Rice Krispies nutrition: sugar, fibre, protein, fortification and more

How much sugar is in Rice Krispies? A 30g bowl with milk contains 2.9g of free sugar, 0.5g of fibre and 6g of protein. Rice Krispies is moderate in sugar compared with the highest-sugar children's cereals, at 9.8g per 100g.

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Sugar, calories and salt by bowl size

The figures below show total sugar, calories and salt for four bowl sizes, each with 125ml of semi-skimmed milk. The full packet figure shows the dry cereal only.

All portion figures include 125ml semi-skimmed milk. Milk sugar (lactose) does not count as free sugar under NHS guidelines and is excluded from the sugar totals. Milk calories and salt are included.

Sugar

Kellogg's Rice Krispies contains 9.8g of sugar per 100g. A 30g bowl delivers 2.9g of free sugar before milk is added, and a 40g bowl delivers 3.9g. The distinctive snap, crackle and pop comes from the way the puffed rice grains are shaped during manufacturing.

All added sugar in Rice Krispies counts as free sugar under NHS guidelines. Milk lactose does not count as free sugar and is excluded from these figures.

A 30g bowl of Rice Krispies provides 12% of the daily free sugar limit for a child aged 7 to 10. This is moderate: lower than the highest-sugar children's cereals, but still a meaningful contribution from a single bowl.

The table below shows a standard 30g bowl as a percentage of the daily free sugar limit for each age group (cereal sugar only, no milk).

Calories

A 30g bowl of Rice Krispies with 125ml semi-skimmed milk contains approximately 173 calories. At 60g with milk the bowl contains approximately 288 calories.

For a child aged 4 to 6, a 30g bowl represents around 12% of their estimated daily calorie requirement, a reasonable contribution from breakfast.

Fibre

Rice Krispies contains 1.5g of fibre per 100g, which is only 0.5g in a 30g bowl. This is low compared with wholegrain cereals such as Weetabix or Shredded Wheat, which contain around three times as much fibre per 100g.

The NHS recommends adults consume around 30g of fibre per day. A 30g bowl of Rice Krispies provides only 0.5g toward this target, so most daily fibre will need to come from other foods such as fruit, vegetables and wholegrain breads.

Protein

Rice Krispies contains 6g of protein per 100g, which is 1.8g in a 30g bowl before milk. With 125ml of semi-skimmed milk, which contributes approximately 4.2g of protein, the total reaches 6g.

Most of the protein in a bowl of cereal with milk comes from the milk itself rather than the cereal. This is true across almost all breakfast cereals, including higher-protein options like Rice Krispies.

For a child aged 7 to 10, a general guide for daily protein intake is around 24g. A 30g bowl of Rice Krispies with milk provides 6g, a useful contribution from breakfast, primarily via the milk.

Fortification, vitamins and minerals

Like most mainstream UK breakfast cereals, Rice Krispies is fortified with added vitamins and minerals. A 30g bowl provides half of the Reference Intake for vitamin D and a quarter of the Reference Intake for five B vitamins, alongside a meaningful contribution of iron.

Fortification is standard practice for UK cereals, partly because the refining or processing used to make many cereals removes naturally occurring vitamins and minerals from the grain. Adding them back during manufacturing restores some of this nutritional value.

Vitamin D is of particular note because many people in the UK, including children, have low vitamin D status, especially during winter months. A fortified cereal can make a small but consistent contribution to vitamin D intake.

Whole grain and processing

Rice Krispies is made from rice that has been refined, combined with added sugar and flavourings, then shaped and coated during manufacturing.

This combination of ingredients and processing methods places Rice Krispies in the most processed NOVA category, alongside the majority of packaged breakfast cereals.

Salt

Rice Krispies contains 1.08g of salt per 100g. A 30g bowl contains 0.3g of salt. With 125ml semi-skimmed milk, the total rises to approximately 0.5g.

This is on the higher end for breakfast cereals. For a child aged 4 to 6 with a daily salt limit of 3g, a 30g bowl with milk represents around 17% of their daily allowance from breakfast alone.

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Nutrition data from UK product labels and manufacturer nutrition declarations. Daily limits and targets: NHS/SACN free sugar guidelines (2015); SACN Dietary Reference Values for calories, fibre and protein; NHS salt targets by age; EU Reference Intakes for vitamins and minerals. For guidance only, not medical advice.