Lucky Charms and Froot Loops are both aimed at the kid’s breakfast cereal market (although many adults love them too!) with claims of being healthy due to added vitamins and minerals. However, they’re also known for being higher-sugar options compared to other breakfast options, but is one better than the other?
In this article, I’ll be comparing the two kinds of cereal head-to-head to find out the difference between the two and whether one is better than the other when it comes to sugar content and nutritional benefits.
Find out which cereal is best in the most categories for nutrition and cost, and help us by voting for your favorite when it comes to flavor.
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Ingredients Comparision
Let’s start by taking a look at the difference between the ingredients of Lucky Charms compared to Froot Loops.
Both kinds of cereal contain a mix of ingredients for flavor and color, and both have added sugar and salt. The main difference between the two is the main ingredient which for Lucky Charms is Whole Grain Oats, compared to Froot Loops which are predominately made from a corn flour blend.
Lucky Charms and Froot Loops are fortified with added vitamins and minerals to help consumers reach their daily recommended values by starting the day with a bowl of breakfast cereal.
| Lucky Charms Ingredients | Froot Loops 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. | Corn flour blend (whole grain yellow corn flour, degerminated yellow corn flour), sugar, wheat flour, whole grain oat flour, modified food starch, contains 2% or less of vegetable oil (hydrogenated coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed), oat fiber, maltodextrin, salt, soluble corn fiber, natural flavor, red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, yellow 6, bht for freshness. |
Lucky Charms Vs. Froot Loops Nutritional Comparison
Moving onto the nutritional comparison and to confirm, I’ll be comparing General Mills Brand Lucky Charms against Kellogg’s Original Froot Loop.
Because each brand has a different recommended serving size, I’ll be comparing them weight-for-weight (per 100g of cereal) to ensure the comparison is fair and accurate.
Best for Calorie Content
Starting with the calorie comparison and both kinds of cereal are relatively similar when compared by weight, with Lucky Charms containing four more calories per 100g than Froot Loops.
A serving of Froot Loops contains more calories than Lucky Charms, but this is because the serving weighs more, so in fact, Lucky Charms have slightly more calories than Froot Loops.
| Cereal Type | Calories Per 100g | Calories Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 389kcal | 140kcal (Per 36g Serving) |
| Froot Loops | 385kcal | 150kcal (Per 39g Serving) |
Best for Carbohydrate Content
Neither Lucky Charms nor Fruit Loops can be considered a low-carb breakfast cereal, but if you’re looking to find out the lower carb option of the two, it’s Lucky Charms which contain slightly fewer carbs per weight of cereal when compared to Froot Loops.
| Cereal Type | Carbohydrates Per 100g | Carbohydrates Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 83g | 30g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Froot Loops | 87g | 34g (Per 39g Serving) |
Best for Sugar Content
Sugar content is often a big consideration for consumers when they’re choosing a breakfast cereal, especially if it’s going to be fed to kids on a regular basis.
Lucky Charms and Froot Loops contain 12g of sugar per serving; however, because a serving of Froot Loops weighs more, Froot Loops contain slightly less sugar per weight than lucky charms.
Both kinds of cereal contain more than two teaspoons of sugar per serving which is equal to 24% of the recommended daily value allowance.
| Cereal Type | Sugars Per 100g | Sugars Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 33g | 12g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Froot Loops | 31g | 12g (Per 39g Serving) |
Best for Protein Content
If protein is an important consideration for you when choosing a breakfast cereal, the cereal with the most protein is Lucky Charms, with 3g more per 100g than Froot Loops.
It’s worth noting that neither kind of cereal is particularly high in protein compared to other breakfast options.
| Cereal Type | Protein Per 100g | Protein Per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 8g | 3g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Froot Loops | 5g | 2g (Per 39g Serving) |
Best for Fat Content
Both kinds of cereal contain 1.5g of fat per serving, but weight-for-weight Lucky Charms have slightly more fat than Froot Loops, although it’s nominal.
On the other hand, Froot Loops contain 0.5g of saturated fat. In contrast, Lucky Charms don’t have any, and neither cereal contains any cholesterol, so based on this information, I’m treating them as joint winners in this category.
| Cereal Type | Fat Per 100g | Fat per Cereal |
| Lucky Charms | 4.2g | 1.5g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Froot Loops | 3.8g | 1.5g (Per 39g Serving) |
Best for Fiber Content
Moving on to Fiber Content, both kinds of cereal contain 2g per serving; however, weight-for-weight Lucky Charms contain slightly more fiber, although the difference is minimal.
Neither cereal is exceptionally high in fiber when compared to other whole-grain or bran options that are available.
| Cereal Type | Dietary Fibre Per 100g | Dietary Fibre per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 5.6g | 2g (Per 36g Serving) |
| Froot Loops | 5.1g | 2g (Per 39g Serving) |
Best for Sodium/Salt Content
Sodium is added to both Lucky Charms and Froot Loops for flavor, the sodium content in each is similar, but Lucky Charms contains slightly more per weight.
To put this into the contest of a daily value percentage, Froot Loops contain 9%, whereas Lucky Charms contain 10%.
| Cereal Type | Sodium/Salt Per 100g | Sodium/Salt per Serving |
| Lucky Charms | 639mg | 230mg (Per 36g Serving) |
| Froot Loops | 538mg | 210mg (Per 39g Serving) |
Best for Vitamins/Minerals
Both kinds of cereal are fortified with added vitamins and minerals in a bid by the cereal manufacturers to help consumers get closer to their recommended daily values of various nutrients.
The cereal with a broader range of vitamins and minerals, and this category’s winner is Lucky Charms. However, it’s worth noting that Froot Loops are higher in iron, riboflavin, vitamin C, and niacin.
| Vitamin/Mineral Type | Lucky Charms Daily Value % | Froot Loops Daily Value % |
| Vitamin D | 10% | 10% |
| Calcium | 10% | – |
| Iron | 20% | 25% |
| Phosphorus | 8% | – |
| Potassium | – | – |
| Magnesium | 8% | – |
| Thiamin | 20% | 20% |
| Riboflavin | 10% | 20% |
| Vitamin B6 | 20% | 20% |
| Vitamin C | 10% | 25% |
| Vitamin A | 10% | – |
| Vitamin B12 | 20% | 20% |
| Niacin | 10% | 20% |
| Folic Acid | 20% | 20% |
| Zinc | 20% | – |
*mcg = microgram (1000th of a milligram) / mg = milligram (1000th of a gram)
Best for Flavor/Texture
When it comes to choosing the best cereal for flavor, this is a subjective category, so we need to do a poll to get a broader opinion.
Please help us by voting for your favorite – Lucky Charms or Froot Loops, and once you vote, the winner so far will be revealed (no personal information required to vote).
Best for Price
Because Lucky Charms and Froot Loops are sold in different box sizes, I’ve worked out the price per ounce to make the comparison fair.
Below are the average prices of each cereal:
- Lucky Charms 18.6oz box = $3.98 / 21.4¢ per oz
- Lucky Charms 29.1oz box = $5.48 / 18.9¢ per oz
- Froot Loops 19.4oz box = $3.98 / 20.5¢ per oz
- Froot Loops 28oz box = $5.23 / 18.7¢ per oz
Based on this information, the average price of Froot Loops is slightly lower than the cost of Lucky Charms per ounce, although the difference is pretty small.
Please note this information is correct at the time of writing, but prices may vary depending on where you buy the products and may fluctuate over time.
Overall Winner
All categories for nutrition and price have now been compared; things were very close throughout, and I can reveal – it’s a tie, with both kinds of cereal coming best in four categories each.
Lucky Charms have slightly fewer carbs while having more protein, fiber, and added vitamins and minerals.
Froot Loops are, however, are slightly lower in calories, sugar, and sodium, and you get a little more cereal for your money.
The important thing to keep in mind here is that neither cereal is particularly healthy due to the sugar content, so it’s really a case of weighing up the pros and cons to decide which is best for you based on the various nutritional categories.
| Comparison Category | Winner (Lucky Charms or Froot Loops) |
| Best for Calorie Content | Froot Loops |
| Best for Carbohydrate Content | Lucky Charms |
| Best for Sugar Content | Froot Loops |
| Best for Protein Content | Lucky Charms |
| Best for Fat Content | Joint winners |
| Best for Fiber Content | Lucky Charms |
| Best for Sodium Content | Froot Loops |
| Best for Vitamins/Minerals | Lucky Charms |
| Best for Price | Froot Loops |
| Overall Winner | Joint Winners |
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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 manufacturer; the links below contain the source information: