In this article, I’ll be comparing General Mills Original Cheerios against Kellogg’s Corn Flakes to find out which is best for nutrition, price, and flavor to help you make an informed choice on which is best for you.
Includes easy-to-use comparison tables to help you quickly find what you’re looking for – so read on to see who’s the winner!
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Cheerios Vs. Corn Flakes Nutritional Comparison
In this section, I’ll be comparing Cheerios and Corn Flakes in a like-for-like comparison for each nutritional category. We need to look at like-for-like weights for each cereal to get the most accurate information. Recommended serving sizes can vary between products, so I’ve included both for information.
Please note that this information is based on Cheerios sold in the USA (produced by General Mills) and Kellogg’s Corn Flakes; the nutritional values of these cereals may vary slightly between different countries if another brand company makes them.
Best for Calorie Content
Both original Cheerios and corn flakes are very close when it comes to calories, with Cheerios containing just 2kcal more per 100g of cereal than Corn Flakes.
If you consider recommended serving sizes, Corn Flakes contain more calories per serving because the serving is larger; however, weight-for-weight Cheerios contain slightly more calories.
| Cereal Type | Calories Per 100g | Calories Per Serving |
| Original Cheerios | 359kcal | 140kcal (39g) |
| Corn Flakes | 357kcal | 150kcal (42g) |
Best for Carbs & Sugar Content
If you’re keeping track of your carb and sugar content, then both kinds of cereal are relatively high, with Corn Flakes being the highest with 10.9g more carbohydrates than Cheerios per 100g as well as higher sugar content.
Carbohydrates Per 100g
| Cereal Type | Carbs Per 100g | Of Which Are Sugars (Per 100g) |
| Original Cheerios | 73.2g | 4.5g |
| Corn Flakes | 84.1g | 9.5g |
Carbohydrates Per 100g Per recommended Serving
| Cereal Type | Carbs Per Serving | Of Which Are Sugars (Per Serving) |
| Original Cheerios (39g) | 29g | 2g |
| Corn Flakes (42g) | 36g | 4g |
Best for Protein Content
Moving on to protein content per cereal, Original Cheerios win this category with 4.6g more protein per 100g of cereal than Corn Flakes.
| Cereal Type | Protein Per 100g | Protein Per Serving |
| Original Cheerios | 12.4g | 5g (per 39g of cereal) |
| Corn Flakes | 7.5g | 3g (per 42g of cereal) |
Best for Fat Content
If you’re tracking fat consumption, Corn Flakes is the clear winner with only 0.4g of fat per 100 and only a nominal amount per serving. Although Original Cheerios have slightly more fat, they are still low in fat at 2.5g per serving.
The tables below show how much fat is in Original Cheerios and Corn Flakes per 100g and per recommended serving.
Fat Per 100g
| Cereal Type | Fat Per 100g | Of Which Are Saturates (per 100g) |
| Original Cheerios | 6.6g | 1.3g |
| Corn Flakes | 0.4g | 0g |
Fat Per recommended Serving
| Cereal Type | Fat Per Serving | Of Which Are Saturates (Per Serving) |
| Original Cheerios (39g) | 2.5g | 0.5g |
| Corn Flakes (42g) | 0g | 0g |
Cholesterol
After comparing both kinds of cereal, I found that neither one contains any cholesterol (as confirmed by the USDA).
Best for Fiber Content
Fiber is often a key consideration for breakfast cereal, with many people opting for higher-fiber choices to help up their intake for the day, but which is highest when it comes to Cheerios and Cornflakes?
Weight-for-weight Cheerios are the winner for dietary fiber, with 6.8g more fiber per 100g than Corn Flakes.
| Cereal Type | Dietary Fiber Per 100g | Dietary Fiber Per Serving |
| Original Cheerios | 10.1g | 3.9g (per 39g of cereal) |
| Corn Flakes | 3.3g | 1.4g (per 42g of cereal) |
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
If sodium (salt) intake is something that you need to monitor in your diet, the good news is that both kinds of cereal contain relatively low amounts per serving.
If you’re looking for a lower sodium option between the two, then Cheerios is the winner of this category as they contain 232mg less sodium per 100g of cereal.
| Cereal Type | Sodium/Salt Per 100g | Sodium/Salt Per Serving |
| Original Cheerios | 497mg | 194mg (per 39g of cereal) |
| Corn Flakes | 729mg | 306mg (per 42g of cereal) |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
Breakfast Cereals are generally fortified with vitamins and minerals to help increase the consumer’s daily intake. Both Cheerios and Corn Flakes are fortified cereals, but is there any difference between the two?
After comparing both kinds of cereal, I found that Cheerios contain more vitamins and minerals per 100g and more types of vitamins and minerals that Corn Flakes don’t have.
On the plus side, Corn Flakes contain much more Vitamin D and similar amounts of essential vitamins like Vitamin C and B6 and contain the same amount of Iron as Cheerios.
The table below shows how much of each vitamin and mineral there are in 100g of Cheerios and Cornflakes so that you can compare the two.
| Vitamin/Mineral Type | Amount Per 100g of Cheerios | Amount Per 100g of Corn Flakes |
| Vitamin D | 3.6mcg | 7.1mcg |
| Calcium | 357mg | 5mg |
| Iron | 28.9mg | 28.9mg |
| Potassium | 633mg | 168mg |
| Magnesium | 114mg | 39mg |
| Thiamin | 1.3mg | 1mg |
| Riboflavin | 0.1mg | 1.52mg |
| Vitamin B6 | 1.7mg | 1.79mg |
| Vitamin C | 21.4mg | 21mg |
Best for Flavor/Texture
When it comes to being the best for flavor and texture, this is down to the individual who’s eating them and is subjective.
Both kinds of cereal taste different and have different textures; when paired up with ice-cold milk, they’re probably both as popular as each other.
So the only way to find the true winner for this category is by taking a poll across a wide number of impartial voters.
You can help find the winner of this category by voting in the simple poll below (no personal details required), and once you’ve voted, you will be shown the percentage of votes for each cereal.
Best for Price
At the time of writing this article at Walmart, an 18oz family-sized pack of Original Cheerios costs $3.98, and the exact size pack of Kellogg’s Corn Flakes costs $3.28.
In Target, a family-sized box of Original Cheerios costs $4.19, and Kellogs Corn Flakes are $3.49.
So in both superstores, Kellogg’s Corn Flakes are cheaper than Original Cheerios, and you can also go cheaper again by buying a non-brand version.
Overall Winner
Now we’ve compared Original Cheerios, and Corn Flakes in each category, the winner in the Cheerios vs. Cornflakes contest is Cheerios!
Cheerios are Lower in Carbs and sodium higher in protein, fiber, vitamins, and minerals. However, in some categories, Corn Flakes weren’t far behind, and it’s important to note they are lower in fat calories (slightly) and cost less.
| Comparison Category | Winner (Cheerios or Corn Flakes) |
| Best for Calorie Content | Corn Flakes |
| Best for Carbs & Sugar Content | Cheerios |
| Best for Protein Content | Cheerios |
| Best for Fat Content | Corn Flakes |
| Best for Fiber Content | Cheerios |
| Best for Sodium Content | Cheerios |
| Best for Vitamins/Minerals | Cheerios |
| Best for Price | Corn Flakes |
| Overall Winner | Cheerios |
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References Used for this Article
To ensure the nutritional information used in this article is accurate, I have used data from both the original producers and the USDA; the links below contain the source information:
Original Cheerios (General Mills) Product Information
USDA Cheerios Nutritional Information