Keto Cereals: Kid-Tested, Keto-Dietitian Approved (almost)
/By: Sarah Metzger MS, RDN, LD, CDCES
We were all taught that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for many Americans, cereals are their top choice. Cereals are even more popular amongst breakfast for kids. And for parents, cereal provides the obvious quick and easy set-up and clean-up, plus a lot of variety. So, can we use this super-convenient food for kids on a ketogenic diet? The short answer is yes, but… Depending on your child’s specific needs, some keto cereals/granolas will be able to work on the ketogenic diet and you can say goodbye to scrubbing a crusty egg pan at 10 PM every night. However, there are a few contingencies. I sought to answer this question by exploring some of the top keto cereals and granolas out on the market. I ran a taste test to assess “yummy-ness” and “yucky-ness” from the perspective of kids and delved into the nutritional qualities from my perspective as a ketogenic dietitian. I recorded over 60 taste tests done by children from my son’s daycare, ranging from 1 to 6 years old, some of whom were deemed picky eaters by their parents (when they were out of earshot).
On the positive side, the keto cereal called Magic Spoon (fruity flavor in particular) was a huge hit among all the kids who tasted it, finishing their whole sample! Wonderworks Keto and Catalina Crunch brands were a close second in the ranking overall. Not too surprisingly, the granolas were less favorable, with 50% of the kids not wanting to even try it in the first place unless it was an adventurous kid who liked nuts. This brings us to the homemade granola, which I created by blending ingredients very finely to mask the visible nuts and create more of a ‘bar’ that can be broken up into a cereal. My own 2-year-old, who is currently surviving on animal crackers and cheese sticks alone these days, ate 3-4 pieces of my homemade granola for dinner - I was shocked!
The first barrier I came across was the price of the keto cereals. A typical cereal box (not on sale) is around $4, yet all the keto options average $8 per box. One reason for the high cost is because regular sugar is $0.60/lb vs. substitute sugar like monk fruit, for example, is $7/lb.
The second challenge is that keto cereals, although they are lower in carbs and regular sugar, are also high in protein and low in fat. This leads to the keto cereals not having a ketogenic ratio suitable for stricter/classic ketogenic diets on their own. The granolas, however, have a much higher ketogenic ratio, around 2:1. One way around this is to add a high fat “milk” substitute like heavy cream to the meal. You can then add further volume with an unsweetened nut-based milk such as almond or coconut which will not change the ratio significantly. But regardless, always make sure to talk with your dietitian and make note of any changes in ketone levels if any of the sugar-substitutes in the cereals are new to your child’s diet.
Bottom line: Shop the sales, talk to your dietitian about making the cereals fit into your kids’ specific diet plan, and go with the fruity or chocolate flavors first. And, if you have some spare time, try a homemade, super-versatile granola the whole family will love as a meal, snack, or even just as an activity.
Up First: Cereals
Magic Spoon
Nutrition per serving: 170-180 calories, 7-9 grams fat, 4 grams net carbs, 13-14 grams protein
Ratio: <1:1
Sweetener: Allulose & monk fruit
Price: $11.00/7oz. box from Amazon; $10.00/7 oz. box Magicspoon.com ($7.50/box with subscription)
Kids’ Take:
Fruity and chocolate flavors were biggest hits.
Peanut butter was also well-liked.
100% of the kids went back for more!
Pros: Very kid friendly & gluten free
Cons: Expensive, small box & contains dairy
Wonderworks Keto Friendly Cereal
Nutrition per serving: 150-160 calories, 6 grams fat, 3 grams net carbs, 15-17 grams protein
Ratio: <1:1
Sweetener: Allulose, erythritol & stevia extract
Price: $8.60/10oz. box from Target; $8.00/10oz. box from Kroger; $7.67/10oz. box from Walmart
Kids’ Take:
100% of the kids loved the chocolate flavor.
Peanut Butter was a close second.
Cinnamon was the least popular.
Pros: Very kid friendly & bigger box compared to Magic Spoon.
Cons: Contains dairy & gluten
Catalina Crunch
Nutrition per serving: 110 calories, 6 grams fat, 5 grams net carbs, 11 grams protein
Ratio: <1:1
Sweetener: Stevia & monk fruit
Price: $9.00/9oz. box from Kroger; $7.00-10.00/9oz. box from Walmart; $8.33/9oz box from Amazon
Kids’ Take:
Top 3 flavors the kids loved were cinnamon toast, chocolate and maple waffle.
100% of kids who tried them liked it.
Pros: Possibility for sale prices. Gluten-free & no outright dairy/nuts.
Cons: Processed on a plant that also does nuts and dairy.
Remember you can make any of these cereals more keto friendly by adding 1/3 cup of heavy cream which adds ~275 calories, 29 grams fat, 2 grams net carbs and 1.5 grams of protein. This brings the overall ratio of the cereals plus heavy cream to ~1.75 to 2:1. If your kiddo needs more liquid in the cereal, add unsweetened nut-based milks to desired volume. Most of the unsweetened nut milks contain minimal net carbs and protein.
Next Up: Granola
NuTrail Keto Nut Granola (Cinnamon Pecan)
Nutrition per serving: 160 calories, 16 grams fat, 2 grams net carbs, 4 grams protein
Ratio: 2.5:1
Sweetener: Erythritol & monk fruit
Price: $11.00/11oz. bag from Walmart (must buy pack of 6); $13.00/11oz. bag from Amazon ($10.00/bag in pack of 6); $12/11 oz. bag from NuTrail website ($10/bag in pack of 3)
Kids’ Take: ~40% of kids liked it
Pros: Gluten-free
Cons: Contains nuts and dairy
The Granola Bakery: Keto Granola (Cinnamon Crunch)
Nutrition per serving: 200 calories, 19 grams fat, 2 grams net carbs, 5 grams protein
Ratio: 2.7:1
Sweetener: Monk fruit
Price: $9.00/11 oz. bag from Amazon
Kids’ Take: ~40% of kids liked it
Pros: Gluten & dairy free
Cons: Contains nuts
Homemade Granola (recipe below)
Nutrition per serving: 250 calories, 23 grams fat, 5 grams net carbs, 6 grams protein
Ratio: 2:1
Sweetener: Erythritol (or your choice)
Price: ~$10.00 a batch which makes ~12 ½ cup servings
Kids’ Take: ~83% of kids liked it
Pros:
Own choice of sweeteners
Ingredients can be on sale or in bulk
Nut-free recipe options
Dairy and gluten-free
Cons: Time required for cooking/cleaning & messy to eat.
Sarah’s Keto Granola
Ingredients:
1 cup Pecans
1 cup Almonds
1 cup Cashews
(1 nut should be salted or add 1 tsp of salt)
⅓ cup Sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds
½ cup Ground Flaxseed Meal
1 large egg white
6 Tablespoons Erythritol sweetener
¼ cup Coconut oil measured in solid form
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line a large cookie sheet with tin foil or parchment paper and spray well with cooking spray.
Pulse harder nuts in a food processor (almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts), add in softer nuts (cashews, pecans, walnuts) and pulse another few times. Measure and add in the remaining ingredients into the food processor and pulse only 1 or 2 more times. Mix with a spatula to have all ingredients incorporated without it becoming too fine. Or you can make it finer to create more of a cohesive granola vs. larger nuts sticking out. A cohesive granola with smaller pieces tends to be more kid-friendly.
Spread out the granola dough onto cookie sheet as thin as you can make it.
Bake at 350 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until edges start to brown noticeably.
Remove from the oven and let cool for a full 60 minutes.
Break into pieces and enjoy with your choice of diluted heavy cream or milk alternatives as cereal, or as a topping on keto yogurt, or of course as a snack.
Store in an airtight container away from moisture.
Variations: You can choose different nuts, seeds, add-ins (e.g. coconut flakes) and different sweeteners.
Nutrition information: 250 calories, 23 grams fat, 5 grams net carbs, 6 grams protein
Disclaimer: This blog post is NOT sponsored. Pricing listed and availability or products at retailers is subject to change.