Is Cream of Wheat Healthier Than Oatmeal?

Cream of Wheat and oatmeal are both popular and satisfying breakfast options. Cream of Wheat and oatmeal are both healthy breakfast options, but Cream of Wheat is an excellent source of iron and B vitamins.

Cream of Wheat and oatmeal are both popular and satisfying breakfast options. But which is better suited to your health goals? In general, both types of hot cereals are healthy breakfast options that contain plenty of B vitamins and iron. However, oatmeal may be the better choice if you’re worried about your daily sodium intake or if you have gluten sensitivity.

Cream of What is a brand of hot breakfast cereal created in North Dakota in 1893. It’s made of Farina, a milled cereal grain derived from wheat.

Uncooked Cream of Wheat is a finely powdered cereal. To prepare it, mix the powder with milk or water and boil it, allowing it to simmer and thicken on low heat for a minute or two. Once cooked, it has a smooth, thick, and creamy texture. To enhance its flavor, you can top it with berries, spices, toasted nuts, maple syrup, and other toppings.

Cream of Wheat is widely available in grocery stores all over the U.S. It comes in many different flavors, including:

• Maple brown sugar
• Banana walnut
• Cocoa nut with almonds
• Cinna-apple walnut
• Mixed berry with almonds
• Bananas and cream
• Whole grain
• Original

Regular oatmeal (also called old-fashioned oats) is pure grain whole oats. It’s a popular hot cereal and breakfast option that’s easy to find in grocery stores everywhere.

Many different types of oats are available, depending on how they are steamed, flattened, and sliced. Other varieties include quick oats, instant oats, and steel-cut oats.

Quick and instant oats are made by rolling the oat flakes even thinner and steaming them longer than the old-fashioned variety. Steel-cut oats are cut with a steel blade and have a more hearty and chewy consistency.

Cream of Wheat is low in calories and contains many nutrients essential for a healthy diet.

One cup (251 grams) of cooked Cream of Wheat (made with water) contains:

• Calories: 126
• Protein: 3.61 grams
• Fat: 0.53 grams
• Carbs: 26.4 grams
• Fiber: 1.26 grams
• Iron: 9.39 milligrams
• Niacin: 1.3 milligrams
• Vitamin B6: 0.03 milligrams
• Thiamine: 0.14 milligrams
• Riboflavin: 0.06 milligrams
• Folate: 30.1 micrograms
• Selenium: 7.03 micrograms
• Calcium: 218 milligrams
• Copper: 0.1 milligrams

Cream of Wheat is high in B vitamins, which are essential for good health. They transport oxygen and energy around your body, support brain function, and assist with DNA synthesis, or the formation of DNA strands.

For vegetarians looking for a good source of iron, Cream of Wheat is an excellent choice. It is enriched with iron, and one serving contains more than half the daily value for a 2,000-calorie diet. 

Iron is essential for your health because it carries oxygen from your lungs to other body parts. It’s also crucial for healthy brain development and growth in children.

If you don’t get enough iron in your diet, you could develop iron-deficiency anemia. This condition is extremely common and causes symptoms like severe fatigue and lightheadedness.

Other plant-based foods also contain iron, like nuts, seeds, legumes, and leafy greens. Otherwise, meat, poultry, and seafood are good sources of iron. 

Comparatively, one cup (234 grams) of cooked regular oats (made with water) contains:

• Calories: 166
• Protein: 5.94 grams
• Fat: 3.56 grams
• Carbs: 28.1 grams
• Fiber: 3.98 grams
• Iron: 2.11 milligrams
• Niacin: 0.53 milligrams
• Vitamin B6: 0.01 milligrams
• Thiamine: 0.18 milligrams
• Riboflavin: 0.04 milligrams
• Folate: 14 micrograms
• Selenium: 12.6 micrograms
• Calcium: 21.1 milligrams
• Copper: 0.17 milligrams

Like Cream of Wheat, oatmeal is a low-calorie food, but is higher in protein. If you want to lose weight, oatmeal might be the better option since high-protein foods help you feel fuller for longer.

Oatmeal also contains folate and niacin (both are B vitamins) but doesn’t offer nearly as much as the same-size serving of Cream of Wheat.

As you can see, Cream of Wheat is a highly nutritious breakfast option, but it also offers several other benefits:

• It’s affordable. A regular box of Cream of Wheat contains about 24 servings and costs less than $5.00 at most grocery stores. That’s about $0.21 per serving, which is hard to beat.
• It’s easy to prepare. You don’t have to be a master chef to whip up this convenient breakfast option. All you need is a pot, some water or milk, and a microwave or stovetop.
• It’s delicious and satisfying. Cream of Wheat is satiating to keep you full longer. You can also easily enhance its flavor with plenty of sweet or savory toppings.

Depending on the type of toppings you use, Cream of Wheat may not be as healthy as you’d hoped. For instance, if you top it with loads of sugar, salt, or butter, it will quickly lose many of its dietary benefits.

Since Cream of Wheat is made with wheat, it also contains gluten, a group of proteins that acts as a binder to hold the dough of bread and other wheat-based food items together. 

If you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance, you might get some unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms after eating it, such as:

• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Bloating
• Fatigue
• Brain fog

In this case, Cream of Wheat is likely not the best breakfast choice for you. Oatmeal is a good alternative.

The Instant Cream of Wheat variety is also somewhat high in sodium, which could be a concern for some people. Adding toppings like cheese or nuts will only increase its overall sodium content.

According to the American Heart Association, most adults should eat less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. Monitoring your salt intake is especially important if you have high blood pressure.

• Sprinkle toasted wheat germ or bran over your hot breakfast cereal for a nutty flavor and even more B vitamins.
• Instead of whole-fat milk, use nonfat or 2% milk. You can also opt for plant-based milk, like almond or soy milk.
• Skip the brown sugar and use natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup.
• Top your hot breakfast cereal with berries or seasonal fresh fruit.
• Add a dollop of your favorite nut butter to increase the healthy fat content of your cereal.
• Enhance the flavor of your Cream of Wheat or oatmeal with spices like cinnamon or nutmeg.

Cream of Wheat and oatmeal are both healthy breakfast options, but Cream of Wheat is an excellent source of iron and B vitamins. It’s also affordable, easy to prepare, and can be customized to suit your taste with various toppings.

Depending on how you prepare it, Cream of Wheat may not be ideal for those with high blood pressure, gluten sensitivities, or who are careful about their sodium intake. In these cases, oatmeal is a better option.