What do you imagine your dream breakfast to look like as a child? Well, according to American cartoons, children were sold on the idea of eating cereals with milk for breakfast. And why not? This breakfast option makes life so easy— for both the kids and the moms! All thanks to the growing popularity of cereals, we can’t even imagine the number of flavors and ingredient options now widely available at any of the neighborhood grocery stores!
Breakfast cereals are originally an invention by the Americans as a vegetarian alternative to excessive meat consumption. While originally known to be breakfast cereal, it is now colloquially understood to be cereal that is made from grains like wheat, rice, barley, oats, and corn. A common breakfast choice for more than a century now, numerous cereal brands have come up with their own ‘better and cheaper’ and apparently more nutritious versions of cereals!
However, this mass availability has been possible with the help of toxic pesticides and synthetic growth stimulants in the production of cereal ingredients. So, your supposedly ‘healthy breakfast bowl’ is actually laced with harmful chemicals. But to disrupt this toxic consumption, many organic brands are offering cereals with least pesticides to help you lead a healthy life. Not just cereals, you can also choose glyphosate free honey, tea brands, pesticide free coffee, glyphosate free oats and ethical chocolate for a healthy diet!
Cereals with Least Pesticides
1. BioFAIR
2. Nature’s Path
3. Annie’s Homegrown
4. Cascadian Farm
5. Barbara’s
6. Ambrosial
7. Farm To Table
8. Tierra Farm
Some Baby Cereal Brands We Trust
9. Gerber
10. Earth’s Best
Pesticides in Cereals
Cereals are a result of processing farm-grown grain crops like rice, wheat, oats, etc. Therefore, it is safe to believe that breakfast cereals are a nutritious choice by consumers.
But while ingredients used to make these cereals in the late 1800s were safe to eat and actually were a more direct way of consuming nutrients, are the ingredients just as safe in today’s time?
Unfortunately no. Most grains today are grown with the help of using pesticides and weed-killers wherein glyphosate is the active ingredient so that the yield is higher and naturally the production cost comes out cheaper. Now, when Monsanto brought out its weed-killer with glyphosate as the active ingredient in the 1970s, it was used in much lesser quantities as compared to its current obscene amount of usage.
Although glyphosate helps farmers and makes their jobs easy, the WHO International Agency for Research on Cancer has labeled glyphosate as a carcinogen. Now a common belief would be that GMO crops lead to the increase of weed-killers, and, therefore, glyphosate. So using GMO-free crops would mean no glyphosate. But agrochemical companies like Monsanto encourage farmers to use glyphosate.
So, GMO-free crops could still have glyphosate, and the truth of the matter is that both GMO crops and crops that exceed pesticide residues limits have adverse effects on human health.
But as pesticides are used to protect crops and help in higher yields, there are bound to be pesticide residues on the grains used by cereal brands which is why the United States Environmental Protection Agency sets pesticide residue limits called tolerances in and on food crops.
Pesticide Residues Analysis of Cereals
Though the EPA set pesticide residue limits for no harmful effects on human health, several reports on cereal samples by the Environmental Working Group show that cereal samples contain an unhealthy amount of glyphosate in them.
The 2018 list of Environmental Working Group’s cereal samples to check pesticides contamination levels include popular food companies like Kellogg’s, General Mills, and Quaker to name a few.
Lawsuits have been filed against General Mills’ cereal brands like Cheerios and Cocoa Puffs for lack of transparency with its customers about the high amounts of glyphosate in them, contrary to their top priority of food safety over anything else.
However, we must see what goes into our mouths and our digestion system to see if we are heading straight towards our slow death or if we are being eco-friendly and conscious consumers.
10 Cereals With Least Pesticides
Here’s an organic list of breakfast cereals that ensure the customers of their food safety and taste much better than cereals with high pesticide residues.
1. BioFAIR
If you are trying to be sustainable and vegan, BioFAIR is the right choice for you. Certified Organic by the Organic Food Federation of the United Kingdom. These BioFAIR Quinoa Pops are a tasty and nutritious way to start your morning with the perfect amount of milk in your breakfast bowl!
We love Biofair for more than just being organic though. Biofair’s products are fairtrade, gluten-free, within the pesticide residues tolerance set by the EPA, nut-free, and, therefore, a feasible and healthy cereal choice for everyone!
Packed in simple packaging, Biofair’s quinoa pops surely stand out in the supermarket aisles. Other products by Biofair meant for daily consumption like pasta, flour, and quinoa flakes are also a must-try for vegan and eco-friendly consumers!
2. Nature’s Path
This Canada-based organic breakfast cereal company has a variety of breakfast cereal ranges that include granola & bars, oatmeal, toaster pastries, waffles, and a lot more for your organic kitchen. Nature’s Path cereal samples resulted with no or within pesticide residues limit according to EWG’s cereal samples list.
The Panda Puffs by Nature’s Path are a part of a more extensive initiative that aims toward animal conservation and global education programs i.e. the Envirokidz cereal brand that is non-GMO (non-genetically modified organisms) verified, gluten-free, and lastly, for their amazing peanut butter flavor and crunchy texture!
With a sure-shot thumbs-up from our side, you can try their other products as well, especially their adult breakfast cereal range of Q’ia that sells flavored oatmeal, flakes, and buckwheat & hemp cereal.
3. Annie’s Homegrown
All kids love chocolate. As a healthy cereal, Annie’s Homegrown Organic Cocoa Bunnies make sure the kids are getting their nutrition without a risk to their health from pesticide residues while also enjoying a scrumptious flavor they love.
Made with corn, rice, and oat grains, in cute little bunny shapes, parents can rest assured they are only purchasing Fairtrade cereal for their children. Perfect for both breakfast and snack time satisfy your bunny’s tummy by pairing this delicious organically flavored cereal with milk or yogurt parfait!
Annie’s products don’t end here. It offers yummy snacking options ranging from fruit-flavored snacks to mac-n-cheese!
4. Cascadian Farm
Though owned by General Mills, Cascadian Farm leaves its mark on the EWG list of healthy cereal brands. Available in a wide variety of flavors, you can be at peace with the fact that your child (and maybe you!) is getting all the nutrition they need with 18 grams of whole grains in it.
Cascadian Farm Organic is USDA- Certified Organic and gluten-free. The most popular Cascadian breakfast cereal options among the kids are Fruitful O’s and cinnamon crunch flakes.
5. Barbara’s
Barbara’s produces a specific range of organic cereals that also ranks among the EWG list of healthy cereals. While Barbara’s classic cereal options are something to love, their organic range is also vegan and comes in exciting flavors like honey nut crunch, cinnamon, and rice crisps. The brand’s puffin line is non-GMO verified and comes in multiple flavors like peanut butter, chocolate, etc.
6. Ambrosial
A USDA- Certified Organic cereal brand, Ambrosial Granola is one of the most popular granola brands in the American food industry. Ambrosial is popular for promoting Greek food culture while keeping in mind the necessity of sustainability in today’s time.
The Founder of Ambrosial says, “Ambrosial followed the path of sustainability keeping in mind the values and interest of the health and environmentally conscious consumer.”
Ambrosial’ products are dairy-free, rich in protein, fruits, and nuts, and especially cholesterol-free. There are multiple flavors offered by Ambrosial so you don’t have to look anywhere else for variety every other day.
7. Farm To Table
Farm to Table is an organic food movement that you all must have heard of. Sounds sustainable and healthy, right? Well, Farm-to-Table is exactly the brand you need to get that sustainability when it comes to oatmeal for your breakfast.
This cereal brand makes sure to do away with the heavy processing of grains and maintain their natural nutrition and does all of this with flavor and texture. The brand’s cereal oatmeal offers a great deal when it comes to nutrition as it consists of organically grown rye, flax seeds, hard red wheat, oats, Kamut Khorasan and Organic Spelt. It’s also cholesterol-free and high in dietary fiber.
8. Tierra Farm
Tierra Farm granolas have an impeccable reputation in the American cereal market because it’s certified organic and comes in exciting flavors like classic granola, goji berry granola, cranberry cashew pecan granola, and maple cinnamon granola, and a few other phenomenal flavors.
The brand also distributes organic fruits, nuts, and chocolates in New York ranging from roasted salted almonds to chocolate-covered almonds, from medium roasted coffee to coffee blends, syrups, spices, and much more.
Some Baby Cereal Brands We Trust
9. Gerber
Owned by Nestle, Gerber is one of the best baby cereal companies that ensures your baby goes through the liquid to solid transition in a nutritious and healthy way, a way that doesn’t include pesticide residues!
The brand’s strong belief in baby care gets reflected in the words written on Nestle’s website “Gerber baby food and baby care is committed to promoting good nutrition and healthy eating habits for children.” Gerber uses BPA-free packaging, is non-GMO verified, USDA- Certified Organic, and the top infant cereal brand recommended by pediatricians.
10. Earth’s Best
All mothers want what’s best for their babies. And so all mothers should get that! Earth’s Best infant cereal options offer the perfect nutrition and taste for a baby’s taste buds and delicate tummy since they are in the crucial period of shifting to solid food!
Earth’s Best Wholegrain Oatmeal Cereal is made with non-GMO verified ingredients, is USDA-Certified Organic i.e. without or within pesticide residues limit, and has no added preservatives. The brand also sells other baby food products like formula, purees, and jarred foods.
Conclusion
At the crux of it, breakfast cereals are processed foods at the end of the day. And too much-processed food is bad for human health. Though made with organically grown cereal crops, we ask our readers to limit their consumption of breakfast cereals in general.
But whenever having some of these now and then, we encourage our dear readers and consumers to spend a little more and stress a little less about their health by choosing the organic options, even for your favorite organic wine and organic beer brands, that don’t risk pesticides contamination in their ingredient crops. And for any other good organic cereal option or cereal brand that you feel is a must-try, please mention it in the comments below!
