When it comes to breakfast cereals, Kix has been a long-standing favorite on grocery store shelves.
It was first introduced in 1937 and has been a breakfast staple for generations. It is known for it’s distinctive round shape and crunchy texture and is often marketed as a kid-friendly cereal option.
However, while there are plenty of other breakfast cereal options, Is Kix cereal really a healthy choice?
Short answer: Kix cereal is healthy as it is free from artificial additives and is a good source of vitamins and minerals. Additionally, it contains a decent source of protein and fiber. However, it contain added sugar and is moderate in sodium. As a result, it should be consumed in moderation.
Read on to find out more about Kix cereal, including its ingredients, sugar, protein, fiber content and more.
I’ll also compare Kix to other popular breakfast cereals marketed to kids.
So let’s start.
Read also: Are Golden Grahams Healthy? Everything You Need To Know
What is Kix cereal made up of?
Kix cereal comes in three flavors – Regular, Honey and Berry Berry.
So, the exact ingredients can vary depending on the flavor.
However, at its core, Kix cereal is made primarily from whole-grain corn and cornmeal. This means that it contains the bran, germ, and endosperm of the corn kernel, providing a good source of dietary fiber and essential nutrients.
In addition to corn and cornmeal, Kix cereal contains sugar, salt, brown sugar syrup, baking soda, color, natural flavor and vitamin E.
Moreover, it also has been fortified with various vitamins and minerals such as calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus and vitamins A, B, C and D.
It’s also worth mentioning that Kix is free from major red flags such as artificial sweeteners, flavors, colors or preservatives.
Overall, considering the whole grain base, fortification with vitamins and minerals, and absence of artificial additives, the Kix cereal can be considered good in terms of ingredients.
Note that Kix cereal contain bioengineered food ingredients.
Is Kix cereal high in sugar?
Kix cereal contains low to moderate sugar levels ranging from 4 to 8g per serving (40g).
The regular flavor of Kix cereal contains 4g of sugar, while the Honey flavor has 7g of sugar per serving. Berry Berry flavor contains slightly more sugar with 8g per serving.
All the sugar in Kix cereal is added sugar.
While the sugar in the regular flavor is low, the other two flavor (honey and berry berry) provides a quite significant amount of the daily sugar limit.
A single serving of the honey or berry berry flavor can provide about 33% of the daily sugar limit for children, which is considerable.
However, when compared to other popular kids breakfast cereals, Kix contains the least sugar.
Here is how Kix cereal sugar content stacks up against other kid’s breakfast cereals.
| Cereal brand | Sugar per serving(g) |
|---|---|
| Kix cereal | 4-8 |
| Crunch berries | 16 |
| Fruity pebbles | 12 |
| Trix | 10 |
| Lucky charms marshmallow | 12 |
| Froot loops | 12 |
| Frosted flakes | 12 |
Is Kix cereal a good source of protein?
Kix cereal contains 2-3g of protein per serving(40g).
The berry berry flavor contains 2g of protein, while regular and honey flavors contain 3g.
Admittedly, the protein content in Kix cereal is not very high.
However, the low protein in cereals is not a big issue as they are typically consumed with milk, which significantly boosts the protein content.
For example, serving Kix cereal with 250ml of cow milk can provide around 9 to 10g of protein, which is decent.
However, when compared to many other cereals, Kix cereal contains slightly more protein.
Here is how Kix cereal protein content stacks up against other kid’s breakfast cereals.
| Cereal brand | Protein per serving(g) |
|---|---|
| Kix cereal | 2-3 |
| Crunch berries | 2 |
| Fruity pebbles | 1 |
| Trix | 1 |
| Lucky charms marshmallow | 3 |
| Froot loops | 2 |
| Frosted flakes | 2 |
Is Kix cereal a good source of fiber?
Kix cereal contains 2 to 3g of fiber per serving (40g). That’s about 15% of the daily recommended fiber for children.
The berry berry flavor contains 2g of fiber, while the regular and honey flavor contains 3g.
This might not be very high fiber content but can be considered good.
Fiber is an essential part of breakfast as it helps you stay full for longer and prevent hunger.
Moreover, it also helps mitigate the negative effects of sugar (commonly found in cereals) by slowing down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, preventing rapid blood sugar spikes.
Here is how Kix cereal fiber content stacks up against other kid’s breakfast cereals.
| Cereal brand | Fiber per serving(g) |
|---|---|
| Kix cereal | 2-3 |
| Crunch berries | <1 |
| Fruity pebbles | 0 |
| Trix | 1 |
| Lucky charms marshmallow | 2 |
| Froot loops | 2 |
| Frosted flakes | 1 |
How much sodium is in Kix cereal?
Kix cereal is a moderate source of sodium containing 190 to 220mg per serving(40).
That’s about 14% of the daily ideal sodium limit(1500mg) set by the American Heart Association.
Sodium is common in cereals and also an essential part of the diet. However, too much of it can result in heart-related issues.
Kix cereal does not provide a very big dose of sodium as long as you stick to the recommended serving size.
However, if you are someone limiting sodium intake, it might be beneficial to explore other cereal options that contain around 150mg of sodium per serving.
Here is how Kix cereal sodium content stacks up against other kid’s breakfast cereals.
| Cereal brand | Sodium per serving(mg) |
|---|---|
| Kix cereal | 190-220 |
| Crunch berries | 270 |
| Fruity pebbles | 190 |
| Trix | 150 |
| Lucky charms marshmallow | 230 |
| Froot loops | 210 |
| Frosted flakes | 190 |
Is Kix cereal good for weight loss?
Kix cereal is not the ideal choice for weight loss due to its added sugar content. However, it can still be enjoyed in moderation as part of a weight-loss diet.
This is because the sugar content in Kix cereal, especially in the regular flavor, is relatively low (4g per serving). Moreover, it also contain a decent amount of fiber (3g per serving).
However, this doesn’t mean that the other two flavors are extremely bad for weight loss. It’s just they contain slightly more sugar, so you need to be more careful.
Furthermore, Kix cereal is low in calories, with 160 per serving. Though the calorie content increases slightly when paired with milk.
Overall, if you stick to just one serving, Kix cereal won’t derail your weight loss efforts.
Remember that weight loss does not depend only on one food but on overall diet and lifestyle.
Is Kix cereal vegan?
The Kix honey flavor contains honey, so it’s not vegan.
However, the other two flavors (regular & berry berry) do not contain any dairy or animal-based ingredients.
However, it’s worth noting that all Kix flavors contain sugar and vitamin D3, which are grey ingredients, especially if you are a strict vegan.
Sugar is processed with bone char(derived from animals) to achieve a white appearance during processing. While vitamin D3 is mostly derived from lanolin, an oil extracted from the wool of animals.
So, both of these ingredients are not considered vegan by most people.
Is Kix cereal gluten-free?
Kix cereal is considered gluten-free as it does not have any gluten-containing ingredients.
However, General Mills does not market it as gluten-free.
Final words
When it comes to whether Kix cereal is healthy or not, it can be confidently said that it holds up pretty well.
Kix cereal is free from artificial additives and a good source of vitamins and minerals.
While it may not be the powerhouse in terms of protein and fiber, it still provides a decent amount than what other similar cereals offer.
However, it’s important to keep the Kix cereal intake in moderation as it contains added sugar and moderate sodium levels.
Just one serving, and you are good to go.
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