Best Low Sodium Breakfast Cereals To Start Your Day Right

Choosing The Best Low Sodium Breakfast Cereals To Start Your Day

Starting your morning off with a nutritious, low sodium breakfast is crucial for your health. It provides energy, satisfies hunger and sets the tone for healthy eating all day.

Breakfast cereals can be a convenient, tasty choice. But many popular options are loaded with added sugars and salt.

Excess sodium can increase blood pressure, risk of stroke and other problems. Luckily, there are plenty of delicious low sodium cereal options to choose from.

Look for 100-200mg Sodium Per Serving

The American Heart Association recommends limiting sodium intake to no more than 2,300mg per day. Ideal intake is even lower - around 1,500mg daily.

When shopping for low sodium breakfast cereals, look for 100-200mg sodium per serving. Avoid cereals with 300mg per serving or more.

Also beware of misleading claims like "lower in sodium." Check the label for the actual milligrams per serving to evaluate.

Opt for Unsweetened Varieties

It's best to avoid cereals with added sugars, which can contribute to obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Words like "honey," "cane juice" or "evaporated cane juice" mean added sugar.

Choose unsweetened whole grain cereals like plain oats, bran flakes, shredded wheat or cheerios. Then flavor them yourself with fresh fruit, cinnamon or a sprinkling of nuts.

If you prefer a sweeter cereal, look for those made with 100% whole grains and minimal added sugars - aim for under 5g per serving.

Load Up on Fiber

Fiber keeps you feeling fuller longer while feeding healthy gut bacteria. It also promotes heart health and regularity.

Choose whole grain cereals rich in fiber for a satisfying lower sodium breakfast. Look for at least 3-5g fiber per serving.

Good options include oatmeal, bran cereals, shredded wheat or whole grain granola. Top with fiber-rich fresh or dried fruit.

Pair with Fresh Fruit

Fresh fruit like bananas, berries, peaches and melon adds flavor and texture to low sodium cereal. Fruit provides antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and natural sweetness.

If your cereal is unsweetened, the fruit sugars make it taste sweeter without unhealthy added sugars. Frozen, canned or cooked fruit works too.

Dried fruits like raisins, cranberries, apricots and cherries also complement low sodium cereals. Opt for no sugar added varieties.

Include Protein Sources

Protein is satisfying and energizing. It also helps steady blood sugar when eating carbohydrates like cereal.

Good protein additions to low sodium cereal include:

• Nuts - almonds, walnuts, pecans
• Seeds - pumpkin, sunflower, flax
• Nut butter - almond, peanut, sunflower
• Greek yogurt
• Milk - dairy, soy, almond, oat

These mix-ins add creaminess, crunch and flavor contrast to your morning cereal. Proteins will help keep you feeling full.

Avoid Sugary, Sodium-Heavy Add-Ins

It's easy to turn an otherwise healthy cereal into a sugar and sodium bomb. Stay away from heavy-handed additions like:

• Sugary syrups - chocolate, caramel, maple, honey
• Candy - chocolate chips, sprinkles, marshmallows
• Salty toppings - pretzels, potato chips

Keep portions of healthier mix-ins like nuts and nut butters modest - 1-2 tbsp max. Even healthy fats are high in calories.

Swap Milk for Low-Sodium Alternatives

Cow's milk adds an unnecessary 90-125mg sodium per cup. Limit milk to just 2-4 ounces or try swapping it out.

Unsweetened soy, almond, oat or coconut milk contain just 30-90mg sodium per cup. Look for unsweetened, unflavored varieties.

Completely skipping the milk and enjoying cereal with just fruit and nuts or yogurt is another low sodium option.

DIY Healthy Granola

Making your own homemade granola allows you to control the ingredients and skip added sugars and salt.

Mix rolled oats with nuts, seeds, coconut flakes, cinnamon and just a drizzle of maple syrup or honey if needed. Toast until crispy.

Store-bought granola can pack 600mg sodium per serving or more. Homemade allows you to keep it lower sodium.

Quaker Oats

Plain Quaker oats contain 0mg sodium per serving. Their unsweetened instant oatmeal packets have just 5-15mg per packet.

Quaker's Whole Hearts oat cereal rings also have just 140mg sodium and 5g sugar per serving. Top with your own fruit and nuts.

Quaker's new Protein Oat Beverage contains 10g protein, 150mg sodium and just 2g sugar per cup.

Uncle Sam Cereal

Uncle Sam Original cereal flakes contain just trace amounts of sodium. Their Whole Grain Wheat cereal also only has 5mg sodium per 3/4 cup serving.

Uncle Sam's is made with whole grains and has 10g fiber and no added sugars. The near zero sodium makes it ideal for breakfast.

Ezekiel 4:9 Cereals

Sprouted whole grain Ezekiel cereals are ultra low sodium at just 15-25mg per serving. Flavors include Original, Almond, Cinnamon Raisin and Golden Flax.

With no added sugars or salt, Ezekiel cereals are nutrient dense. Top with fresh fruit and nuts for added nutrition and flavor.

Keep It Interesting With Low Sodium Variety

With so many delicious low sodium breakfast cereal options, you can easily avoid excess salt and sugar to start your day.

Experiment with different whole grains like oats, wheat bran, millet and quinoa along with fruits, nuts and healthy dairy for variety.

Homemade granola and muesli are other fresh-tasting low sodium cereal alternatives. It only takes minutes to whip up a sodium-smart cereal bowl.

Starting your morning with a nutritious, low salt breakfast will help prevent excess sodium intake throughout the day. It provides long-lasting energy to power you through your morning.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.