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Special K Vs. Bran Flakes (Which is Best?)

Special K and Bran Flakes are two of our top cereal choices when choosing a healthy cereal because they’re marketed as ‘healthy,’ but is this really the case, and is one more nutritious than the other?

In this article, I’ll be comparing Kellogg’s Special K and Bran Flakes head-to-head to find out which is the best for calories, nutrition, and price.

As well as this, you can take part in our poll to tell us which cereal is your favorite for flavor and texture.

Ingredients Comparision

The table below shows the list of ingredients for Original Special K and Bran Flakes so that you can see the difference between the two.

The main difference between Special K and Bran Flakes is that Special K is a rice-based cereal and Bran Flakes are a wholewheat-based cereal.

Both kinds of cereal have added sugar and natural flavorings, and both are fortified with added Vitamins and Minerals (which I’ll cover later in this article).

Cereal TypeIngredientsAdded Vitamins and Minerals
Kellogg’s Original Special KRice (47%), wholewheat
(37%), sugar, barley
(5%), malted barley
 flour, salt, barley
 malt extract.
Niacin, iron, zinc, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin B12.
Kellogg’s Bran FlakesWholewheat
(59%), wheat
bran (18%), wholewheat
flour, sugar, barley
malt extract, glucose syrup, salt, natural flavoring.
Niacin, iron, vitamin B6, riboflavin, thiamin, folic acid, vitamin D, vitamin B12.
special k in a bowl with raspberries and milk to show what they look like

Speical K Vs. Bran Flakes Nutritional Comparison

Moving onto the nutritional comparison, where I’ll be comparing like for like serving weights of each type of cereal.

Data is based on Kellogg’s brand (UK) breakfast cereal and using manufacturer nutritional information for a 30g serving (recommended serving size).

For information, I’ll be comparing Original Special K (although other flavors are available).

Best for Calorie Content

When comparing Special K and Bran Flakes, if you’re counting your calories and looking for a lower-calorie breakfast cereal, I can confirm Bran Flakes are the lower-calorie option.

Although both kinds of cereal are low-calorie compared to other breakfast options, Bran Flakes contain 11kcal less per serving than Special K.

Cereal TypeCalories Per 30g Serving
Kellogg’s Original Special K118kcal
Kellogg’s Bran Flakes107kcal

Best for Carbohydrate Content

Neither Special K nor Bran Flakes can be deemed low-carbohydrate options, but if this is something you’re tracking, Bran Flakes are the lower-carb option when compared against Special K.

When it comes to sugar, both kinds of cereal have added sugar, and values are pretty similar, but Bran Flakes are slightly lower in sugar per serving than Special K.

Cereal TypeCarbohydrates Per 30gOf Which Are Sugars
Kellogg’s Original Special K25g4.5g
Kellogg’s Bran Flakes20g4.2g

The recommended daily intake of carbohydrates for a 2,000 calorie diet is typically about 300 grams per day. This recommendation can vary based on dietary needs, activity level, and other factors. The values on the graph represent the actual grams of carbohydrates in a 30g serving of each cereal, not the percentage of the daily value. The percentage daily value would be calculated based on how these amounts fit into the recommended daily intake. For instance, 25 grams of carbohydrates for Special K would constitute approximately 8.33% of the daily intake, while 20 grams for Bran Flakes would be about 6.67% of the daily intake on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Bar graph comparing the daily value percentages of carbohydrates per 30g serving for Special K and Bran Flakes
Bar graph comparing the daily value percentages of carbohydrates per 30g serving for Special K and Bran Flakes

Best for Protein Content

Protein content is similar for each type of cereal, but Bran Flakes contain slightly more protein per 30g serving than Original Special K.

Cereal TypeProtein Per 30g Serving
Kellogg’s Original Special K2.4g
Kellogg’s Bran Flakes3.3g

The graph indicates that a 30g serving of Special K provides 4.8% of the daily value for protein, while the same serving of Bran Flakes provides 6.6% of the daily value, based on the recommended intake of 50 grams per day.

Bar graph comparing the daily value percentages of protein per 30g serving for Special K and Bran Flakes, based on a 2,000 calorie diet with a recommended daily intake of 50 grams for protein
Bar graph comparing the daily value percentages of protein per 30g serving for Special K and Bran Flakes, based on a 2,000 calorie diet with a recommended daily intake of 50 grams for protein

Best for Fat Content

Both Special K and Bran Flakes are very low in fat per serving, but if this is something you need to consider, then Special K is slightly lower in fat per serving; however, this is a nominal amount.

Cereal TypeFat Per 30g ServingOf Which is Saturated Fat
Kellogg’s Original Special K0.4g0.1g
Kellogg’s Bran Flakes0.7g0.1g

Best for Fiber Content

The main difference between Special K and Bran Flakes is the fiber content, with Bran Flakes being a higher-fiber cereal.

Bran flakes are made from wholegrain, which is much higher in fiber than a rice-based cereal like Special K.

Many consumers choose Bran Flakes as a breakfast option because of the dietary fiber benefits for gut health.

Cereal TypeDietary Fibre per Serving
Kellogg’s Original Special K1.8g
Kellogg’s Bran Flakes5.1g

The graph below shows that a 30g serving of Special K provides 7.2% of the daily value for fiber, while the same serving of Bran Flakes provides 20.4% of the daily value, based on the recommended intake of 25 grams per day.

Bar graph comparing the daily value percentages of fiber per 30g serving for Special K and Bran Flakes, based on a 2,000 calorie diet with an average recommended daily intake of 25 grams for fiber.
Bar graph comparing the daily value percentages of fiber per 30g serving for Special K and Bran Flakes, based on a 2,000 calorie diet with an average recommended daily intake of 25 grams for fiber.

Best for Vitamins/Minerals

Both Kellogg’s Special K Original and Bran Flakes are fortified breakfast cereals, which means the manufacturer adds extra vitamins and minerals to the recipe to help consumers get more nutrients into their daily food intake.

In this comparison, Special K has more nutrients per serving than Bran Flakes, although both have most of the same added Vitamins and Minerals.

The table below shows the percentage of the daily recommended value for each type of nutrient for both Special K and Bran Flakes.

Vitamin/Mineral TypeSpecial K Daily Value Percentage
Per Serving
Bran Flakes Daily Value Percentage
Per Serving
Vitamin D50%50%
Thiamin (B1)50%25%
Riboflavin (B2)50%25%
Niacin25%25%
Vitamin B625%25%
Folic Acid50%25%
Vitamin B1225%25%
Iron25%17%
Zinc25%

Best for Flavor/Texture

Both Special K and Bran Flakes are similar in texture, but their flavors are pretty different.

To find out which is the best for flavor, we need to get a general public opinion, so you can help us by voting in the poll below to tell us which you prefer.

No personal information is required to take part in our poll, and once you vote, you’ll be able to see the percentage of the vote so far.

Which do you prefer?

Best for Price

Before we announce a winner of the best cereal, let’s look at the cost comparison between the two.

At the time of writing this article, a 750g box of Kellogg’s Original Special K costs an average of £3.50, compared to a 750g box of Bran Flakes, which costs an average of £3.00.

Based on this information, a 30g serving of Special K Original costs £0.14 per serving, and the same-sized serving of Bran Flakes costs £0.12, which means Bran Flakes are the lower cost cereal.

Overall Winner

We’ve now compared each cereal in each category, and the winner based on nutrition and price is – Bran Flakes!

Bran Flakes won the contest with Special K for Calories, lowest carbs, and sugar while being higher in protein and fiber.

It’s not all bad for Special K, though, which is still a low-calorie option that is high in added vitamins and minerals.

Whichever your favorite is, hopefully, the information in this article can help you make an informed choice on which cereal is best for you and your diet.

Comparison CategoryWinner (Special K or Bran Flakes)
Best for Calorie ContentBran Flakes
Best for Carbohydrate ContentBran Flakes
Best for Sugar ContentBran Flakes
Best for Protein ContentBran Flakes
Best for Fat ContentSpecial K
Best for Fiber ContentBran Flakes
Best for Vitamins/MineralsSpecial K
Best for PriceBran Flakes
Overall WinnerBran Flakes

Related Articles

I hope this article has helped you to find the information you were looking for; you might also find the following articles helpful too:

All-Bran Vs. Bran Flakes (Which is Best?)

Special K Vs. Raisin Bran

Corn Flakes Vs. Crunchy Nut (Which are Better?)

Brown Rice Vs. Cauliflower Rice (An In-Depth Comparison)

Top Ten Lowest-Calorie Peanut Butter (In Charts)

References Used for this Article

To ensure the nutritional information used in this article is accurate, I have used data from the original manufacturer and the links below contain the source information:

Kellogg’s Special K Manufacturer Nutrition Information

Kellogg’s Bran Flakes Manufacturer Nutrition Information