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Pumpkin-flavored anything is super popular every fall – and this year, there’s been a flood of Pumpkin Spice cereals on shelves, both hot and cold. And while these cereals may appear to be nutritious, some of them can pack in more than half a day’s worth of added sugar!

 

Today we’re Getting the Skinny with Molly on her top picks for pumpkin-flavored cereals, and which ones just aren’t worth it.

 

LOVE IT!

 

Engine 2 Apple Pumpkin Granola (GF)

  • Ingredients include: steel-cut oats, rolled oats, applesauce, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, pumpkin seeds, spice blend.
  • Per ½ cup: 230 calories – 10 mg sodium – 38 grams carb – 5 grams fiber – 6 grams sugar – 9 grams protein (50% more protein than sugar)

 

DIY Pumpkin Oatmeal (GF)

  • ½ cup Steel-Cut Oatmeal + ¼ cup Pumpkin Puree + Pumpkin Spice Seasoning Blend + ½ scoop Vanilla Whey Protein (dissolved in few ounces unsweetened almond milk)
  • ¼ cup pumpkin adds just 25 calories, with 1.5 grams of fiber and 125% day’s worth of vitamin A
  • 200 calories – 0 sodium – 35 grams carb – 3.5 grams fiber 3 grams sugar – 15  grams protein

 

 

LIKE IT!

 

Pumpkin Puffins (GF)

  • Ingredients include: Corn, whole grain brown rice, cane sugar, oats, fructan (prebiotic fiber), molasses, oat hull fiber….
  • Per cup: 110 calories – 75 mg sodium – 25 grams carb – 3 grams fiber – 5 grams sugar – 2 grams protein

 

Nature’s Path Pumpkin Flax Granola (Vegan)

  • Ingredients include: Rolled oats, cane sugar, brown rice flour, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, oat syrup solids, molasses, cinnamon
  • Per ¾ cup: 260 calories – 45 mg sodium – 37 grams carb – 5 grams fiber – 10 grams sugar – 6 grams protein

 

 

HATE IT!

 

Quaker Pumpkin Spice Instant Oatmeal

  • Ingredients include: whole grain rolled oats, sugar, nonfat dry milk, salt, spices
  • Per packet: 160 calories – 190 mg sodium – 32 grams carb – 3 grams fiber – 11 grams sugar – 4 grams protein

 

Cheerios Pumpkin Spice

  • Ingredients include: Whole grain oats, sugar, salt, pumpkin puree, refiners syrup, corn syrup, cinnamon, vitamins & minerals.
  • Per ¾ cup: 110 calories – 120 mg sodium – 22 grams carb – 2 grams fiber – 8 grams sugar – 2 grams protein

 

Life Pumpkin Spice Cereal                             

 

  • Ingredients include: Whole grain oat flour, sugar, corn flour, whole  wheat flour, rice flour,  vitamins & minerals, BHT preservative, Yellow 5, Yellow 6

 

  • Per ¾ cup: 120 calories – 160 mg sodium – 25 grams carb – 2 grams fiber – 6 grams sugar – 3 protein

 

 

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Want more from Molly?  Click here to sign up for Nutrition Bites, her weekly e-newsletter with links to her Get the Skinny TV segments here on WGNO, and her weekly column in NOLA.com|The Times-Picayune!   And you can follow Molly on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram:  @MollyKimballRD