Whole-grain hot cereal (sometimes called porridge) is a great way to get fiber into your diet. You can make it yourself easily, saving money, and it will probably be healthier too, with less sugar and other additives.
I’ve provided a list of 20 whole-grain cereals in order by fiber content. Further below is a chart in alphagetical order with information on whether or not the cereal is gluten-free (there are 8 gluten-free options). And cooking info is further down.
- Barley, 15.6g
- Bulgur, 12.5g
- Freekeh (tie with steel-cut oatmeal), 11.2g
- Steel cut oatmeal (tie with freekeh), 11.2g
- Kamut berries, 11.1g
- Spelt berries, 10.7
- Rye flakes, 10.4
- Buckwheat groats, 10.3g
- Buckwheat (AKA kasha) (tied with instant oatmeal), 10g
- Instant oatmeal (tied with buckwheat/kasha), 10g
- Millet, 8.5g
- Wheat berries, 8.3g
- Teff, 8g
- Quinoa, 7g
- Amaranth (tie with sorghum), 6.7g
- Sorghum (tie with amaranth), 6.7g
- Farro, 6.6g
- Grits 5.4g
- Brown rice, 3.4g
- Polenta, 2.9g
Barley is the highest fiber whole grain cereal. At 15.6 grams per serving, it provides 25% more fiber than the second highest cereal, bulgur. And it’s over four times as much fiber as found in polenta (AKA corn mush), which has the lowest fiber on this list. The third highest-fiber creal is a tie between freekeh and steel-cut oatmeal, at 11.2 grams per serving each. Among the top four, only steel cut oatmeal is gluten-free.
| Cereal, uncooked (100 grams*) | Fiber (grams) | Gluten-Free?† |
| Amaranth | 6.7 | Yes |
| Barley (pearled) | 15.6 | No |
| Buckwheat (AKA kasha) | 10 | Yes |
| Buckwheat groats (roasted) | 10.3 | Yes |
| Bulgur | 12.5 | No |
| Farro | 6.6 | No |
| Freekeh | 11.2 | No |
| Grits | 5.4 | Yes |
| Kamut Berries | 11.1 | No |
| Millet | 8.5 | Yes |
| Oatmeal—Instant | 10 | Yes |
| Oatmeal—Steel Cut | 11.1 | Yes |
| Polenta (corn meal mush) | 2.9 | Yes |
| Quinoa | 7 | Yes |
| Rice—Brown (medium grain) | 3.4 | Yes |
| Rye Flakes | 10.4 | No |
| Sorghum | 6.7 | Yes |
| Spelt Berries | 10.7 | No |
| Teff | 8 | Yes |
| Wheat Berries | 8.3 | No |
* 100 grams is around 1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on the weight of the cereal.
† if you are looking for gluten-free products, make sure the package labels it as such. Even naturally gluten-free products can pick up gluten at the manufacturer.
How to Cook Hot Cereal
Follow the instructions on the package. In lieu of that, here are the proper proportions of cereal and water to use. Rinse the cereal, then combine it with the water and heat it up on the stove top until the grain is chewy/tender or your preferred texture for hot cereal.
| Cereal (cups) | Water (cups) | |
| Amaranth | 1 | 3 |
| Barley (pearled) | 1 | 2 1/2 |
| Buckwheat (AKA kasha) | 1 | 2 |
| Buckwheat groats (roasted) | 1 | 1 3/4 |
| Bulgur | 1 | 2 |
| Farro | 1 | 4 |
| Freekeh | 1 | 4 |
| Grits | 1 | 2 |
| Kamut Berries | 1 | 3 |
| Millet | 1 | 3 |
| Oatmeal—Instant | 1 | 2 |
| Oatmeal—Steel Cut | 1 | 6 |
| Polenta (corn meal mush) | 1 | 3 |
| Quinoa | 1 | 1 1/2 |
| Rice—Brown (medium grain) | 1 | 2 |
| Rye Flakes | 1 | 2 |
| Sorghum | 1 | 3 |
| Spelt Berries | 1 | 3 |
| Teff | 1 | 4 |
| Wheat Berries | 1 | 3 |
How to Flavor Hot Cereal
Customize your hot cereal by adding any combination of these flavorings and toppings:
- Sliced bananas, berrires, chopped apples or other fresh fruit
- Acai powder
- Dried fruit like raisins, cranberries, dates, goji berrires
- Almons, walnuts, or other nut
- Chia, flax or other seed
- Cacoa nibs
- Seasonings like cinnamon, nutmeg
- Maple syrup, honey, stevia (I avoid eating straight up sugar)
- Pinch of salt
Cook your cereal with water or any milk, dairy or non-dairy. I don’t drink cow’s milk, but love hot cereal with almond milk or soy milk (I prefer unsweetened).
Summing it Up
All of these cereals are nutritious, delicious, and good choices for adding fiber to your diet, with the exception of polenta, which is lower in fiber. Barley, bulgur, freekeh and steel cut oatmeal are the highest fiber options.
Because steel cut oatmeal is probably the easiest of these to find in your local U.S. grocery store, it may be a good place to start. It’s also gluten-free. Then expand your repitoire to some of the other choices, all of which can be found on amazon.
Enjoy!