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.
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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 Type | Ingredients | Added Vitamins and Minerals |
| Kellogg’s Original Special K | Rice (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 Flakes | Wholewheat (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. |
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 Type | Calories Per 30g Serving |
| Kellogg’s Original Special K | 118kcal |
| Kellogg’s Bran Flakes | 107kcal |
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 Type | Carbohydrates Per 30g | Of Which Are Sugars |
| Kellogg’s Original Special K | 25g | 4.5g |
| Kellogg’s Bran Flakes | 20g | 4.2g |
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 Type | Protein Per 30g Serving |
| Kellogg’s Original Special K | 2.4g |
| Kellogg’s Bran Flakes | 3.3g |
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 Type | Fat Per 30g Serving | Of Which is Saturated Fat |
| Kellogg’s Original Special K | 0.4g | 0.1g |
| Kellogg’s Bran Flakes | 0.7g | 0.1g |
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 Type | Dietary Fibre per Serving |
| Kellogg’s Original Special K | 1.8g |
| Kellogg’s Bran Flakes | 5.1g |
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 Type | Special K Daily Value Percentage Per Serving | Bran Flakes Daily Value Percentage Per Serving |
| Vitamin D | 50% | 50% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 50% | 25% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 50% | 25% |
| Niacin | 25% | 25% |
| Vitamin B6 | 25% | 25% |
| Folic Acid | 50% | 25% |
| Vitamin B12 | 25% | 25% |
| Iron | 25% | 17% |
| Zinc | 25% | – |
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.
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 Category | Winner (Special K or Bran Flakes) |
| Best for Calorie Content | Bran Flakes |
| Best for Carbohydrate Content | Bran Flakes |
| Best for Sugar Content | Bran Flakes |
| Best for Protein Content | Bran Flakes |
| Best for Fat Content | Special K |
| Best for Fiber Content | Bran Flakes |
| Best for Vitamins/Minerals | Special K |
| Best for Price | Bran Flakes |
| Overall Winner | Bran 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?)
Corn Flakes Vs. Crunchy Nut (Which are Better?)
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: