Gluten-free children rejoice: There's an ever-widening range of choices in gluten-free kids' cereals.
Companies such as Nature's Path have produced gluten-free cereals for kids for the last several years, but mainstream cereal manufacturers are jumping on the gluten-free kids' cereal bandwagon, taking old favorites and removing the added gluten.
Gluten-free kids can still enjoy their old favorites, plus they can try some new gluten-free kids' cereals in chocolate, cinnamon, fruit and honey flavors. Some contain less added sugar than others, but most have enough sweetener to please a gluten-free kid with a sweet tooth.
1. EnviroKids Organic Cereals
Copyright © EnviroKids
EnviroKidz, a product group offered by Nature's Path Organic, offers five different gluten-free kids' cereals: Gorilla Munch, Koala Crisp, Leapin Lemurs, Amazon Frosted Flakes and Panda Puffs. None contain oats.
All EnviroKidz cereals come in colorful, animal-themed packages. They also contain whole grains with low sugar and minimal added sodium.
Nature's Path also makes Whole O's cereal, a corn- and rice-based cereal that might please a gluten-free kid who misses O-shaped cereals.
2. General Mills' Chex Cereals
Copyright © General Mills
Although most Chex cereals are gluten-free, two are most likely to please gluten-free kids: Chocolate Chex and Cinnamon Chex.
Both Chocolate Chex and Cinnamon Chex gluten-free kids' cereals are based on whole-grain rice, and each contains about 8 grams of sugar per serving.
Make sure you get a box with the "Gluten-Free" label on the lower left, since some older Chex stock that's not gluten-free may still remain on store shelves.
3. Post Cocoa Pebbles and Fruity Pebbles
Copyright Post Foods L.L.C.
Flintstones-themed Post Fruity Pebbles and Cocoa Pebbles have been delighting kids since the 1970s, and Post made some gluten-free kids happy when it removed the gluten from these rice-based cereals to create two more mainstream gluten-free kids' cereal options.
In its reformulation, Post also reduced the sugar in both cereals to 9 grams per serving. Make sure the box you buy features a big blue "Gluten-Free!" banner across the top front — Fruity and Cocoa Pebbles are the only two Pebbles cereals currently made gluten-free.
4. Glutino Cereals
Copyright © Glutino
Three of Glutino's cereals might please a crowd of gluten-free kids: Honey Nut Cereal, Apple & Cinnamon Cereal and Frosted Sensible Beginnings Cereal.
Honey Nut and Apple & Cinnamon cereals are O-shaped, which may suit younger gluten-free children.
All three Glutino cereals are corn-based. Glutino tests its products to 20 parts per million of gluten.
