Granola

How to Choose the Right Cold Cereal for Breakfast

Whether you prefer classic breakfast cereals like Kellogg's Frosted Flakes and General Mills Cheerios or the new innovations like Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros or Kellogg's Frozen 2 cereal, we've got your favorite brands in a variety of sizes.

Not sure whether to stick with the ones you know or try something new? We've created this buyer's guide to help you decide.

What is cereal?

The term "cereal" refers to a breakfast food that's made from some type of grain. Colloquially, we all know and love cold cereal as an easy go-to for a quick, refreshing, cold breakfast.

What kinds of cereals does Sam's Club sell?

Over the years, cereal varieties have evolved. Luckily for you, we carry everything from your tried-and-true favorites to ones featuring your kid's favorite Disney characters, including, but not limited to:

• Frosted Flakes
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch
• Lucky Charms
• Honey Bunches of Oats
• Cheerios
• Reese's Puffs
• Honey Nut Cheerios
• Froot Loops
• Fruity Pebbles
• Raisin Bran (and Raisin Bran Crunch)
• Frosted Mini Wheats
• Rice Krispies
• Apple Jacks
• Cocoa Puffs
• Cap'n Crunch (classic and Crunch Berries)
• Reese's Peanut Butter Puffs
• Quaker Life
• Granola or muesli (from Quaker, Cascadian Farm, Nature Valley, and Bear Naked)
• Corn Flakes
• Special K (Original and Red Berries)
• Trix
• Kellogg's Baby Shark cereal (limited edition)
• Kellogg's Frozen 2 cereal

What are the seven types of cereal whole grains?

The seven types of whole grains used to make cereal include wheat, maize, rice, barley, oats, rye and sorghum.

How many servings are in the boxes of cereal that Sam's Club sells?

Stock your pantry for a cozy breakfast at home or for a quick breakfast on the go. Our selection may vary, but we generally offer cereals in the following sizes:

• Single-serve cereal cups and mini-boxes, featuring a variety of your favorite flavors from Kellogg's or General Mills (12-packs to 60-packs)
  • Double and triple boxes, filled with the same cereal or multiple smaller boxes of the best combinations, like Rice Chex, Corn Chex, and Wheat Chex all in one package (35-ounce to 50-ounce packages with 15-20 servings each)
    • Large bags of granola or muesli (about 20 servings each)

Is cereal healthy?

Because they come from grains, many kinds of cereals contain high amounts of fiber, which is generally considered to be healthy. They also tend to be fortified with additional vitamins and minerals like iron and zinc to get your body off on the right track in the morning.

However, not all cereals are created equally. Some cereals contain a lot of added sugar, which makes them less healthy and may cause you to crash before lunch. Pay attention to the nutrition labels on any cereals or other foods you eat to fully understand how you are (or aren't) fuelling your body with the cereals you choose.

Is it okay to eat cereal every day?

There is no reason not to eat a serving of cereal with milk every morning. You should always consult with your doctor or nutritionist if you have any questions about whether or not you are consuming a balanced diet.

Is it safe to eat only cereal and nothing else?

While cold cereals are loaded with tons of vitamins and minerals, it is important to still have a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables and protein, among other nutrients. We encourage you to consult your doctor before making any new or restrictive dietary decisions.

Can I eat cereal if I have a special diet or food allergy?

Regardless of whether you have a food allergy and must stay away from certain ingredients by necessity or you choose to follow a special diet, we carry an array of cereals to suit your needs. As always, remember that it is important to check the labels of anything you purchase, especially if you may be allergic to one of the ingredients.

Does Sam's Club sell any gluten-free cereal?

Cereal by definition comes from 7 grains: wheat, maize, rice, barley, oats, rye and sorghum. Three of these grains—wheat, barley, and rye—contain gluten. So, if you're looking for gluten-free cereal, you'll want to look out for the cereals that do not contain any of these as ingredients. And, depending on how much you want to avoid gluten, you also want to pay attention to whether or not cereals that don't intentionally contain gluten are processed in the same facilities as gluten-containing cereals and other products.

The following cereals are certified to be gluten-free, meaning that there is guaranteed to be no cross-contamination with gluten-containing products during processing. These cereals should be safe for those with Celiac disease or another form of high-sensitivity gluten intolerance or wheat allergy.

• Cheerios
• Honey Nut Cheerios
• Multi-Grain Gluten-Free Cheerios
• Lucky Charms
• Cocoa Pebbles
• Fruity Pebbles
• Rice Chex
• Corn Chex

We also carry a number of brands that do not contain gluten but that may or may not be cross-contaminated with gluten during production, in part because ingredients like oat flour often share the same transportation or production equipment as wheat and other grains. These cereals include:

• Bear Naked Fruit & Nut Granola
• Cascadian Farm Organic Oats & Honey Granola
• Cap'n Crunch

When double-checking labels, remember that brands are required to state whether or not their product contains wheat under the full list of ingredients. However, they do not have to state in big, bold letters whether or not they contain other glutenous ingredients, such as malt, which is derived from gluten-containing barley.

Does Sam's Club sell any dairy-free or vegan cereals?

We carry a number of cereals that don't contain any dairy, eggs or milk-based ingredients. Some examples include:

• Bear Naked Fruit & Nut Granola
• Cap'n Crunch
• Cascadian Farm Organic Oats & Honey Granola
• Golden Grahams
• Kellogg's Corn Flakes
• Kellogg's Special K
• Life Cereal (original and cinnamon flavors)
• Quaker Oatmeal Squares, Brown Sugar

We also recognize that calling something dairy-free or vegan is a little trickier than you might think. Some of the vitamins and minerals used to fortify cereals, including those listed above, may be derived from animal byproducts. Be sure to do your research before purchasing any specific cereal if it is important for you to avoid this.