Which Is Best: Generic or Name-Brand Cereal?

Aug. 8, 2006 — -- Name-brand cereal can be expensive and parents can save a lot of money by opting for generic brands.

And taste does not have to be sacrificed when buying a store-brand cereal.

Amanda Walker, Consumer Reports senior editor, said that many store-brand cereals tasted just as good as name brands and were just as healthy -- at a fraction of the price.

"Our testers found you can buy on price because the taste is virtually the same," Walker said. "But of course, it all comes down to getting the kids to eat. So they are the final word."

Walker said that name brands cost nearly twice as much as store brands.

"Brands are more expensive because they have higher marketing costs and advertising costs," she said. "And they may even be paying for better positioning in the stores."

Here are some examples of cereals tested by Consumer Reports:

General Mills Cheerios (name-brand) vs. Malt-O-Meal Scooters (generic)

Both have 115 calories, 2 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber.

Cheerios has 1 gram of sugar, and Malt-O-Meal has 4 grams per serving.

Cheerios is 24 cents per serving while generic is 13 cents per serving.

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes (name-brand) vs. Malt-O-Meal Frosted Flakes (generic)

Both cereals have 120 calories, 0 grams of fat, 12 grams of sugar, and 1 gram of fiber.

Kellogg's is 24 cents per serving; Malt-O-Meal is 13 cents per serving.

Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats (name-brand) vs. Kroger Bite-Sized Frosted Wheat (generic)

Both have about 200 calories, 1 gram of fat, 11 grams of sugar, and 6 grams of fiber.

Kellogg's is 43 cents per serving while Kroger is 20 cents per serving.

"A lot of labels say whole grain now, too, which can be a great thing nutritionally speaking," Walker said.

"Sometimes if the sugar is the second ingredient, they may not be the best choice for your family."