as the ELAN Paleo Dark Chocolate Granola Cereal. This cereal is made up of macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds, and ground flax seeds.
Fortified Nutrients
Many vegan bowls of cereal include fortified nutrients. The nutrients you want to focus on include calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B12, D, E, and K. All these nutrients are especially vital for vegans as we get very little through our vegan diet.
Yes, it is possible to get all the nutrients in plant foods. However, to do so takes a lot of planning and access to lots of varied and high-quality vegetables, grains, and soy products. Sometimes, it’s easier to buy fortified foods that deliver several essential nutrients in one place.
Superfoods
There is a lot of controversy surrounding the use of superfoods. Is it worth it? Is it just a con to get you to spend lots of money? Personally, I incorporate several superfoods into my diet, and I believe they’re adding to my overall health.
You will find several vegan bowls of cereal that include anything from maca root to goji berries. An example of a vegan superfood cereal is Living Intentions Activated Superfood Cereal in Cacao Crunch.
Try experimenting with superfoods (if you have the cash), and let me know what you think.
Antioxidants
Antioxidants are a crucial part of your diet that many of us simply don’t get enough of. Antioxidants protect your body against cell damage that free radicals cause. This is known as oxidative stress.
Oxidative stress can be caused by thousands of different things such as smoking, pollution, exposure to chemicals, and even the consumption of certain foods such as trans fat and artificial sweeteners.
It’s thought that thousands of substances could fall under the term “antioxidant.” Some antioxidants are produced by your body while others are can found outside of the body, including:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Beta-carotene
- Lycopene
- Lutein
- Selenium
- Manganese
- Zeaxanthin
Next time you pick out a vegan cereal, check the pack for antioxidants.
Organic, Non-GMO, and Gluten-Free
You will notice that most vegan products, including cereals, are certified organic, non-GMO, and gluten-free.
Organic ingredients are important because they retain more nutrients and antioxidants than ingredients that have been grown intensively using harsh pesticides and have been highly processed.
Non-GMO ingredients are not grown using toxic chemicals, are typically fresher, more abundant in nutrients, 100% natural, and better for the environment. Organic foods are generally non-GMO, but not all non-GMO foods are organic.
Gluten-free is another hot topic within the food industry. The gluten-free movement has grown significantly over the last decade, with many people believing gluten can mess with your gut and cause inflammation in the body.
Experts are divided on the opinion. If you’re celiac and gluten-free is essential for you. Personally, I went gluten-free for six months as I found that my digestion improved, I lost some weight, and I generally felt lighter with more energy.
There is growing evidence for non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS). This a condition that affects those who do not have celiac disease but still shows signs of sensitivity to gluten. Much more research is required though.
The best thing to do is experiment with a gluten-free diet and see how it makes you feel.
No Artificial Flavors or Colors
This is purely from a health perspective. There are excellent tasting vegan cereals that include artificial flavors and colors such as Cap’n Crunch and Trix Cereal. However, if you’re after a healthy cereal, you will want to avoid artificial flavors and colors.
Why? Because usually, they both have an element of toxicity that you don’t get with natural products. Eating natural is always better when it comes to food if you want to be healthy. The closer to its natural state when harvested, the better.
Natural foods are higher in nutrients and essential vitamins and minerals.
Nutritional Value
A great vegan cereal will include some of the main nutrients we vegans need to thrive. That includes:
- Protein
- Fiber
- Carbohydrates
- Micronutrients such as vitamin E, B vitamins, magnesium, and zinc
These are the main nutrients that vegans should be looking out for as part of their healthy breakfast cereal. Some cereals have better nutritional content than others.
On the list above, the healthy cereals I have listed all hit these main nutrients and then some. If you find a vegan cereal with a healthy dose of B12, that’s also well worth considering.
Price
I don’t believe in paying vast amounts of money for cereal. Often, you will find some very fancy brands that look great but are just way too overpriced. Do your research and find a vegan cereal that hits the nutritional value laid out above but is within your budget.
I’m relatively confident that you will find the perfect vegan cereal for you listed at the top of this article. Personally, I recommend the Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal. It’s an all-around great vegan cereal, and you can buy 6 x 454g packs for $48 on Amazon. You might be able to find it even cheaper in stores such as Walmart or Target.
Final Thoughts
A good cereal can be an essential part of your healthy vegan diet and can also be a naughty treat. The best way to find the perfect cereal for you is to try as many as you can. If you’re looking for healthy vegan cereals, consider the main nutrients and extras such as superfoods, nuts, seeds, and probiotics.
The vegan cereal market is growing rapidly, with more choices every month. Let me know if you discover a vegan cereal that hits all the marks but is not featured in the article. Happy breakfast, eating!
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