Cereal Diet Review: Does It Work for Weight Loss?

In the cereal diet, meals are replaced twice a day with cereals and milk.

Although the diet has been around for some time, it has recently gained popularity.

It appears to be effective for short-term weight loss and can be rich in fiber and whole grains. However, it can also be high and excessively limited in sugar.

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Here's a comprehensive cereal diet review to help you decide if it's right for you.

DIET review dashboard

Overall score: 1.33

Weight loss: 1.5

Healthy eating: 1

Durability: 2

Whole Body Health: 0

Nutritional quality: 2

Based on evidence: 1.5

BOTTOM LINE: 

When you keep your third low-calorie meal and snacks on the cereal diet, you replace the meal twice a day with cereal and milk. It can help with short-term weight loss, but it is not sustainable and is not nutritionally imbalanced.

What is the cereal diet?

Cereal-based food has gained popularity thanks to the "Special K Challenge."

Special K cereals have long been marketed as a health food that can help you lose weight, and some cereal boxes were even printed on them were instructions for the two-week challenge.

However, Kellogg's, especially K's parent company, no longer promotes this challenge or a serial diet.

On this diet, you serve whole grains and skim or low-fat milk in place of your breakfast and lunch.

Dinner and snacks should be low in calories, low in calories, and high in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, as well as high-fat protein.

Also, some dietary challenges involve eating nothing but cereal with milk for an entire week. However, these challenges are best avoided as they can be extremely low in calories and protein and can lead to fatigue, loss of concentration, and mood swings.

SUMMARY:

In the cereal diet, two meals a day are replaced by whole grains and low-fat milk. A popular version was "Special K Challenge".

How to follow the Cereal Diet

The cereal diet is relatively easy to follow.

Replace both breakfast and lunch with just cereal and 1 / 2–2 / 3 cup (120-180 ml) of skim or low-fat milk. Preferably, the added sugars to the cereal should be low and made from whole grains, such as Special K, Total, or plain Corn Flakes.

For dinner, it is recommended to choose foods rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, as well as low in fat and calories, ideally 450 calories or less.

Examples include a grilled chicken salad with vinegar dressing and fresh fruit and brown rice with salmon and ripe vegetables.

You are allowed two snacks per day, each with 100 calories or less.

If you follow this diet intensively, you are probably consuming around 1,200-11,500 calories per day, which can result in weight loss for most people. Calories depend on the cereal you choose and the amount you eat.

It is recommended to eat a serving of your selected cereal for breakfast and lunch. The serving size is defined by the nutrition label on the box and is generally 2 / 3-1 cups (approximately 28-22 grams).

Most people follow a serial diet for five days to two weeks. The diet should not be followed for longer than it should, as it can be difficult to adhere to, be low in calories and protein, and can result in eating habits.

SUMMARY:

To follow a cereal diet, serve whole grains with low-fat milk in place of breakfast and lunch. Dinner and snacks should be low in calories and high in protein, fat, whole grains, and fruits or vegetables.

Other Potential Benefits

If you choose whole grains, following a cereal diet is a great way to get your whole grains and fiber.

Feeding a high amount of whole grains is associated with better health outcomes and a lower risk of death from all causes.

In fact, a review of a study with more than 1 million participants found that whole grains per 28 grams were associated with a 9% reduction in the risk of death from any cause and a 14% lower risk of death from a sudden heart attack.

The fiber in whole grains promotes healthy digestion and can help control your weight.

However, it is important to note that eating only nutritious whole foods, such as vegetables and fruits, will give you the same benefits.

SUMMARY:

The cereal diet can be rich in whole grains and fiber, which is associated with better health outcomes, has a lower risk of death from all causes and weight loss, including

Possible Downsides

In addition to having a limited diet plan that may not allow you to lose weight in the long run, other disadvantages of a serial diet should also be considered.

There may be more sugar

Added dietary sugars are associated with a number of health problems and should be limited to less than 5% of your total caloric intake.

Cereal diets can be very rich in sugar. Even if you choose a cereal that does not taste sweet, most products contain sugar in one form or another.

What's more, grains and milk are high in sugar, which breaks down into sugars that provide energy to your body.

These natural sugars are not necessarily unhealthy but they can complicate weight loss and cause blood sugar fluctuations in some people.

Choosing low-sugar cereals like the original Special K is a better alternative than sweet cereals like fruit loops or frozen flakes.

Low in calories, protein, and healthy fats.

Cereal diets may be low in protein, healthy fats, and overall calories unless planned very carefully.

Your body needs protein to make and maintain your muscles, tissues, and enzymes, protein-based compounds indicate a variety of physiological functions. Protein, like fiber, helps you feel full.

The cereal diet is also considered a low-fat diet. You are advised to use skim or low-fat milk to keep your calories low.

Yet, since fat contains more calories per gram than protein or carbohydrates, recent research suggests that dietary fats, including saturated fats, can be part of a healthier diet and even lose weight because they are filling up.

Finally, excess calorie limitation can lead to metabolic changes that reduce fatigue and mental clarity as well as make weight loss harder to maintain.

SUMMARY:

Cereal diets are high in sugar, which can make weight loss difficult. Also, it can be low in protein and healthy fats.

Must Eat Food

The cereal diet consists mainly of cereals and milk. Still, encourage people to eat fatty meats, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains at breakfast and dinner.

Here is a list of foods that you can eat in a cereal diet:

Carbohydrates: Whole grains, Whole wheat bread, whole-wheat pasta, Oatmeal, Grits, Popcorn

Fruits - Any whole fruit such as apples, bananas, oranges, strawberries, and watermelons.

Vegetables: Any vegetable including lettuce, spinach, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms.

Protein: like beans, tofu, peanut butter, egg whites, chicken or turkey breast

Dairy: Low-fat or skim milk, low-fat or low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, Greek yogurt

Fat: Low fat, oil-based spreads, olive oil (moderately), cooking spray, low-fat mayonnaise

SUMMARY:

In the cereal diet, you are encouraged to choose whole grains and low-fat milk in addition to lean protein, whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.

To Avoid Food

The following foods should be avoided in the cereal diet, as they are rich in fat, refined sugars, and calories:

Aromatic foods: cakes, cookies, cakes, candy, cookies, pancakes, waffles

Fruit: Sweet made with fruit juice, banana pudding, or cherry pie.

Vegetables: French fries, fried or fried vegetables

Proteins: Meat, egg yolks, fried or fried meats such as fried chicken, pork sausage, and fatty cuts of bacon.

Whole milk: whole milk, whole yogurt, heavy cream, half, ice cream, whipped cream, sour cream, whole cheese

Fats: butter, plenty of oil, whole mayonnaise

SUMMARY:

While on a cereal diet, you should avoid foods that are high in fat, refined sugar or calories, cakes, fried foods, and high-fat dairy products.

3-Day Sample Menu

Below is a sample 3-day menu for the serial diet, which includes two snacks per day.

Day 1

Breakfast: 1 cup (40 g) of whole cereal (or any other whole-grain cereal) 1/2 cup (120 ml) with skim milk

Snack 1: 3 mini sweet pepper 1 tablespoon (10 g) low-fat cream cheese spread

Lunch: 1 cup (40 g) of total cereal (or any other whole grain) 1/2 cup (120 ml) with skim milk

Snack 2: 1/2 cup (74g) blueberries minus 1/2 cup (123g) with low-fat yogurt

Dinner: 1 bar of chicken sausage, 1/2 cup of kidney beans (93 g), 1/2 cup of brown rice (50 g), and 1/2 cup of cooked okra cooked with olive oil spray (80 g )

DAY 2

Breakfast: 1 cup (40 g) of whole cereal (or any other whole-grain cereal) 1/2 cup (120 ml) with skim milk

Snack 1: 1 small apple with 1/2 cup (123g) low-fat yogurt

Lunch: 1 cup (40 g) of total cereal (or any other whole-grain cereal) 1/2 cup (120 ml) with skim milk

Snack 2: 1 oz (28 g) low-fat cheese with 5 whole-wheat crackers

Dinner: 1/2 cup (70 g) whole wheat spaghetti, 1 cup (250 g) spaghetti sauce with ground turkey, 1 ounce (28 g) low-fat mozzarella cheese, and 1 cup (160 g) steamed broccoli

DAY 3

Breakfast: 1 cup (40 g) of whole cereal (or any other whole-grain cereal) 1/2 cup (120 ml) with skim milk

Snack 1: 1 tablespoon of breakfast butter (16 g) 1: 2 stalks of celery

Lunch: 1 cup (40 g) of total cereal (or any other whole grain) 1/2 cup (120 ml) with skim milk

Snack 2: 1/2 cup (105g) 1/2 of a large grape with cottage cheese

Dinner: 2 small pieces of whole wheat bread, 3 ounces (85 g) of daily style fried turkey, 1 piece of Swiss cheese, 2 teaspoons (10 g) of mustard and honey, and a small salad with 1 tablespoon (16 g)) vinegar

SUMMARY:

The Sample Menu for the Top 3 Days for the Cereal Diet includes cereal and dairy meals twice daily, a third balanced meal, and two low-calorie snacks per day.

BOTTOM LINE:

In the cereal diet, cereals with milk are eaten twice a day. Your third meal and snacks should be low in calories.

Whole grains and fiber in the diet are rich and if done correctly help you lose weight in the short term.

Still, it's high in sugar and low in calories, protein, and healthy fats. If you are looking to achieve permanent weight loss, other more balanced diet plans may be a better and more sustainable option.