Lucky Charms and Cheerios are iconic breakfast cereals sold in the millions each year, but are they a good choice nutritionally, and is one better than the other?
In this article, I’ll compare the two kinds of cereal head-to-head to discover whether one is better than the other when it comes to sugar, nutritional content, and price.
Read on to find out everything you need to know, and vote in our poll to let us know which cereal you like best.
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Ingredients Comparision
Let’s start with a look at the ingredients of each type of cereal before we compare their nutritional profiles.
The main ingredients for both lucky charms and Cheerios are whole grain oats, corn starch, and sugar, which tells us that the base cereal of the two is similar.
Lucky Charms and Cheerios are both fortified with vitamins and minerals to help consumers meet their daily recommended values (see which is best for vitamins and minerals later in this article).
| Lucky Charms Ingredients | Cheerios Ingredients |
| Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Corn Starch, Modified Corn Starch, Corn Syrup, Dextrose. Contains 2% or less of: Salt, Gelatin, Trisodium Phosphate, Red 40, Yellow 5 & 6, Blue 1, Natural and Artificial Flavor. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. | Whole Grain Oats, Corn Starch, Sugar, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate. Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) Added to Preserve Freshness. |
Lucky Charms Vs. Cheerios Nutritional Comparison
Next, I’ll compare the nutritional content of each cereal type to see which is the best in each category.
Since each brand has a different recommended serving size, I’m comparing them weight-for-weight (per 100g of cereal) to ensure a fair and accurate comparison.
To confirm, the brands which I’ll be comparing are General Mills Lucky Charms Vs. General Mills Original Cheerios (other varieties are available).
Best for Calorie Content
Lucky Charms and Original Cheerios do have the same amount of calories per recommended serving at 140kcal per portion; however, because a serving of Cheerios weighs more, it makes them the lower calorie option weight-for-weight.
| Cereal Type | Calories Per 100g | Calories Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 389kcal | 140kcal (Per 36g Serving) |
| Original Cheerios | 359kcal | 140kcal (per 39g serving) |
Best for Carbohydrate Content
Both Lucky Charms and Original Cheerios are high in carbohydrates compared to other breakfast options. Still, if you have to choose the lowest of the two, Original Cheerios are the better option with 9g fewer carbs than Lucky Charms per 100g.
| Cereal Type | Carbohydrates Per 100g | Carbohydrates Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 83g | 30g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Original Cheerios | 74g | 29g (per 39g serving) |
Best for Sugar Content
Sugar is often one of the main considerations for consumers when choosing a breakfast cereal and when comparing Lucky Charms and Cheerios, there’s a big difference between the two.
Original Cheerios contain 10g less sugar per serving than Lucky Charms, which is equivalent to two teaspoons of sugar.
To compare this to the recommended daily value percentage, Lucky Charms contain 24% compared to Original Cheerios, which contain 4%, making Cheerios the better option if you’re looking to reduce sugar intake.
| Cereal Type | Sugars Per 100g | Sugars Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 33g | 12g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Original Cheerios | 5g | 2g (per 39g serving) |
Best for Protein Content
If protein content is an important consideration for you when choosing a breakfast cereal, the better option when comparing Lucky Charms and Cheerios is Original Cheerios, which contain 2g more protein per serving.
| Cereal Type | Protein Per 100g | Protein Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 8g | 3g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Original Cheerios | 12.8g | 5g (per 39g serving) |
Best for Fat Content
Regarding fat content, Lucky Charms contain 2.4g less fat per 100g compared to Original Cheerios; however, neither cereal is high in fat, and both are cholesterol-free.
Lucky Charms don’t contain any saturated fat, and Original Cheerios contain a small amount of 0.5g per serving.
| Cereal Type | Fat Per 100g | Fat Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 4g | 1.5g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Original Cheerios | 6.4g | 2.5g (per 39g serving) |
Best for Fiber Content
Good fiber content in breakfast cereal is a great way to boost your daily intake, with many consumers opting for high-fiber bran or whole-grain cereals.
When comparing Lucky Charms and Original Cheerios, Cheerios are the better option for dietary fiber because they contain double the amount of Lucky Charms.
| Cereal Type | Dietary Fibre Per 100g | Dietary Fibre per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 5.6g | 2g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Original Cheerios | 10.3g | 4g (per 39g serving) |
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
Not everyone thinks of sodium when it comes to breakfast cereal, but most cereals have salt added to their ingredients for extra flavor.
For our comparison, Original Cheerios contain less sodium per serving, equal to a daily recommended value of 8%, compared to Lucky Charms, which contain 10%.
| Cereal Type | Sodium/Salt Per 100g | Sodium/Salt per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 369mg | 230mg (Per 36g Serving) |
| Original Cheerios | 487mg | 190mg (per 39g serving) |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
As mentioned in the ingredients section, Lucky Charms and Original Cheerios are both fortified cereals which means they have added vitamins and minerals to make them a healthier option than they would be otherwise.
Lucky Charms and Cheerios contain a wide range of vitamins and minerals, but the cereal with the higher amounts in more categories is Original Cheerios.
| Vitamin/Mineral Type | Lucky Charms Daily Value % | Original Cheerios Daily Value % |
| Vitamin D | 10% | 10% |
| Calcium | 10% | 10% |
| Iron | 20% | 70% |
| Phosphorus | 8% | 10% |
| Potassium | – | 6% |
| Magnesium | 8% | 15% |
| Thiamin | 20% | 20% |
| Riboflavin | 10% | – |
| Vitamin B6 | 20% | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 10% | 10% |
| Vitamin A | 10% | 10% |
| Vitamin B12 | 20% | 20% |
| Niacin | 10% | 10% |
| Folic Acid | 20% | 20% |
| Zinc | 20% | 20% |
*mcg = microgram (1000th of a milligram) / mg = milligram (1000th of a gram)
Best for Flavor/Texture
Choosing the best cereal for flavor is subjective, so we need to do a poll to get a broader view.
Please help us by voting for your favorite – Lucky Charms or Original Cheerios, and once you vote, the winner so far will be revealed (no personal information required to vote).
Best for Price
Cheerios and Lucky Charms are not sold in the same pack sizes, so to make a fair comparison, we need to look at the price per ounce of cereal.
Below are the main box sizes with the current average prices per box and per ounce:
- Lucky Charms 18.6oz box = $3.98 / 21.4¢ per oz
- Lucky Charms 29.1oz box = $5.48 / 18.9¢ per oz
- Original Cheerios 18oz box = $3.98 / 22¢ per ounce
- Original Cheerios 21.7oz box = $5.48 / 25¢ per ounce
Based on this information, Lucky Charms are currently the lower price option per ounce when compared to Original Cheerios.
Although this information is accurate at the time of writing, prices may vary depending on where you buy the products and may fluctuate over time.
Overall Winner
All categories have now been compared, and I can reveal that the best cereal in most categories is – Original Cheerios.
Original Cheerios won best for calories, carbs, sugar, protein, fiber, and they have slightly higher amounts of some vitamins and minerals (especially iron).
Ultimately, it comes down to which cereal you like best, but if you’re looking for the best nutritionally between the two, the clear winner is Cheerios.
| Comparison Category | Winner (Lucky Charms or Cheerios) |
| Best for Calorie Content | Original Cheerios |
| Best for Carbohydrate Content | Original Cheerios |
| Best for Sugar Content | Original Cheerios |
| Best for Protein Content | Original Cheerios |
| Best for Fat Content | Lucky Charms |
| Best for Fiber Content | Original Cheerios |
| Best for Sodium Content | Lucky Charms |
| Best for Vitamins/Minerals | Original Cheerios |
| Best for Price | Lucky Charms |
| Overall Winner | Original 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 the manufacturers; the links below contain the source information: