Is Shredded Wheat good for you? We take a close look at this whole grain wheat cereal to see how healthy it is
Of all the breakfast cereals you could have in the morning, Shredded Wheat is probably the simplest of all. It is literally made from just 1 ingredient - whole grain wheat. However, although there is no disputing the simplicity of Shredded Wheat, there is some doubt over how healthy this breakfast cereal actually is for you, and how healthy whole grain wheat is for you generally. We wanted to take a close look at Shredded Wheat to see if we could get to the bottom of how good it is for you, let's get into it:
What type of Shredded Wheat are we talking about?
We should first specify that we are talking about the Original variety of Shredded Wheat and not any of the variations which have recently appeared on supermarket shelves, as many of the variations can't be considered healthy. We spotted a Honey and Nut variety of Shredded Wheat (pictured) with quite high levels of sugar and calories.
What are the nutritional stats of Shredded Wheat like?
The ingredients might be straightforward, but there is actually quite a lot to unpack when you look at the nutrition information on the back of the Shredded Wheat box.
Firstly, we were quite surprised by the number of calories found in Shredded Wheat, with 2 Shredded Wheat biscuits containing 162 calories. Considering that 2 Weetabix biscuits only contain 136 calories, it is quite surprising that Shredded Wheat is so much higher.
But we were impressed by the low sugar and salt content of Shredded Wheat - 2 biscuits of Shredded Wheat contain just 0.3g of sugar and 0.02g of salt, whereas 2 Weetabix biscuits contain 5 times as much sugar and salt.
It was also impressive to see the protein content of Shredded Wheat - 2 biscuits contain 5.5g of protein, which is 1g more than you'll find in 2 Weetabix biscuits.
Lastly, whole grain wheat is packed with goodness like B vitamins and fibre, which isn't really mentioned on the Shredded Wheat box but is well researched, and definitely makes this cereal healthier than most you'll find on the shelves.
Anything else to mention?
It probably goes without saying, but what you decide to consume your Shredded Wheat with will have a significant impact on how good it is for you. For example, many people choose to include fruit on their Shredded Wheat, and this is actually encouraged on the front of the pack (pictured). This is great to get some extra micronutrients and fibre, but it'll also increase the sugar content and calories that you're consuming. The reason we make a point of mentioning this specifically for Shredded Wheat is because similar to other cereals like granola and Weetabix, people rarely consume Shredded Wheat without adding anything to it.
So, is Shredded Wheat good for you?
Compared to most other breakfast cereals, Shredded Wheat is definitely good for you. It's made from whole grain wheat which is proven to have a number of health benefits relating to lowering cholesterol and reducing the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Shredded Wheat is also very low in sugar and salt, although not quite as low as Weetabix.
What do you think of Shredded Wheat? Let us know in the comments if you eat this cereal regularly and what benefits you have felt from it. If you want to read something similar, we have a guide about how healthy Alpen is.
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.
One Comment
Darrell Tuppen
I only have Weetabix, shredded wheat, or Flanagan’s porridge oats with a little honey every day. And apples cider vinegar with the mother. My type 2 diabetes has gone don’t inject or take tablets anymore,my levels are always good now.