Cinnamon toast crunch is a brand-name cereal made by Post Foods. The cereal is a vanilla-flavored, cinnamon-toasted square shaped cereal with crumbly brown sugar and cinnamons topping.
It comes in two flavors, original and chocolate. Although it is not an official flavor, many people make it into a dessert cereal by adding a sugary milk or yogurt to it.
Just like any other food, Cinnamon Toast Crunch isn’t necessarily good for you. Even though it is a fairly healthy brand of cereal, there are some ingredients that may not be so good for you.
If you are looking to eat healthy and lose weight, then this article is for you! We will discuss if the ingredients in Cinnamon Toast Crunch are good for you or not and how much you can eat if you want to be healthy.
Cinnamon toast crunch sugar
One of the main ingredients in Cinnamon Toast Crunch is sugar. The vanilla and cinnamon flavors do not hide it, nor does the wheat and fiber.
Like most cereals, the sugar in CTC is not its only source of carbohydrates. There are also oats in the cereal, which are a complex carb.
You can find Cinnamon Toast Crunch made with coconut sugar instead of regular sugar. This makes it slightly healthier as a whole, but you may notice a slight change in taste due to the different sugars.
Overall, cinnamon toast crunch cereal is not very healthy because of all of the refined sugar added. A better option would be to make your own cinnamon toast crunch using whole foods such as nuts and coconut flakes instead of processed cereal.
Protein in cinnamon toast crunch
While the main ingredient in the cereal is wheat, there is a fair amount of protein in cinnamon toast crunch. Approximately half of the calories in a serving come from protein, making it a solid source of this nutrient.
Just like with any food, you want to make sure it is high-quality protein. Processed and refined proteins can be high in calories and may not offer health benefits.
Wheat protein is a plant-based protein that contains all nine essential amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are essential for health and nutrition.
You can find wheat protein in many different foods, including eggs and soy sauce. Many breakfast cereals also have added wheat protein powder to them.
If you want to get more nutritional value out of your breakfast cereal, try adding nuts or seeds like chia or flax seeds to them. You can also make granola bars with the cinnamon toast crunch batter to make them more nutritious.
Carbohydrates in cinnamon toast crunch
Carbs are one of the main staples of the diet. Most diets recommend you limit your carbs to either none, low, or healthy amount depending on which diet you follow. Since there is no true carb-free diet, it is important to know what carbs are in foods so you can make smart choices.
Cinnamon toast crunch contains 29 grams of carbs per 1 cup serving. This is about half of your daily recommended intake of carbohydrates according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines.
Carbs in cinnamon toast crunch are mainly made up of glucose, sucrose, and fiber. Glucose and sucrose are simple carbohydrates that provide energy to your body. Fiber is not digested in your body and contributes no calories.
Carbohydrates can be found in vegetables, fruits, grains, and supplements like glucose or dextrose. All of these sources can vary in how many carbs they have per gram based on their composition.
Fiber in cinnamon toast crunch
One of the main ingredients in this cereal is fiber. You will find 2 grams per one half-cup serving of this cereal. This is about 1% of the daily value for fiber.
Fiber helps to regulate your body’s digestion. It helps you feel full and balances out your meals so you are not starving or overeating later.
Also, since it helps your body digest food, it contributes to healthy weight loss. When you have more regular digestion, it is easier to keep the weight off since it also impacts how your body uses and stores energy.
Cinnamon toast crunch contains wheat and soy along with cinnamon which are both grains that contain fiber. Therefore, there is a small amount of fiber in this cereal which adds up to 2 grams per half cup serving.
Vitamin A in cinnamon toast crunch
Vitamin A is important for your vision, bone and skin health, and immune function. You can find vitamin A in foods like carrots, spinach, and milk.
Cinnamon toast crunch contains beta carotene, a form of vitamin A. One serving of this cereal gives you half of your recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamin A.
Like many vitamins and minerals, the RDA for vitamin A is set based on the average population. This amount is enough to keep most people healthy and free of deficiencies.
But if you’re health conscious or actively trying to improve your nutrition, you may want to get more than the recommended amount.
How much cinnamon toast crunch can I eat per day? Anyone can eat as much cinnamon toast crunch as they want! There is no cap on how much it helps curb hunger or how much it contains per serving. Because it’s just a bowl full, you can always have more (Harvard Health Publishing).
Vitamin C in cinnamon toast crunch
A small amount of cinnamon toast crunch will provide you with some vitamin C. A serving of this cereal gives you 1% of the daily vitamin C recommendation.
Although this is not a high amount, it is still an essential nutrient that most people do not get enough of. Vitamin C is needed for bone and skin health, and possibly immune system function.
People who are dieting may choose to eat this cereal to satisfy their sweet tooth and get some nutrients, but may run into the issue of getting too many calories from it.
Carbs and calories can be managed when eating this cereal, as well as adding in fresh orange juice to offset the dryness of the cinnamon toast crunch flavor. Other toppings such as nuts or fruits can also add nutritional value.
Calcium in cinnamon toast crunch
Calcium is one of the most popular mineral supplements. Many people take it to increase bone strength and reduce the risk of osteoporosis and fractures.
Although you can find calcium in many foods, cereal is a great way to get it in your diet. Cinnamon Toast Crunch contains enough calcium to make it part of a healthy breakfast.
Besides the 1 gram of calcium per 1 cup serving, this cereal also has plenty of fiber. Fiber helps keep you full until your next meal, which can help with weight loss or maintenance.
Anyone can eat Cinnamon Toast Crunch, but it is more appealing to those who are lactose intolerant. The flavors of the cereal do not depend on milk for its taste, making it tasty for everyone.
Magnesium in cinnamon toast crunch
Magnesium is one of the major minerals in the body. Approximately half of Americans consume less magnesium per day than what the DRI recommends.
Because of this, many people are likely not getting enough in their diet. Things like coffee and alcohol can contribute to magnesium depletion, further increasing the need for this mineral.
Fortunately, cinnamon toast crunch contains about 6% of your daily value of magnesium per half-cup serving. This makes it a good source of magnesium for light breakfast eaters.
We’ve already discussed how quinoa is a good source of protein, but it also contains beta-glucan — a kind of carbohydrate that may have benefits for your health. Cinnamon toast crunch also has some quinoa flakes embedded in it, making it slightly more nutritious than regular old cinnamon toast.
