Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes is a brand of cereal, manufactured since 1952, by the Kellogg’s Company. Known world-wide by its mascot, Tony the Tiger, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes is a sweetened, corn-based cereal. The original Frosted Flakes has evolved over the years to other varieties, like chocolate, honey nut, cinnamon, paired with marshmallows, and even as a mash-up with Froot Loops.
The Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes varieties of breakfast cereals are not vegan, because they each contain at least one animal-derived ingredient. Although many of the ingredients in Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes are plant-based, adding ingredients like Vitamin D3, honey, and sugar make it not friendly for vegans. One of the best vegan alternatives to Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes is Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Amazon Frosted Flakes Cereal.
Each variety of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes contains at least one ingredient which is non-vegan. In this article, we’ll talk about the nutrition of Frosted Flakes, why it’s not vegan, and available alternatives. Let’s dig in!
Contents
Why Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Are Bad For You
The second ingredient in each of the varieties of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes is sugar. This is not pure cane sugar. It’s processed, white sugar. Many sugar manufacturers use bone char as a filtering agent. This bone char is from animal bones and gives the sugar its white color.
Another ingredient in most of the frosted flakes varieties is honey. Most people think since honey comes directly from nature, it is considered vegan. But honeybees have their environment and health negatively affected by humans harvesting their honey. This type of intrusion into the ecosystem of the honeybee is considered both cruel and exploitative by vegans.
There are more ingredients in the varieties of frosted flakes which can be considered non-vegan. Let’s take a look at what’s included in each variety and break-down the ingredients.
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes
- Milled Corn
- Sugar
- Honey
- Malt Flavor
- Contains 2% or less of:
- Molasses
- Salt
- Natural flavor
- Iron (ferric phosphate)
- Niacinamide
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride)
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B12
The original variety of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes contains Vitamin D3. Most manufacturers of Vitamin D3 derive it from lanolin, the oil which comes from sheep’s wool, and is often used in cosmetics! Adding it to a breakfast cereal makes it off limits for vegans.
Kellogg’s Honey Nut Frosted Flakes
- Milled Corn
- Sugar
- Honey
- Malt Flavor
- Contains 2% or less of:
- Molasses
- Salt
- Natural flavor
- Iron (ferric phosphate)
- Niacinamide
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride)
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B12
Natural flavors can be considered an “umbrella” term, including both plant and animal-derived flavors. The thing I found most interesting for Honey “Nut” Frosted Flakes is that not one ingredient on the list is “nuts.” If they are having to use a “natural flavor” to produce the nut taste, how many chemicals were used to produce this “natural” flavor? For vegans, staying away from chemically processed foods is vitally important. So “natural flavor” keeps this flakey cereal off the vegan list, too.
Kellogg’s Chocolate Frosted Flakes
- Milled Corn
- Sugar
- Cocoa Processed with Alkali
- Palm Kernel Oil
- Honey
- Contains 2% or less of:
- Malt Flavor
- Salt
- Semisweet chocolate (sugar, chocolate, dextrose)
- Natural flavor
- Iron (ferric phosphate)
- Niacinamide
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride)
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B12
Palm oil is a plant-derived ingredient, however some vegan organizations still advocate against its use. Palm oil harvesting companies have caused habitat loss and environmental destruction to many species of animals because of their tearing down of rainforests and other areas to build more plantations.
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes cereal with Marshmallows
- Milled Corn
- Sugar
- Marshmallows (Sugar, Corn Syrup, Dextrose, Gelatin, Natural Flavor, Yellow 6, Red 40, Blue 1)
- Malt Flavor
- Contains 2% or Less of:
- Modified Food Starch
- Salt
- Natural flavor
- Iron (ferric phosphate)
- Niacinamide
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride)
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B12
Gelatin is an ingredient used in this variety of frosted flakes. Gelatin is protein, and it is made by boiling animal parts, like bones, tendons and skin. This is used to solidify the marshmallows and is definitely on the non-vegan list.
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes with Crispy Cinnamon Basketballs
- Milled Corn
- Sugar
- Corn Flour Blend (Whole Grain Yellow Corn Flour, Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour)
- Contains 2% Or Less Of:
- Malt Flavor
- Salt
- Wheat Flour
- Whole Grain Oat Flour
- Oat Fiber
- Soluble Corn Fiber
- Cinnamon
- Calcium Carbonate
- Natural flavor
- Yellow 6
- BHT For Freshness
- Iron (ferric phosphate)
- Niacinamide
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride)
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B12
Yellow 6 is the culprit for making this variety of frosted flakes be considered non-vegan. While the dye is synthetically made from petroleum, it is tested on animals to determine if it is safe to use in foods. Vegans will choose to avoid foods with this, and other artificial dyes, because of their dedication to “do no harm” to animals.
Kellogg’s Cereal Mashups – Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes & Froot Loops
- Milled corn
- Sugar
- Corn Flour Blend (Whole Grain Yellow Corn Flour, Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour)
- Wheat Flour
- Whole Grain Oat Flour
- Contains 2% Or Less Of:
- Malt Flavor
- Modified food starch
- Salt
- Vegetable oil (hydrogenated coconut, soybean and/or cottonseed)
- Oat fiber
- Maltodextrin
- Soluble Corn Fiber
- Natural flavor
- Red 40
- Yellow 5
- Blue 1
- Yellow 6
- BHT For Freshness
- Iron (ferric phosphate)
- Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
- Niacinamide
- Reduced iron
- Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine hydrochloride)
- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin)
- Vitamin B1 (thiamin hydrochloride)
- Folic acid
- Vitamin D3
- Vitamin B12
All of the color dyes in this variety of frosted flakes are considered non-vegan, but Red 40 is the worst. Derived from crushed-up beetles, not only is it an animal-based product, but the safety testing process is done on animals.
Healthy Vegan Alternatives to Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Cereals
The best alternative I found to the Kellogg’s line of frosted flakes cereals, is Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Amazon Frosted Flakes Cereal. When I first looked at the ingredients list for this cereal, I couldn’t believe what I was reading:
- Corn Meal
- Cane Sugar
- Sea Salt
Really, that’s it. There’s also no preservatives, artificial colors or flavors, and since it’s organic, the corn was not treated with synthetic herbicides or pesticides.
There is another frosted cereal, which is not of the flake variety, but makes a good alternative, too. Three Wishes Frosted Cereal is an “O”-shaped cereal, and also contains just a few ingredients:
- Chickpea
- Tapioca
- Pea Protein
- Salt
Both of these alternatives have great reviews from over 2,000 Amazon customers. As an added bonus, the Three Wishes Cereal also has a good amount of protein per serving, 8 grams, a high quantity not usually found in breakfast cereals.
In Conclusion
If you are looking for a good, vegan breakfast cereal, Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes is not the choice for you.
Containing refined, processed sugar, gelatin, palm oil, and artificial colorings are just a few of the ingredients which make this a non-vegan food.
Opt instead for the consumer-praised alternative, Nature’s Path EnviroKidz Amazon Frosted Flakes Cereal, and you won’t be sacrificing taste or your vegan lifestyle.
Related Questions
Are Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes dairy free?
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes are dairy free. None of the varieties contain any dairy or lactose products. The malt flavoring does not come from dairy and the white coloring is because of the sugar.
Are Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes gluten free?
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes, all of the varieties, are not gluten free. One of the main ingredients, the malt flavoring, is derived from an extract of barley, which isn’t gluten free. If you are trying to avoid products with gluten in them, you will not want to eat any of the varieties of Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes.
Are Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes healthy?
If you take the word of the Kellogg’s company, directly from their website–Fortified cereal with 8 essential vitamins and minerals, no cholesterol and 0 grams of fat–then their indication is that the cereal is healthy.
But with sugar being the second ingredient in every variety of Frosted Flakes, it is hard to say it is a healthy food. Also, considering the sugar is refined and processed, the extensive altering of this type of sugar also makes it an unhealthy food. Combine the abundance of sugar with artificial dyes and flavorings, the ingredients from animal sources, and the same ingredients often used in cosmetics, and this product should not be considered healthy.
Are Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes just sugar?
Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes was first introduced in 1952 as “Sugar Frosted Flakes.” Kellogg’s dropped the “sugar” from the name in 1983, amid the rising knowledge that a high intake of sugar was not good. Each cup of original Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes contains 12 grams of sugar, almost a ¼ of the recommended daily intake.
It’s not just the refined, processed white sugar which is harmful, but also the malt flavoring, derived from maltose, an ingredient often found in candy. Eat This, Not That! gave Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes a ranking of 16th in their worst cereals to eat. Not a good sign of a healthy breakfast cereal.