Feast Get Feast
Menu

Portions and preparation · USDA nutrition

Cereal calories per cup: 54–462 across all 39 named USDA examples

Across all 39 named USDA examples, a cup contains 54–462 calories. Their listed weights span 15–110 g, so each calorie value is calculated from that example's own gram weight and published calories per 100 g.

Portion calculator

Estimate your portion

Choose a source measure or enter the weight you ate.

Preparation and portion

Named measures come from this exact source record.

Estimated for 1 cup · 60 g

212calories

Cereal, bran flakes, flavored

Protein
4.9 g
Carbs
47.2 g
Fat
0.7 g

These values scale the selected reference food by weight. Ingredients, preparation, and portion size can change your meal’s estimate.

FoodData Central Survey Foods (FNDDS) · FDC 2708469 Full nutrition profile →

Compare all 39 food records, nutrition tables and USDA sources

The 39 exact records in this guide report 54–462 calories in the records' own listed source servings and 353–422 calories per 100 grams. Those are observations from named database records—not a universal range or an estimate of an unseen plate.

Match my meal

Start with the description closest to what you ate

For Cereal, begin by separating “Cereal, bran flakes, flavored” from “Cereal, wheat squares.” Choosing a card filters this source set; it does not infer the portion or fill in ingredients the chosen description does not name.

Showing the first 6 of 39 linked records.

Equal-weight view

How cereal records compare at 100 grams

Five rank landmarks are shown from all 39 cited records: minimum, 25th-ranked, median-ranked, 75th-ranked, and maximum. Weight is held at 100 grams; source-serving weights are listed in the table.

  1. Minimum: Cereal, bran flakes, flavored 353 kcal
    353 kcal
  2. 25th-ranked landmark: Cereal, K's, flavored 363 kcal
    363 kcal
  3. Median-ranked landmark: Cereal, O's, plain 374 kcal
    374 kcal
  4. 75th-ranked landmark: Cereal, fruit crispy 384 kcal
    384 kcal
  5. Maximum: Cereal, other, peanut butter 422 kcal
    422 kcal

Shared basis: 100 g · kilocalories

What this page compares

Named source records, not one universal meal

This guide keeps 39 named USDA records in view: 39 direct matches. They span 2 source categories, including Ready-to-eat cereal, higher sugar (>21.2g/100g) and Ready-to-eat cereal, lower sugar (=<21.2g/100g). The exact descriptions remain the unit of comparison; the familiar heading is only the doorway into the evidence.

Why these records appear together: The deterministic grouping rule “normalized first description segment” placed these 39 records together under the exact grouping key “cereal.” That rule determines membership before any nutrition result is read.

For Cereal, this page can compare 39 named records from FDC 2708469 through FDC 2708476. It cannot observe which preparation was eaten, recover unnamed additions, or supply the eaten grams.

Read the shared calculation, provenance, and uncertainty method →

Editor’s decision brief

The three facts to carry into the table

Carry the denominator, exact identity, and strongest observed contrast into every number below.

Portion

15–110 g before composition

The largest source amount is 7.3× the smallest. Read per-serving calorie differences with that mass gap in view.

Composition

69 kcal separates the fixed-weight endpoints

The lower endpoint is “bran flakes, flavored”; the higher is “peanut butter.” This isolates density, not ingredient causation.

Discriminator

811 mg sodium gap per 100 g

Of protein, fiber, and sodium, the strongest normalized contrast is between “shredded wheat, flavored” (2 mg) and “rice squares” (813 mg).

Observed source examples

Three landmarks inside this source set—not universal endpoints

The cards are ordered by calories in each record's listed serving. Serving weights differ, so use per-100-gram values to compare composition. These selected records do not define a calorie range for every cereal.

Important: “Lower” begins with Cereal, plain puffs; “higher” ends with Cereal, granola, using each record’s own source amount. Those labels order this selected set only—they are not endpoints for every cereal meal.

Full comparison

Compare every selected FNDDS record

For Cereal, serving columns preserve each record’s own listed amount, while calories per 100 g hold weight constant. A dash means the cited record does not supply that field; it does not mean the nutrient is absent.

On smaller screens, focus the table and scroll horizontally to read every column.

USDA records selected for the Cereal nutrition guide
Exact source record Match Source amount Calories kcal / 100 g Protein Fiber Sodium USDA
Cereal, bran flakes, flavored Direct name match 60 gUSDA reference amount 212 kcal 353 4.9 g 7.4 g 208 mg FDC 2708469 ↗
Cereal, bran flakes, plain Direct name match 50 gUSDA reference amount 181 kcal 361 4.8 g 10.3 g 293 mg FDC 2708456 ↗
Cereal, chocolate crispy Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 152 kcal 380 2.1 g 0.6 g 219 mg FDC 2708451 ↗
Cereal, chocolate puffs Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 136 kcal 388 1.9 g 1.8 g 149 mg FDC 2708449 ↗
Cereal, cinnamon toast Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 166 kcal 414 2.4 g 2 g 216 mg FDC 2708450 ↗
Cereal, corn flakes, flavored Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 150 kcal 375 1.9 g 1 g 206 mg FDC 2708474 ↗
Cereal, corn flakes, plain Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 110 kcal 365 1.9 g 1.1 g 211 mg FDC 2708453 ↗
Cereal, corn puffs Direct name match 25 gUSDA reference amount 93 kcal 371 1.9 g 1.8 g 131 mg FDC 2708454 ↗
Cereal, corn squares Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 111 kcal 369 2.4 g 1.6 g 219 mg FDC 2708452 ↗
Cereal, corn squares, flavored Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 152 kcal 380 2.2 g 1.9 g 265 mg FDC 2708463 ↗
Cereal, crunch Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 139 kcal 398 1.5 g 0.9 g 245 mg FDC 2708447 ↗
Cereal, flavored puffs Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 114 kcal 380 1.7 g 0.7 g 127 mg FDC 2708473 ↗
Cereal, frosted oats with marshmallows Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 130 kcal 372 2.9 g 2.1 g 224 mg FDC 2708467 ↗
Cereal, fruit crispy Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 134 kcal 384 1.5 g 0.1 g 190 mg FDC 2708460 ↗
Cereal, fruit rings Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 115 kcal 383 1.5 g 1.6 g 151 mg FDC 2708459 ↗
Cereal, granola Direct name match 110 gUSDA reference amount 462 kcal 420 10.8 g 8.1 g 177 mg FDC 2708461 ↗
Cereal, K's, flavored Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 127 kcal 363 2.6 g 2.8 g 216 mg FDC 2708472 ↗
Cereal, K's, plain Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 125 kcal 356 6.7 g 1.1 g 238 mg FDC 2708471 ↗
Cereal, multigrain Direct name match 50 gUSDA reference amount 187 kcal 373 5.8 g 7.3 g 117 mg FDC 2708465 ↗
Cereal, O's, flavored Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 154 kcal 385 3.4 g 3 g 232 mg FDC 2708446 ↗
Cereal, O's, honey nut Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 154 kcal 385 3.4 g 3 g 232 mg FDC 2708464 ↗
Cereal, O's, multigrain Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 112 kcal 373 2.6 g 3.3 g 116 mg FDC 2708468 ↗
Cereal, O's, plain Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 112 kcal 374 3.7 g 3.2 g 152 mg FDC 2708448 ↗
Cereal, oat bunches Direct name match 45 gUSDA reference amount 176 kcal 392 3.3 g 2.1 g 193 mg FDC 2708462 ↗
Cereal, oat squares Direct name match 45 gUSDA reference amount 171 kcal 379 4.7 g 3.6 g 175 mg FDC 2708466 ↗
Cereal, other, chocolate Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 154 kcal 384 2.1 g 1.3 g 194 mg FDC 2708484 ↗
Cereal, other, fruit flavored Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 153 kcal 383 1.9 g 1.2 g 209 mg FDC 2708483 ↗
Cereal, other, honey Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 155 kcal 388 3.2 g 2.4 g 202 mg FDC 2708486 ↗
Cereal, other, peanut butter Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 169 kcal 422 2.9 g 2 g 210 mg FDC 2708485 ↗
Cereal, other, plain Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 111 kcal 370 2.8 g 2.1 g 182 mg FDC 2708482 ↗
Cereal, plain puffs Direct name match 15 gUSDA reference amount 54 kcal 357 1.4 g 1.3 g 1 mg FDC 2708478 ↗
Cereal, reduced sugar Direct name match 35 gUSDA reference amount 132 kcal 376 2.9 g 2.2 g 178 mg FDC 2708487 ↗
Cereal, rice crispy, flavored Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 149 kcal 372 2 g 0.1 g 142 mg FDC 2708458 ↗
Cereal, rice crispy, plain Direct name match 25 gUSDA reference amount 90 kcal 358 1.7 g 0.1 g 126 mg FDC 2708455 ↗
Cereal, rice squares Direct name match 30 gUSDA reference amount 107 kcal 357 2.1 g 1.6 g 244 mg FDC 2708470 ↗
Cereal, shredded wheat, flavored Direct name match 50 gUSDA reference amount 184 kcal 367 4.8 g 5.2 g 1 mg FDC 2708457 ↗
Cereal, shredded wheat, plain Direct name match 45 gUSDA reference amount 161 kcal 358 5.4 g 5.9 g 1 mg FDC 2708479 ↗
Cereal, wheat flakes Direct name match 40 gUSDA reference amount 144 kcal 359 4 g 4.2 g 230 mg FDC 2708480 ↗
Cereal, wheat squares Direct name match 60 gUSDA reference amount 214 kcal 356 6.3 g 8.1 g 347 mg FDC 2708476 ↗

Portion analysis

Serving total and calorie density answer different questions

The listed source amounts run from 15 to 110 grams—a 95-gram gap before composition enters the comparison. Their own source servings run from 54 calories for “plain puffs” to 462 for “granola.” At a fixed 100 grams, “bran flakes, flavored” is 353 calories and “peanut butter” is 422—a fixed-weight separation of 69 calories. For Cereal, the serving view answers “how much is in the database portion?”; the 100-gram view answers “how concentrated is the matched record?” Neither reveals how many grams were actually eaten.

The scaling rule: multiply a per-100-gram value by eaten grams ÷ 100. The arithmetic is exact; the result is only as defensible as the record match and portion estimate.

Preparation analysis

The long description carries the evidence

The published descriptions distinguish forms such as “bran flakes, flavored”, “crunch”, “O's, flavored”, “other, plain”, and “wheat squares”. The source formulations contain 30 distinct ingredient codes; examples that appear in only part of the set include sugars, granulated, salt, table, folic acid as ingredient, and iron as ingredient. On this Cereal page, those rows make the records inspectable, but they are not a controlled experiment: they cannot tell us that one named input, by itself, caused a nutrient difference.

Database precision is not meal certainty. Retain the exact description beside the number so later corrections remain possible.

What changes the comparison

Four drivers worth checking before choosing a record

The family label “Cereal” cannot resolve the differences between Cereal, bran flakes, flavored and Cereal, wheat squares. The four checks below identify the record wording, source weight, and formulation evidence that can.

  1. 01

    Source weight before serving calories

    The source amounts span 15–110 grams. Compare per 100 grams before reading a serving-calorie gap as a composition gap.

  2. 02

    The words that split the family

    Representative record-level distinctions include “bran flakes, flavored”, “crunch”, “O's, flavored”, “other, plain”, and “wheat squares”. Those phrases are evidence for choosing a record, not decorative subtitle text.

  3. 03

    Formulation evidence, with limits

    30 source-input codes appear across the selected records. Their presence and listed weights describe USDA formulations, not finished plated proportions.

  4. 04

    The unresolved plate

    Even “Cereal, bran flakes, flavored” leaves the eaten grams and unnamed oils, sauces, toppings, substitutions, or leftovers unresolved. Preserve those Cereal unknowns for correction instead of converting them into false precision.

Record matching

Match identity first; scale quantity second

Read the source name as a sequence of decisions. First confirm that cereal is the right meal family. Then resolve the phrases that actually separate this set—“bran flakes, flavored”, “fruit crispy”, “other, chocolate”, and “wheat squares”—before comparing gram weight. If a package, menu, or known recipe provides a closer first-party description, prefer it and keep this USDA record as a transparent fallback.

A practical matching checklist

  1. Read the complete Cereal source description, including preparation and additions.
  2. Compare the listed source weight with the amount actually eaten.
  3. Prefer a current package or restaurant source when a specific branded item is known.
  4. Record toppings, sauces, cooking fat, sides, and substitutions that the selected description does not name.

Explore this meal family

1 more-specific cereal guides

Use a focused guide when its description matches your meal. Each one keeps its own exact source records and links back to this broader family.

Focused guide Cereal, O's Cereal, O's: compare 4 exact USDA records by source calories, 100-gram values, portions, and citations.

Decision support from the exact records on this page

Turn source data into a better next decision

These conclusions and reading paths are computed from 39 exact records behind Cereal source-record guide. Links are chosen by record identity, controlled contrast, formulation input, nutrient spread, or serving context—not by loose keyword similarity.

Equal-weight result

Cereal, frosted oats with marshmallows is higher in vitamin D per 100 g

Cereal, frosted oats with marshmallows reports 5.1 µg versus 0 µg for Cereal, crunch: a 5.1 µg difference when both are normalized to 100 g.

Inspect the underlying evidence

The denominator changes the answer

Cereal, bran flakes, plain is denser; Cereal, wheat squares is higher in its source amount

Cereal, bran flakes, plain reports 361 kcal per 100 g and 181 kcal in USDA source amount (50 g). Cereal, wheat squares reports a lower 356 kcal per 100 g but a higher 214 kcal in USDA source amount (60 g).

Choose the record before reading the number

Cereal, multigrain and Cereal, reduced sugar are not interchangeable

The page keeps both records at the same 100 g denominator and makes Sugar wording (No matching controlled term in the source name versus reduced-sugar wording) the explicit record-description contrast. It does not show that the wording difference caused a nutrient difference. Pick the description that matches the food in front of you rather than averaging away the distinction.

Inspect the underlying evidence

Contextual knowledge graph

Follow the relationship that matches your question

For Cereal source-record guide, each path states why the destination belongs here, so you can distinguish a true evidentiary connection from a merely similar label.

Compare two records on this page Cereal, multigrain vs Cereal, reduced sugar

Both records appear in this page’s evidence set. The explicit record-description contrast is Sugar wording: No matching controlled term in the source name versus reduced-sugar wording; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path Compare two records on this page Cereal, O's, multigrain vs Cereal, O's, plain

Both records appear in this page’s evidence set. The explicit record-description contrast is Protein: 8.5 versus 12.4 g per 100 g; it is a selection cue, not evidence of cause.

Follow this evidence path 20 context records in this source topic Ready-to-eat cereal, higher sugar (>21.2g/100g)

Cereal, bran flakes, flavored and Cereal, chocolate crispy belong to this USDA source-category collection. Its displayed ranges and complete exact-record catalog provide the peer set for a manual comparison; the destination does not preselect this page’s record.

Follow this evidence path 19 context records in this source topic Ready-to-eat cereal, lower sugar (=<21.2g/100g)

Cereal, bran flakes, plain and Cereal, corn flakes, plain belong to this USDA source-category collection. Its displayed ranges and complete exact-record catalog provide the peer set for a manual comparison; the destination does not preselect this page’s record.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Calcium as ingredient

USDA input 999301 appears in 15 of 39 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 0–0 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path A formulation detail that separates records Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry

USDA input 8120 appears in 13 of 39 context records; its summed listed input weight spans 10–95 g across those source formulations. These are source-formulation input weights, not plated or serving weights. Follow the code to inspect every represented occurrence.

Follow this evidence path Put the observed spread in corpus context Vitamin D: density and serving context

In this page’s records, vitamin D runs from 0 µg in Cereal, crunch to 5.1 µg in Cereal, frosted oats with marshmallows, all per 100 g.

Follow this evidence path