Shredded Wheat nutrition: sugar, fibre, protein, fortification and more

How much sugar is in Shredded Wheat? A 30g bowl with milk contains just 0.2g of free sugar, alongside 3.3g of fibre and 7.8g of protein. At 0.5g of sugar per 100g, Shredded Wheat is one of the lower-sugar cereals in this guide.

Try it: interactive cereal calculator

Use the calculator to adjust portion size and milk type, then see how the bowl compares to NHS daily limits for your child's age and gender.

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

Nestle Shredded Wheat contains 0.5g of sugar per 100g. A 30g bowl delivers 0.2g of free sugar before milk is added, and a 40g bowl delivers 0.2g. Shredded Wheat is made from a single ingredient, 100% whole grain wheat, with no added sugar, salt or vitamins. Two biscuits weigh 45g and contain 162 kcal.

All added sugar in Shredded Wheat 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 Shredded Wheat provides only 1% of the daily free sugar limit for a child aged 7 to 10, leaving most of the day's free sugar allowance for other meals and snacks.

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 Shredded Wheat with 125ml semi-skimmed milk contains approximately 157 calories. At 60g with milk the bowl contains approximately 254 calories.

For a child aged 4 to 6, a 30g bowl represents around 11% of their estimated daily calorie requirement, a reasonable contribution from breakfast.

Fibre

Shredded Wheat contains 11g of fibre per 100g, which is 3.3g in a 30g bowl. This is high for a breakfast cereal and a genuinely useful contribution toward the daily fibre target.

The NHS recommends adults consume around 30g of fibre per day, and most people in the UK fall short of this. A 30g bowl of Shredded Wheat provides 3.3g, around 11% of the adult daily target from a single bowl.

Protein

Shredded Wheat contains 12g of protein per 100g, which is 3.6g in a 30g bowl before milk. With 125ml of semi-skimmed milk, which contributes approximately 4.2g of protein, the total reaches 7.8g.

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 Shredded Wheat.

For a child aged 7 to 10, a general guide for daily protein intake is around 24g. A 30g bowl of Shredded Wheat with milk provides 7.8g, a useful contribution from breakfast, primarily via the milk.

Fortification, vitamins and minerals

Nestle Shredded Wheat is not fortified with added vitamins or minerals. The nutrient content comes entirely from the wheat used to make it, without any vitamins or minerals added during manufacturing.

This means Shredded Wheat will not contribute toward reference intakes for vitamin D, B vitamins or iron in the way that fortified cereals do. Wholegrain cereals naturally contain some B vitamins, magnesium and iron from the grain itself, but at lower levels than fortified products typically declare.

If vitamin D or iron intake is a concern, particularly for children during winter months, a fortified cereal on alternate days, or other dietary sources, can help fill this gap.

Whole grain and processing

Shredded Wheat is made from a single ingredient: wheat. There is no added sugar, salt, or any other ingredient. This is unusual among breakfast cereals, most of which contain several additional ingredients alongside the grain base.

Because it is minimally processed and uses the whole grain, Shredded Wheat sits outside the NOVA classification categories that apply to most packaged cereals.

Salt

Shredded Wheat contains 0.03g of salt per 100g. A 30g bowl contains 0g of salt. With 125ml semi-skimmed milk, the total rises to approximately 0.2g.

This is negligible and among the lowest of any cereal in this guide, reflecting the absence of any added salt.

Frequently asked questions

Track your family's nutrition in real time

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.