Cereal is Making You Hungry and Fat
12 healthy options to stop the cycle of sugar craving and fat storage.
Several years ago, my husband and I got into a “cereal kick” when we were deep into the 9-5 grind and had no time to make breakfast before rushing out the door for work.
“What’s for breakfast?”
“I dunno.”
“How about cereal?”
“Okay, whatever.”
Sound familiar?
By 10:30am each day we were hungry again, totally unsatisfied by the nearly 500 calories that were in a typical bowl of cereal with a cup (or so) of 2% milk.
But who only eats one serving of cereal?
Never mind. Serving size is a topic for another day.
Regardless of whether you are eating a “heart healthy” cereal like Cheerios, Wheaties, or Special K… or a high-sugar kiddie cereal like Froot Loops, Cap’n Crunch, or Frosted Flakes, you are probably experiencing the same hunger by mid-morning.
It’s not the calories that are making you fat.
It’s the empty sugar and carbohydrates.
The Cereal Conundrum
Cereal is one of the easiest to prepare and most commonly eaten breakfast options in the USA, Canada, and the UK.
The food producers, marketers, and advertisers have convinced us that cereal is Grrrrrrreat! for us and part of a heart healthy diet.
But, cereal contains almost zero fiber, protein, or whole foods.
It’s basically Goo in a box.
What’s Goo?
I use the term Goo generally to include anything that is yucky or bad for you.
Most commercially produced store-bought Cereal:
…doesn’t grow in nature.
…didn’t come from a farm.
…has ingredients you can’t pronounce.
…can’t be made or grown at home.
…requires excessive processing to make ‘edible’.
…comes in a box with ingredients you can’t identify.
…would not be recognized as ‘food’ by someone who lived 200 years ago.
Yuck. 🤢
So why do we keep eating cereal?
Because it’s easy, we’ve been persuaded by advertising, and we are addicted.
Why Cereal Makes You Hungry and Fat
Cereal is not a significant source of protein or fiber. Especially troublesome are those cereals made from refined grains, added sugars, and artificial additives to make them extra tasty.
As such, cereal is a perfect example of how food producers have engineered a particular food so that you eat more and crave more (and buy more).
Eating cereal for breakfast causes a rapid spike in blood sugar, which leads to a vicious cycle that promotes fat storage and hunger.
Here’s how it works:
1. Blood Sugar Spike
Refined cereals are mostly simple carbohydrates that digest quickly.
When eaten alone, they cause a rapid increase in blood glucose levels. This triggers the pancreas to release a large amount of insulin to bring blood sugar back down.
2. Fat Storage Mode
Insulin is a storage hormone.
When insulin floods the bloodstream, it signals cells to absorb glucose for immediate energy. However, excess glucose gets stored as fat—primarily in fat cells and the liver.
With elevated levels of insulin in your bloodstream, fat-burning shuts off, and the body prioritizes storing energy instead of using it.
3. Blood Sugar Crash & Hunger
Because insulin overcompensates to ensure that your body consumes all of the blood sugars present in your bloodstream, your blood sugar level drops quickly (sometimes below normal), leading to a crash.
This signals to the brain that the body needs more food, often causing intense cravings. These cravings are typically for more carbohydrates and sugar.
4. The Cycle Repeats
The rapid digestion of cereal (with no protein or fiber to slow absorption) means hunger returns quickly, often within an hour or two.
This sets up a pattern of frequent snacking, blood sugar rollercoasters, and increased calorie consumption throughout the day.
(oh my gosh, my blood sugar spiked just looking at that stack of pancakes and syrup)
Cereal is Not Alone
There are many “breakfast” foods that digest quickly and cause rapid blood sugar spikes followed by crashes, hunger, cravings, and fat storage.
Here is a brief list to give you some ideas of what to avoid:
Breads: bagels, toast (white or refined bread), English muffins, croissants, biscuits, and white tortillas
Cakes & Sweet Breads: muffins, banana bread, pumpkin bread, coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, and donuts.
Pastries & Desserts: Danishes, scones (sweet varieties), Pop-Tarts, strudels, and eclairs.
Pancakes & Waffles: pancakes (especially with syrup), waffles, and French toast (with syrup or powdered sugar).
Breakfast Bars & Packaged Snacks: granola bars, cereal bars, protein bars (with high sugar content), and fig bars.
Sweetened Dairy & Yogurts: flavored yogurts, fruit-on-the-bottom yogurts, and drinkable yogurts (with added sugars).
Fruits (high-glycemic choices when eaten alone): fruit juice (orange, apple, grape), dried fruit (raisins, dates, dried mango), bananas (very ripe), and watermelon.
Beverages: sugary coffee drinks (mochas, flavored lattes), sweetened tea, energy drinks, and smoothies with only fruit and juice (no protein or fat).
And, ICYMI, coffee creamer is not your friend, either.
Better Breakfast Options
Instead of these high carb, high sugar, low protein, low fiber foods, follow these guidelines to eat better and fend off hunger in the morning:
✔ Add protein
✔ Increase fiber
✔ Choose whole grains
✔ Include healthy fats
Here are 12 suggestions for breakfast that are better for you:
1. Eggs & Avocado: Scrambled, fried, or poached eggs with sliced avocado and a sprinkle of salt, pepper, and olive oil.
2. Omelet with Cheese & Veggies: Eggs cooked with spinach, mushrooms, onions, and cheese for a protein-rich, nutrient-dense meal.
3. Cottage Cheese with Nuts & Seeds: Full-fat cottage cheese topped with almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, and flaxseeds for a balance of protein and healthy fats.
4. Greek Yogurt with Nuts & No-Sugar-Added Coconut: Full-fat, plain Greek yogurt mixed with unsweetened shredded coconut, macadamia nuts, and cinnamon.
5. Smoked Salmon with Cream Cheese & Cucumber: Slices of smoked salmon with cream cheese, cucumber rounds, and capers for a low-carb, high-protein option.
6. Steak & Eggs: A small portion of grass-fed steak with fried or scrambled eggs for a nutrient-dense, protein-packed meal.
7. Chia Seed Pudding with Unsweetened Almond Milk: Chia seeds soaked overnight in unsweetened almond milk with vanilla extract and topped with crushed pecans.
8. Hard-Boiled Eggs with Cheese & Olives: A simple grab-and-go option with hard-boiled eggs, cheese slices, and a handful of olives for healthy fats.
9. Scrambled Eggs with Ground Beef & Avocado: Ground beef cooked with eggs and served with avocado for a hearty, blood sugar-stabilizing breakfast.
10. Tuna or Sardines with Olive Oil & Lemon: Canned tuna or sardines packed in olive oil, drizzled with lemon juice, and served with a side of cucumber slices.
11. Almond Flour Pancakes with Butter: Homemade pancakes made from almond flour, eggs, and coconut oil, topped with butter (no syrup needed).
12. Nut Butter & Celery or Cucumber: Unsweetened almond or macadamia nut butter spread on celery sticks or cucumber slices for a crunchy, satisfying breakfast.
A high-protein breakfast should fend off hunger at least until lunchtime!
Changing your breakfast routine will help you stop the cycle of sugar spikes and crashes, reduce hunger, and prevent fat storage from insulin spikes.
If you’re not sure about a specific ingredient and want to learn more about whether it qualifies as Goo, leave a comment or reach out and ask me!
And if you enjoyed reading this story, but aren’t ready to subscribe, you can:
(a Goo-Free coffee, of course!)
Sitting here thinking about what I want for breakfast this morning. Your post brought me to one of my good ole standbys - Avocado Salmon toast: homemade whole-wheat bread topped with avocado, baked salmon, and an over medium egg. And since the salmon is cooked and in my fridge, about 5 minutes to pull it all together.