Highest Protein Cereals (2026)

Cereal is one of the easiest categories to fool the consumer. We strip out the marketing and rank by what actually matters.

10 products tracked · sorted by Protein Density (% of calories from protein)

HIGHEST PROTEIN CEREAL · TOP 8 OF 10

Ranked by Protein Density

Percent of calories from protein. Secondary column is grams of protein per serving.

Top 8 of 10
PLATINUM · 40%+
GOLD · 25–39%
SILVER · 15–24%
AVOID · under 15%
The same data, as a table
Filters10/10
Showing 10 / 10

Tiers are set by % of calories from protein

QualityServing
Cinnamon Toast Cereal
Catalina Crunch
40%11g11010g1.05gComplete36g
Honey Graham Cereal
Catalina Crunch
40%11g11010g1.05gComplete36g
Maple Waffle Cereal
Catalina Crunch
40%11g11010g1.05gComplete36g
Cocoa Cereal
Magic Spoon
37.1%13g1409.3g1.24gComplete33g
Frosted Cereal
Magic Spoon
37.1%13g1409.3g1.24gComplete33g
Fruity Cereal
Magic Spoon
37.1%13g1409.3g1.24gComplete33g
Peanut Butter Cereal
Magic Spoon
34.7%13g1508.7g1.24gComplete33g
Special K Protein Cereal
Special K
33.3%10g1208.3g0.7gComplementary35g
GoLean Original
Kashi
30.6%13g1707.6g0.91gComplementary53g
Special K Protein Granola
Special K
24%12g2006g0.84gComplementary50g

Visualize the highest protein cereal

The same data, charted — see efficiency at a glance.

Highest protein cereal

Top 10 by protein / 100 cal.

1. Catalina …1011g protein · 110 kcal2. Catalina …1011g protein · 110 kcal3. Catalina …1011g protein · 110 kcal4. Magic Spo…9.313g protein · 140 kcal5. Magic Spo…9.313g protein · 140 kcal6. Magic Spo…9.313g protein · 140 kcal7. Magic Spo…8.713g protein · 150 kcal8. Special K…8.310g protein · 120 kcal9. Kashi GoL…7.613g protein · 170 kcal10. Special …612g protein · 200 kcal

Bars colored by Protein Density (% of calories from protein) tier. Values in g/100cal.

  1. Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Cereal: 10 g/100cal (platinum tier), 11g protein, 110 kcal
  2. Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal: 10 g/100cal (platinum tier), 11g protein, 110 kcal
  3. Catalina Crunch Maple Waffle Cereal: 10 g/100cal (platinum tier), 11g protein, 110 kcal
  4. Magic Spoon Cocoa Cereal: 9.3 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 140 kcal
  5. Magic Spoon Frosted Cereal: 9.3 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 140 kcal
  6. Magic Spoon Fruity Cereal: 9.3 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 140 kcal
  7. Magic Spoon Peanut Butter Cereal: 8.7 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 150 kcal
  8. Special K Special K Protein Cereal: 8.3 g/100cal (gold tier), 10g protein, 120 kcal
  9. Kashi GoLean Original: 7.6 g/100cal (gold tier), 13g protein, 170 kcal
  10. Special K Special K Protein Granola: 6 g/100cal (silver tier), 12g protein, 200 kcal
Highest protein cereal

Calories per serving vs. protein per 100 cal. Up-and-left is more efficient. Labels show the top performers directly; tap or focus a dot for brand and exact numbers.

PlatinumGoldSilverAvoid0125250375500Calories per serving3.756.2510Protein g per 100 calCinnamon Toas…1Maple Waffle …Cocoa Cereal324Special K Pro…GoLean Origin…Special K Pro…

Too tight to label directly — numbered on the chart above:

  1. 1. Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal
  2. 2. Magic Spoon Fruity Cereal
  3. 3. Magic Spoon Frosted Cereal
  4. 4. Magic Spoon Peanut Butter Cereal
Highest protein cereal: calories per serving and protein per 100 calories
FoodCaloriesProtein g per 100 calProtein (g)Tier
Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Cereal1101011platinum
Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal1101011platinum
Catalina Crunch Maple Waffle Cereal1101011platinum
Magic Spoon Cocoa Cereal1409.313gold
Magic Spoon Frosted Cereal1409.313gold
Magic Spoon Fruity Cereal1409.313gold
Magic Spoon Peanut Butter Cereal1508.713gold
Special K Special K Protein Cereal1208.310gold
Kashi GoLean Original1707.613gold
Special K Special K Protein Granola200612silver
Static image of this chart (for sharing)
Bar chart: top 10 Highest protein cereal foods ranked by Protein / 100 cal. 1. Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Cereal, 10 g/100cal, 11g protein, 110 kcal. 2. Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal, 10 g/100cal, 11g protein, 110 kcal. 3. Catalina Crunch Maple Waffle Cereal, 10 g/100cal, 11g protein, 110 kcal. 4. Magic Spoon Cocoa Cereal, 9.3 g/100cal, 13g protein, 140 kcal. 5. Magic Spoon Frosted Cereal, 9.3 g/100cal, 13g protein, 140 kcal. Full ranking in the adjacent list.
Bar chart: top 10 Highest protein cereal foods ranked by Protein / 100 cal. 1. Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Cereal, 10 g/100cal, 11g protein, 110 kcal. 2. Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal, 10 g/100cal, 11g protein, 110 kcal. 3. Catalina Crunch Maple Waffle Cereal, 10 g/100cal, 11g protein, 110 kcal. 4. Magic Spoon Cocoa Cereal, 9.3 g/100cal, 13g protein, 140 kcal. 5. Magic Spoon Frosted Cereal, 9.3 g/100cal, 13g protein, 140 kcal. Full ranking in the adjacent list.

How highest protein cereal compares to every other category

Same Protein Density scoring, every category on one chart — some categories cluster at Platinum/Gold, others cluster at Silver/Avoid with zero Platinum picks.

Stacked bar matrix: Protein Density (% of calories from protein) tier distribution across 11 snack categories, best to worst by share at Gold tier or better. Highest protein yogurt: 10 Platinum, 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein jerky: 9 Platinum, 1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein cheese: 6 Platinum, 4 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein pasta: 3 Platinum, 7 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein cereal: 3 Platinum, 6 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein bars: 7 Platinum, 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 11 tracked. Highest protein chips: 4 Platinum, 4 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein oatmeal: 0 Platinum, 8 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein ice cream: 0 Platinum, 4 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein cookies: 0 Platinum, 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein granola: 0 Platinum, 0 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Avoid, of 10 tracked.
Stacked bar matrix: Protein Density (% of calories from protein) tier distribution across 11 snack categories, best to worst by share at Gold tier or better. Highest protein yogurt: 10 Platinum, 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein jerky: 9 Platinum, 1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein cheese: 6 Platinum, 4 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein pasta: 3 Platinum, 7 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein cereal: 3 Platinum, 6 Gold, 1 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein bars: 7 Platinum, 2 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 11 tracked. Highest protein chips: 4 Platinum, 4 Gold, 0 Silver, 2 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein oatmeal: 0 Platinum, 8 Gold, 2 Silver, 0 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein ice cream: 0 Platinum, 4 Gold, 5 Silver, 1 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein cookies: 0 Platinum, 2 Gold, 4 Silver, 4 Avoid, of 10 tracked. Highest protein granola: 0 Platinum, 0 Gold, 6 Silver, 4 Avoid, of 10 tracked.

Browse other categories

Same Protein Density scoring, different snack types.

Going beyond snacks

Cereal protein: common questions

Which cereal has the most protein?

Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Cereal leads: 11 g of protein in 110 kcal (a 36 g serving) — 40% Protein Density, Platinum tier. Runners-up: Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal (40%, 11 g) and Catalina Crunch Maple Waffle Cereal (40%, 11 g).

How much protein is in cereal?

Protein ranges from 10 g to 13 g per serving across the 10 products we track (calories run 110-200 kcal); a typical serving lands around 12.5 g.

Is cereal a good source of protein?

It depends on the pick. 9 of 10 cereal products reach Gold tier or better (25%+ of calories from protein). The rest land at Silver tier (15-24%) rather than Gold or better — lower concentration, not zero.

What cereal has the most protein?

Catalina Crunch Cinnamon Toast Cereal leads: 11 g of protein in 110 kcal (a 36 g serving) — 40% Protein Density, Platinum tier. Runners-up: Catalina Crunch Honey Graham Cereal (40%, 11 g) and Catalina Crunch Maple Waffle Cereal (40%, 11 g).

Nutrition data sourced from USDA FoodData Central and Open Food Facts. Tier rankings calculated by Protein Density (% of calories from protein). See methodology for the math.
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