Nutrition Faceoff: Rice Krispies Cereal vs. Rice Krispies Gluten-Free Cereal

Rice Krispies breakfast cereal has been around for a long time, and is the main ingredient in the sticky, marshmallow-encased rice crispy treats. Recently, Kellogg’s has started offering a gluten-free version of Rice Krispies cereal. So in honor of May being Celiac Awareness Month, we thought we would compare the two. Is one version of this cereal better than the other?

Nutrition Faceoff: Rice Krispies vs. Rice Krispies Gluten-Free Cereal

Dietitian’s Take: Rice Krispies vs. Rice Krispies Gluten-Free Cereal

Here are the highlights:

• The original version of the cereal lists four ingredients: rice, sugar, salt, and malt flavor, which comes from barley malt (contains gluten). The gluten-free version eliminates barley malt and is instead made with brown rice, sugar, and salt. Both versions are fortified with the same vitamins (the B-vitamins, folate, Vitamins A, C, and E), and minerals (iron).
• The gluten-free version contains more potassium, likely from the brown rice.
• In a 1-cup serving, the original version contains 3 g of sugar compared to 1 g of sugar in the gluten-free version.
• Both versions are low in fiber, despite the gluten-free one being made from brown rice.

Our Pick: Rice Krispies Gluten-Free

Let’s keep it simple: The gluten-free version of the cereal is made with brown rice and has less sugar and more potassium. Even if you are not gluten-intolerant, the gluten-free version of Rice Krispies is a better pick.

Sofia Layarda, MPH

Alumni: University of California, Berkeley – Sofia believes in bringing back fun and pleasure into everyday eating. She loves cooking, and is constantly experimenting with ingredients, creating recipes and trying them out on family and friends. Her latest interest lies in finding realistic and practical ways of environmentally-friendly food/eating habits.