Your Guide to Vegan Breakfast Cereal
Why Might a Breakfast Cereal Not Be Suitable for Vegans?
Sadly, there are several ingredients and factors that can mean a breakfast cereal isn’t suitable for vegans, the most common of which is dairy, specifically the inclusion of whey, casein, lactose, or milk powder. Often used as a sweetener, honey, is another animal-derived ingredient included in several popular breakfast cereals available on the market. Additionally, cereals are sometimes fortified with Vitamin D (sounds great right?), but unfortunately this tends to be derived from lanolin, which comes from sheep’s wool. Thankfully, vegan-friendly, plant-based Vitamin D sources are also available, but always ensure to read the ingredients list, and if in doubt, check with the manufacturer. To find out more on Vitamin D, visit our 10 Things You Need to Know About Vitamin D blog post.
Vegan breakfast Cereals to Suit Every Palate
The following is by no means an exhaustive list, but will provide you with some (hopefully) helpful ideas of what’s on offer for vegans. We recommend to always double check the ingredients, as changes in the manufacturing can often occur unannounced. If you’re still on the hunt for that perfect dairy-free milk to accompany your breakfast cereal, make sure to head over to our Vegan’s Guide to Plant Milk.
Supermarket Own Brands (UK)
Aldi
- Harvest Moon Multigrain Shapes, Fruit & Fibre, Wheat Biscuits, Fruit Wheats (Raisin, Blueberry, and Apricot), Bitesize Wheat Shreds, Choco Wheaties, Frosted Wheaties, Chocolate Flavoured Crispy Cereal Balls, Birthday Cake Flavoured Cereal
- Everyday Essentials Porridge Oats
Asda
- Low Sugar Multigrain Nutty Granola
- Special Flakes, Red Fruit Special Flakes
- Malted Wheaties
- Bran Flakes, High Bran, Sultana Bran
- Wheat Bisks, Chocolate Wheat Bisks
- Free From Coco Snaps, Rice Snaps, Rainbow Hoops, Frosted Flakes, Special Flakes
- Scottish Porridge Oats, Jumbo British Porridge Oats, Coconut Flavour Porridge Oats
Co-op
- Fruit & Fibre
- Bran Flakes, Sultana Bran
- Wholewheat Biscuits
- Irresistible Scottish Jumbo Rolled Oats
Lidl
- Crownfield Cereal Cookie, Choco Shells, Choco Hoops, Choco Rice
M&S
- Wholegrain Wheat Bisks
- Malted Wheats, Blueberry Wheats, Apricot Wheats
- Bran Flakes
- Traditional Whole Oats, Maple Syrup Flavour Porridge Sachets, Apple Strudel Porridge Sachets, Pecan Pie Flavour Porridge
- High Fibre Fruit & Bran Muesli, Totally Nuts Muesli, Very Berry Fruity Muesli
- High Protein Peanut & Oat Granola
- Plant Kitchen Vegan Golden Syrup Flavour Porridge
- Plant Kitchen High Protein Vegan Chocolate Crunch
Morrison’s
- Fruit & Fibre
- Bran Flakes
- Wheat Biscuits
- The Best Scottish Porridge Oats
Sainsbury’s
- Cornflakes, Frosted Flakes
- Wheat Biscuits
- Deliciously Free From Oats
- Puffed Wheat
- Maple & Pecan Crisp
- Sweet Cinnamon Porridge
Tesco
- Wheat Biscuits, Malt Wheats
- Fruit Muesli, Fruit & Nut Muesli
- Strawberry Crisp, Nut & Maple Crisp, Chocolate Crisp
- Free From Choco Snaps, Branflakes, Cornflakes, Rice Snaps, Multigrain Hoops
- Grower’s Harvest Porridge Oats
- Organic Oats
- Finest Scottish Oats Porridge
Waitrose
- Essential High Fibre Bran, Fruit & Nut Muesli, Wholewheat Biscuits
- Essential Apricot Wheats, Blueberry Wheats, No Added Sugar Raisin Wheats
- Essential Original Instant Oats, Porridge Oats, Porridge Oats with Wheatbran, Duchy Organic Jumbo Rolled Oats
Commercial Brands (UK)
Kellogg’s
- Fruit ‘n’ Fibre
- Just Right
- Plain Wheats, Raisin Wheats
- Rice Krispies Multigrain Shapes Kids Blueberry & Apple, Strawberry & Apple
Weetabix
- Weetabix (including Organic), Chocolate, Banana, Golden Syrup
- Oatibix
Nature’s Path
- Organic Gluten Free Maple Sunrise
- Organic Gluten Free Mesa Sunrise
- Organic Vegan Millet Rice
- Gluten Free Gorilla Munch Corn Puffs
- Gluten Free Choco Chimps Corn Puffs
Whole Earth
- Golden Organic Corn Flakes
- Maple Frosted Organic Flakes
- Oaty Organic Cocoa Crunch
- Luscious Organic Red Fruit Crunch
Freee by Doves Farm (All Organic & Gluten Free)
- Fibre Flakes
- Fruit & Fibre Flakes
- Cereal Flakes
- Supergrain Hoops
- Cinnamon Hoops
- Corn Flakes
- Chocolate Stars
Bear
- Alphabites Multigrain Cereal
- Alphabites Cocoa Cereal
Nestlé
- Shredded Wheat Original
- Shredded Wheat Bitesize
- Shreddies, including The Frosted One
- Go Free Gluten Free Corn Flakes, Gluten Free Rice Pops
Oats
- Kavanagh’s Organic Porridge Oats
- Brochan Scottish Porridge Oats
- Mornflake Oatbran, Creamy Superfast Oats, Mighty Oats Organic Porridge Oats
- Quaker Vibrant Oats Forest Fruits, Summer Fruits, Rolled Oats, Jumbo Rolled Oats, Ultimate Extra Thick Porridge Oats
- Nairn’s Scottish Porridge Oats, Gluten Free Blueberry Oats Your Way, Gluten Free Apple & Cinnamon Oats Your Way
- Scott’s Original Scottish, Old Fashioned Porridge Oats
- Flahavans Irish Quick Oats
- Moma Peanut Butter & Maple Syrup Porridge, Raspberry, Chia & Pumpkin Seeds Porridge
- The Great British Porridge Co. Blueberry & Banana, Strawberry & Peanut, Red Berry & Pumpkin Seed, Chocolate, Cafe Latte, High Protein/Low Sugar
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The author
This post was written by Amy Pardoe
Amy is Vegan Recipe Club's social media and media coordinator. Her vegan journey began in January 2019, during university, when she was encouraged to take part in Veganuary thanks to documentaries such as The Game Changers and What the Health. She has a passion for veganism, creating compelling content and cooking up a storm!