Diet Detours: Choosing the healthiest cereal

A lot of people like to start their day with their favorite bowl of cereal.

Of course, some options are much better than others.

Many cereals are packed with healthy nutrients like whole grains and fiber. However, you have to read the label because, if you're not careful, you can actually end up putting more calories in your bowl than what's in a fast food hamburger!

Courtney Schoepe, a registered dietitian for Giant food stores, says pay close attention when navigating the cereal aisle.

"Make sure, on the back label, it is standing up to what it is saying on the front of the label," she said.

She says first, choose a cereal with at least three grams of fiber, which will help ward off mid-morning hunger.

"Fiber keeps you full," Courtney said.

And watch out for added sugar. Some boxes are loaded with it.

"Choose those that have no more than five to eight grams of sugar," said Courtney.

But, Courtney says the biggest diet trap when it comes to cereal is how much you eat.

"You are thinking you are having a high-fiber, low-calorie start to your day and here you are having a 500 calorie sugar bomb," Courtney

First up on the cereal showdown are hearty cereals - some of which are granola based.

"They look like they would be very healthy with names like Smart Start or Go Lean and Grape Nuts," said Schoepe, but warned "Granola is typically high in sugar and low in fiber."

Courtney says this is where you really need to watch your portions.

"The majority of your granola based cereals are a 1/2 cup per serving."

Courtney says Smart Start may not be the smartest choice. With 14 grams of sugar it's our first diet detour.

The Go Lean Crunch, packed with natural sugars gets her green light

Next, the battle of the brans. We have Raisin Bran versus Kellogg's All-Bran and Fiber One. All three hit the mark when it comes to fiber.

However, Courtney says be cautious when it comes to sugar - the Raisin Bran packs 19 grams.

"Which is relatively high for a cereal," said Schoepe. "A lot is from the raisins."

And if you are avoiding artificial sweetener, skip the Fiber One

"They are advertising they have no aspartame in it," said Courtney, "But in the ingredient list they actually took aspartame out and added in sucralose, which is also an artificial sweetener."

Courtney gives the Kellogg's All-Bran a green light.

As for so-called kid's cereals, Courtney cautions they may be great on taste but most are loaded with sugar and little fiber.

"Frosted Flakes is the last choice I would make because there is no fiber in it," Courtney said. Courtney calls it "dessert in a breakfast bowl."

That drives it to our next diet detour.

As for the best choice for kids: "Kix is one of those cereals that I like there is no food coloring, no added sugars the fiber is high."

Courtney says regular Cheerios is another great choice for kids.

As for Fruit Loops and the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Crunch both are made with whole grains, making them an okay choice but not the best because of the sugar.