Cereal makes a fast and convenient breakfast for busy mornings. If you are wanting to follow a low sodium diet for heart health, then you’ll need to know which brands of cereal are low sodium. In this post, I’ll show you how to pick a low sodium cereal, what brands are low sodium, and how to make it taste delicious.

Lets dive in!

Does Cereal have Low Sodium?

It all depends on the cereal brands and flavor varieties.

There are many low sodium cereals but many high sodium cereals too. If you need more low sodium foods beyond cereal, I created a free downloadable grocery list inside Low Sodium Grocery List PDF: [Includes 29 Healthy Snack Ideas].

You can’t rely on taste alone for how much salt a breakfast cereal might have. By checking the nutrition label for the milligrams of sodium, you can see how much salt is in a single serving. 

The picture below highlights in green where the amount of sodium is on a cereal box.

Is Cheerios Good for a Low Sodium Diet?

Plain Cheerios contains 190mg sodium/serving which means it does qualify as being “low sodium”. However, it is lower in sodium than other cereals and does contain oats as the first ingredient which is helpful for lowering HDL “bad” levels of cholesterol.

Keep reading to discover a few other oat-based cereal brands that are truly low sodium with under 140mg of salt.

How to Choose a Low Sodium Cereal

I would pay more attention to the number of mg of sodium instead of the percentage for daily value (DV).

As you can see in the image above, it is showing 210mg of sodium is only 9% DV. However, if your goal is to eat less than 1,500mg of sodium a day, then 210mg is actually 14% DV.

If you are eating 3 meals and 2 snacks a day, a rule of thumb would be to keep meals to 375mg of sodium or less and snacks to be 200mg or less. Now, if you only eat 3 meals, then you have a budget of 500mg. These numbers are just for those keeping their salt intake to 1500mg, so you can adjust based on your sodium goals and how many times a day you eat.

If you are eating cereal for breakfast and also wanting to lose weight, I shared with SheFINDS four foods you should eat every morning for weight loss here.

How to Make Cereal Heart Healthy

1. Add Fruit

Fresh or frozen are both healthy! Frozen berries can be slightly defrosted in the microwave for 10-30 seconds prior to adding cereal and milk into your cereal bowl.

Berries specifically are high in the antioxidant, anthocyanin, which picks up free radicals in your body.

To keep it simple, you do not want free radicals building up in your body. Antioxidants remove free radicals, but if they build up in your blood stream they can cause hardened arteries and heart disease.

If you don’t have berries on hand, add a piece of citrus (orange, clementine, or grapefruit) on the side. Citrus fruits are also high in soluble fiber and antioxidants which are helpful for lowering cholesterol too.

2. Top with Chopped Nuts or Seeds

• Chia Seed
• Ground Flaxseed
• Slivered Almonds
• Walnuts

The options above are rich in unsaturated fats and fiber which is good for increasing HDL (good levels) cholesterol and lowering LDL “bad” levels of cholesterol.

If you buy nuts in bulk, you can keep them in the freezer or fridge to prevent them from going rancid (i.e spoiled) as fast.

How to Make Low Sodium Cereal Taste Better?

I know that sometimes healthy cereal does not taste the same as eating high sugar options like Cinnamon Toast Crunch or Cocoa Puffs!

You can spruce up your bowl of cold cereal by adding fresh or slivered almonds, berries, chopped dried dates, cinnamon, and even a drizzle of honey if needed.

Hot cereal like oats taste great with unsalted peanut or almond butter, frozen or fresh fruit, cinnamon and a few semi sweet chocolate chips! So warming and delicious!

 If you are eating oats for the purpose of weight loss, I share all my tips in Best Time to Eat Oats for Weight Loss post.

What are Low Sodium Cereals 

Low sodium cereal are any cereals with 140mg or less of sodium per serving. Here are brands and flavors of cereals that meet that criteria.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I only recommend products I would personally use or recommend to clients as a Registered Dietitian

Low Sodium Cereal Brands

Granola Cereal Brands

• KIND Healthy Grains Cinnamon Oat with Flax Seeds Granola Clusters (15mg/serving)
• Cascadian Farm Organic Blueberry Vanilla (70mg/serving)
• Purely Elizabeth Cookie Granola, Vanilla Chocolate Chip (110mg/serving)
• Purely Elizabeth Cookie Granola, Berry Crisp (115mg/serving)
• Purely Elizabeth Organic Ancient Grain Granola, Original (135g/serving)

Chocolate Cereal Brands

• Seven Sundays Simply Cocoa Breakfast Cereal (40mg/serving)
• One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Brown Rice Cacao Crisps (105mg/serving)
• Kashi Cocoa Clusters Cereal (130mg/serving)

Best Cluster,Flake, and Puff Cereal Brands

• Seven Sundays Real Berry Breakfast Cereal, Gluten Free (5mg/serving)
• Kashi Honey Toasted Cereal (40mg/serving)
• Seven Sundays Real Maple Breakfast Cereal, Gluten Free (40mg/serving)
• Three Wishes Grain Free Cereal, Cinnamon, Gluten-Free (90mg/serving)
• One Degree Organic Foods Sprouted Brown Rice Crisps Cereal (125mg/serving)
• Kashi Blueberry Clusters Cereal (130mg/serving)
• Food For Life Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Crunchy Cereal Cinnamon Raisin (130mg/serving)
• Mom’s Best™Oats and Honey Blend™ Cereal (135mg/serving)
• Post® Great Grains® Raisins Dates & Pecans Cereal (140mg/serving)
• Grain Berry® Multi-Bran Flakes Cereal (140mg/serving)

Shredded Wheat Brands

• Post Shredded Wheat Original or Wheat N’ Bran (0mg/serving)
• Kashi Autumn Wheat Cereal (0 mg/serving)
• Mom’s Best™Blueberry Wheatfuls™ Cereal (10mg/serving)

Oat Cereal Brands

1. Any Brand– Unflavored/Plain Instant, Steel Cut, or Rolled Oats (0mg/serving)
2. Alpen™ Muesli Originial (15mg/serving)
3. Alpen™ Muesli, No Sugar Added (20mg/serving)

Low Sodium Low Sugar Cereal Brands

Not all of the brands above are low in sugar, but most of them are. Here are my top choices for low sodium and low sugar cereals. These are pulled directly from the list above, so you can purchase them online if you want!

What is the Best Low Sodium Cereal? 

Shredded Wheat and Alpen Muesli No Sugar Added is the best cold low sodium cereal.

The best hot low sodium cereal is any variety of plain oats like steel cut, rolled, or instant.

Both muesli and oats are low in sodium and added sugar. They are a good source of soluble fiber, B Vitamins, and iron.

A study cited in Advances in Nutrition, observed soluble fiber had a significant impact on lowering cholesterol.  Soluble fiber creates a barrier in your gut and binds to cholesterol so your body doesn’t absorb it and go into your bloodstream. Think of soluble fiber like a mini vacuum cleaner that keeps your blood stream free from plaque build up.

Low Sodium Cereal Alternatives for Breakfast

1. Whole Grain Toast with Heart Healthy Toppings

Inside Best Low Sodium Bread: [Heart Healthy + Delicious]. I include brands of bread that are low in salt as well as some creative heart healthy toppings to put on top!

Think things like almond butter and carrots, edamame and mashed avocado, or egg and hot sauce. There are more healthy bread topping ideas in Alternatives to Deli Meat | Easy Heart Healthy Sandwich Ideas.

2. Protein Bar or Shake with Fruit

Just like cereal, protein powders and shakes can be either really high or low in sodium based on brands. I created a list of Low Sodium Protein Powder [Best Tasting + Highly Rated 2026], as well as premade shake brands in Best Low Sodium Protein Shakes | A Dietitian Shares All.

If you like protein bars, there are many low sugar options too that are in Top Low Sugar Protein Bars | A Dietitian’s Favorite Picks.

3. Yogurt, Granola and Fruit

Eating a high protein yogurt like greek or skyr can help with blood sugar balance through the morning. This then impacts cravings and energy, which is super important for the start of your day. There are some brands that are better than others. I recommend some of my favorites inside Is Noosa Yogurt Healthy? | What a Dietitian Wants You to Know

Yogurt is also a very affordable protein source, compared to meat. If you want to eat better but feel like it might be too expensive, be sure to read Smart Ways to Save Money on Groceries | Top Tips from a Dietitian for ideas on staying in budget on your next grocery trip.

4. Grab and Go Snacks

A comprehensive list can be found in Low Sodium Snacks- 16 Easy Heart Healthy Ideas from a Dietitian.

Nature Valley and Clif Bars are in the cereal isle as well. If you have been looking for a bar to take as a breakfast on the go be sure to read Are Nature Valley Bars Healthy? A Dietitian Shares All and Are Clif Bars Healthy: Powerbar or Candybar? 

Conclusion

All packaged foods, including breakfast cereal, can range in sodium levels. Be sure to double check the nutrition panel before buying a product when following a low sodium eating pattern.

Add a boost of flavor to low sodium cereal by using chopped nuts, fresh or dried fruits, cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey.

Don’t forget to send this to a friend or family member who you think would benefit from this cereal list!

More heart healthy resources

• Delicious Low Sodium Desserts (Dietitian Approved + Heart Healthy!) 
• DASH Diet Snacks: 10 Delicious and Healthy Options to Satisfy Your Cravings
• McDonald’s Low Sodium Meal Options: Top picks from a Dietitian
• Best Low Sodium Protein Shakes: A Dietitian Shares All
• Low Sodium Protein Powder [Best Tasting + Highly Rated 2026]
• Best Mayonnaise for High Cholesterol:  Top Brands from a Dietitian
• Low Sodium Salad Dressings: Top Brands From a Dietitian
• Mediterranean Diet vs Paleo Diet: Which is Better for Heart Health?

Laurie Thenedy, RD

Laurie is a Registered Dietitian passionate about helping healthcare professionals lower their weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol so that they can regain confidence and energy to live a more full life.