Reese’s Puffs is a popular corn-based breakfast cereal that brings together two beloved flavors of peanut butter and chocolate.
It is manufactured by the well-known food company “General Mills”.
The cereal comes in an iconic bright orange packaging with a delightful combination that mimics the taste of the famous Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in a crunchy cereal form.
However, is Reese’s Puffs healthy?
Short answer: Reese’s Puffs is not very healthy because it is high in sugar and low in protein and fiber. Additionally, it contain various processed ingredients such as canola oil, corn syrup, dextrose and artificial flavor. However, you can consume it in moderation.
Read on to find out more about Reese’s Puffs, including its ingredients, sugar content and more.
I’ll also compare Reese’s Puffs to other popular breakfast cereals to see whether or not it stands out as a better option.
So let’s start.
Also read: Cocoa Puffs: Are They Guilty Pleasure or a Healthy Choice?
What are Reese’s Puffs made up of?
Reese’s Puffs is made up of a delightful combination of various ingredients such as Whole grain corn, Sugar, Reese’s peanut butter, Dextrose, Corn meal, Corn syrup, canola/sunflower oil, salt, Hershey’s cocoa, Caramel color, Trisodium phosphate, Natural & artificial flavor, and vitamin E.
Let’s know a little about some of these ingredients.
Whole Grain Corn: The base of Reese’s Puffs is made from whole grain corn, providing a crispy and crunchy texture to each puff.
Sugar: Like many breakfast cereals, Reese’s Puffs contains sugar as the second main ingredient to add sweetness to the overall taste.
Reese’s Peanut Butter: One of the star ingredients in Reese’s Puffs is none other than real Reese’s peanut butter. The creamy and nutty flavor of peanut butter is infused into each puff, giving it that irresistible taste.
Hershey’s Cocoa: To achieve the chocolaty flavor, Reese’s Puffs incorporates cocoa into the mix.
Dextrose: It’s a simple sugar extracted from the corn. It is commonly used as a sweetener in food products.
Corn meal: Alongside the whole grain corn, Reese’s Puffs also contain corn meal. It contributes to the texture and structure of the cereal.
Oils: Reese’s Puffs use Canola or sunflower oil to enhance the flavor of the cereal.
Salt: A small amount of salt is also added to the cereal.
However, that’s not all.
In addition, to these ingredients, Reese’s Puffs cereal is fortified with various vitamins and minerals such as vitamins A, B, C, D, and E, Tricalcium phosphate(phosphorus), Calcium carbonate(calcium), Iron and Zinc.
What’s even better is that these vitamins and minerals are present in significant quantities, approximately 10% to 35% of the daily recommended intake.
This makes Reese’s Puffs a nutritious cereal option.
Moreover, Reese’s Puffs does not contain any major red flags such as HFCS or artificial color.
However, it does contain artificial flavor and processed ingredients like sugar, canola oil, corn syrup and dextrose.
How much sugar is in Reese’s Puffs?
Reese’s Puffs is high in sugar-containing 9g per serving(29g).
All the sugar In Reese’s Puffs is added sugar derived from multiple sources such as sugar and corn syrup.
In fact, sugar makes up over 31% of the single serving.
While it’s not uncommon for cereals to contain added sugars, it’s important to remember that consuming high amounts of added sugar can lead to health problems such as weight gain, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
According to American Heart Association, the daily sugar limit for men is 36g, while for women is 24g.
Consuming a serving of Reese’s Puffs provides about 25% of the daily sugar limit for men and 37% for women. That’s significant.
If you choose Reese’s Puffs as your go-to breakfast cereal, it will become important for you to balance out it with low-sugar foods for the rest of the day.
Here is how Reese’s Puffs sugar content stacks up against other breakfast cereals.
| Breakfast cereal | Sugar(g) |
|---|---|
| Reese’s Puffs | 9 |
| Cocoa puffs | 12 |
| Krave cereal | 15 |
| Cookies crisp | 12 |
| Chocolate toast crunch | 12 |
| Cocoa pebbles | 19 |
| Life cereal | 8 |
| Vector cereal | 11 |
| Total cereal | 6 |
| Cornflakes | 4 |
| Morning summit cereal | 12 |
| Cherrios (chocolate) | 10 |
How much protein is in Reese’s Puffs?
Like many other cereals, Reese’s Puff is also not a good source of protein containing just 2g per serving(29g).
That’s low, I know!
However, less protein in cereals is not a big issue as they are typically consumed with milk, which significantly boosts the protein content.
For example, consuming a serving of Reese’s Puff with 250ml of cow milk provides 8 to 9g of protein in total, which is decent.
If you want more protein-packed breakfast cereals, it’s better to go for alternatives such as Magic Spoon, Premier protein cereal, Morning Summit cereal, or Vector cereal.
Here is how Reese’s Puff’s protein content stacks up against other breakfast cereals.
| Breakfast cereal | Protein(g) |
|---|---|
| Reese’s Puffs | 2 |
| Cocoa puffs | 1-2 |
| Krave cereal | 3 |
| Cookies crisp | 2 |
| Chocolate toast crunch | 2 |
| Cocoa pebbles | 2 |
| Life cereal | 4 |
| Vector cereal | 5.5 |
| Total cereal | 3 |
| Cornflakes | 3 |
| Morning summit cereal | 6 |
| Cherrios (chocolate) | 3 |
How much fiber is in Reese’s Puffs?
Reese’s Puffs is low in fiber containing, just 1g per serving(29g). That’s not even 10% of the daily recommended fiber for adults.
Fiber is an essential part of breakfast as it helps stay full for longer intervals and helps the digestive system run smoothly.
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.
But because Reese’s Puffs is low in fiber, it might not help you feel fuller for longer. This also makes it a bad choice for people with diabetes.
Here is how Reese’s Puff’s fiber content stacks up against other breakfast cereals.
| Breakfast cereal | Fiber(g) |
|---|---|
| Reese”s Puffs | 1 |
| Cocoa puffs | 1-2 |
| Krave cereal | 2 |
| Cookies crisp | 2 |
| Chocolate toast crunch | 3 |
| Cocoa pebbles | <1 |
| Life cereal | 3 |
| Vector cereal | 3.2 |
| Total cereal | 4 |
| Cornflakes | 1 |
| Morning summit cereal | 5 |
| Cherrios (chocolate) | 3 |
How much sodium is in Reese’s Puffs?
Reese’s Puffs is low in sodium, with 160mg per serving(29g). That’s about 10% of the daily ideal sodium limit(1500mg) set by the American Heart Association.
Sodium is expected in breakfast cereals and is also an important part of the diet. However, too much of it can result in heart-related issues.
With Reese’s Puffs, you don’t have to worry about sodium until you stop yourself to only one serving.
If you want an even lower sodium breakfast cereal, Morning Summit cereal would be a better choice. It contains just 75mg of sodium per serving(the lowest of all cereals).
Here is how Reese’s Puff’s sodium content stacks up against other breakfast cereals.
| Breakfast cereal | Sodium(mg) |
|---|---|
| Reese’s Puffs | 160 |
| Cocoa puffs | 100-130 |
| Krave cereal | 140 |
| Cookies crisp | 190 |
| Chocolate toast crunch | 180 |
| Cocoa pebbles | 310 |
| Life cereal | 170 |
| Vector cereal | 220 |
| Total cereal | 190 |
| Cornflakes | 300 |
| Morning summit cereal | 75 |
| Cherrios (chocolate) | 180 |
Is Reese’s Puffs good for weight loss?
Reese’s Puffs is not good for weight loss as it contains sugar.
Also, it is low in fiber, so it may not keep you feeling full for longer, and you may crave more food later.
However, Reese’s Puffs is low in calories, with 120 per serving. But that’s only without milk.
When paired with a cup of milk, the calories can increase up to 180.
If you are active enough or can balance the daily sugar and calorie intake, there is no harm in consuming Reese’s Puffs in moderation.
Remember that weight loss depends not on only one food but on overall diet and lifestyle.
Is Reese’s Puffs keto-friendly? Reese’s Puffs is not keto-friendly as it contains a significant amount of net carbs (21g per serving).
Is Reese’s Puffs gluten-free?
Reese’s Puffs is gluten-free. It does not have any gluten-containing ingredients.
Is Reese’s Puffs vegan?
Although Reese’s Puffs contains no direct animal or dairy-based ingredients, it cannot be considered vegan.
This is due to the presence of sugar and vitamin D3, which are connected to animal-related processes.
Sugar is processed with bone char to achieve a white appearance while processing. This bone char is derived from animal bones, making sugar non-vegan.
Additionally, vitamin D3 is mostly derived from lanolin, an oil extracted from the wool of animals.
As a result, its inclusion in the food raises concerns for strict vegans.
Final words
While, Reese’s Puffs may tempt your taste buds with the irresistible combination of peanut butter and chocolate, it is not very healthy.
And there are various reasons for this such as:
- Reese’s Puffs is high in sugar.
- Reese’s Puffs is low in protein(without milk).
- Reese’s Puffs is low in fiber.
- Reese’s Puffs contain artificial flavor.
- Reese’s puffs is packed with processed ingredients, such as canola oil, corn syrup and dextrose.
However, Reese’s Puffs also have some positive aspects such as:
- It is low in sodium
- It is enriched with various essential vitamins and minerals.
So, if high sugar, low fiber and processed ingredients in Reese’s Puffs is not a major concern for you, it can be enjoyed in moderation.
However, note that there are many breakfast cereals available in market that are way healthier and nutritious than Reese’s Puffs.
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