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Cereal vs. Fast food — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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A recap on differences between cereal and fast food

  • Cereal is higher in vitamin B1, vitamin B6, iron, vitamin B2, vitamin B3, vitamin A, zinc, and vitamin C, yet fast food is higher in selenium.
  • Cereal covers your daily vitamin B1 needs 498% more than fast food.
  • The amount of saturated fat in cereal is lower.

Food varieties used in this article are Cereals ready-to-eat, USDA Commodity Corn and Rice (includes all commodity brands) and Fast foods, hamburger; single, regular patty; plain.

Infographic

Cereal vs Fast food infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Cereal
4
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 14% 3% 9.3% 1277% 46% 207% 33% 104% 103% 34%
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 19% 19% 17% 115% 40% 69% 57% 43% 47% 111%
Contains more IronIron +1013.1%
Contains more CopperCopper +13.2%
Contains more ZincZinc +201.6%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +121.3%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +42.1%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +520%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +87.6%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +74%
Contains less SodiumSodium -58.4%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +222.2%

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Cereal
6
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 128% 271% 1.6% 0% 1572% 893% 555% 14% 1381% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 3% 7.6% 1.5% 79% 84% 105% 32% 49% 111% 12% 60% 19%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +8944.4%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +1883.6%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +966.1%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +427.3%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +2723.6%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +375%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +134.5%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
2
6% 87% 4% 2%
Protein: 6.06 g
Fats: 1.08 g
Carbs: 86.85 g
Water: 3.78 g
Other: 2.23 g
17% 12% 32% 38%
Protein: 16.52 g
Fats: 12.01 g
Carbs: 31.5 g
Water: 38.45 g
Other: 1.52 g
Contains more CarbsCarbs +175.7%
Contains more OtherOther +46.7%
Contains more ProteinProtein +172.6%
Contains more FatsFats +1012%
Contains more WaterWater +917.2%

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
1
32% 25% 43%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.26 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.204 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.354 g
41% 44% 15%
Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 4.493 g
Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 4.835 g
Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.68 g
Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat -94.2%
Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat +2270.1%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat +374.6%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Cereal
1
94% 3% 3%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 9.74 g
Glucose: 0.27 g
Fructose: 0.26 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.09 g
Galactose: 0 g
82% 7% 8% 2%
Starch: 22.87 g
Sucrose: 0 g
Glucose: 2.05 g
Fructose: 2.27 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0.57 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more SucroseSucrose +∞%
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +659.3%
Contains more FructoseFructose +773.1%
Contains more MaltoseMaltose +533.3%
~equal in Lactose ~0g
~equal in Galactose ~0g

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Cereal Fast food
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Sodium ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Lower in Cholesterol ok
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price Equal
Rich in minerals Equal
Rich in vitamins Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Cereal Fast food DV% diff.
Vitamin B1 6.288mg 0.317mg 498%
Vitamin B6 5.986mg 0.212mg 444%
Iron 34.06mg 3.06mg 388%
Vitamin B2 3.87mg 0.363mg 270%
Vitamin B3 29.62mg 5.617mg 150%
Vitamin A 814µg 9µg 89%
Zinc 7.6mg 2.52mg 46%
Vitamin C 38.5mg 0mg 43%
Vitamin B12 0.89µg 37%
Selenium 6.3µg 20.3µg 25%
Protein 6.06g 16.52g 21%
Folate 80µg 20%
Sodium 795mg 331mg 20%
Manganese 0.79mg 0.357mg 19%
Saturated fat 0.26g 4.493g 19%
Carbs 86.85g 31.5g 18%
Fats 1.08g 12.01g 17%
Monounsaturated fat 0.204g 4.835g 12%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Starch 22.87g 9%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.354g 1.68g 9%
Phosphorus 77mg 134mg 8%
Vitamin B5 0.226mg 0.53mg 6%
Choline 34.4mg 6%
Calcium 10mg 62mg 5%
Vitamin K 0µg 4.9µg 4%
Calories 378kcal 297kcal 4%
Potassium 105mg 197mg 3%
Fructose 0.26g 2.27g 3%
Copper 0.137mg 0.121mg 2%
Magnesium 19mg 27mg 2%
Vitamin E 0.08mg 0.38mg 2%
Vitamin D 0.1µg 1%
Fiber 1.4g 1.7g 1%
Net carbs 85.45g 29.8g N/A
Vitamin D 2IU 0%
Sugar 10.35g 4.88g N/A
Trans fat 0.514g N/A
Tryptophan 0.066mg 0.144mg 0%
Threonine 0.241mg 0.46mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.26mg 0.642mg 0%
Leucine 0.767mg 1.13mg 0%
Lysine 0.113mg 0.785mg 0%
Methionine 0.13mg 0.306mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.365mg 0.67mg 0%
Valine 0.344mg 0.728mg 0%
Histidine 0.162mg 0.402mg 0%
Omega-3 - EPA 0g 0.005g N/A
Omega-3 - DHA 0g 0.001g N/A
Omega-3 - ALA 0.121g N/A
Omega-3 - DPA 0g 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Gamma-linoleic acid 0.004g N/A
Omega-6 - Dihomo-gamma-linoleic acid 0.009g N/A
Omega-6 - Eicosadienoic acid 0g 0.003g N/A
Omega-6 - Linoleic acid 1.391g N/A

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Cereal Fast food
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
371%
Cereal
43%
Fast food
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
183%
Cereal
54%
Fast food

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Sugar?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in Sugar (difference - 5.47g)
Which food contains less Sodium?
Fast food
Fast food contains less Sodium (difference - 464mg)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Fast food
Fast food is lower in glycemic index (difference - 3)
Which food is lower in Cholesterol?
Cereal
Cereal is lower in Cholesterol (difference - 33mg)
Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Cereal
Cereal is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 4.233g)
Which food is cheaper?
?
The foods are relatively equal in price ($)
Which food is richer in minerals?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.
Which food is richer in vitamins?
?
It cannot be stated which food is richer in vitamins. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information. See the charts below for detailed information.

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Fast food - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/170693/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.