Quaker Life Original Multigrain Cereal: Labelgrade C+ (67/100)
C+ 67 / 100 — Additive-heavy formulation (phosphate additives and artificial colors), very low saturated fat, notable sugar load, high sodium per 100g, and substantial fiber.
🛒 Buy on Amazon →The short answer
Quaker Life brings more of the good stuff than most cereals — and pays for it with a sweetened coating. This single-serve cup delivers 6.36g of protein and 4.16g of fiber from a genuine whole-grain oat-and-wheat base (USDA FDC 1458847), which is why it scores better than the candy-coated boxes on the dimensions that count. But the same cup carries 12.6g of sugar — with sugar as the second ingredient — plus 322mg of sodium and a panel of artificial colors and BHT. The whole grains lift it up; the sugar and additives pull it back down. Net result: C+ (67 / 100).
Why this Labelgrade
| Dimension | Grade | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein density | C+ | 65 / 100 | 9.8g per 100g — moderate; the per-serving total matters more than the per-unit density |
| Ingredient quality | C | 64 / 100 | 18 ingredients; flagged phosphate additives + artificial colors |
| Saturated fat load | A+ | 96 / 100 | 0.526g per serving (0.8g per 100g) — very low |
| Sodium load | D | 48 / 100 | 322mg per serving (140mg per oz) — meaningful per 100g |
| Sugar load | D | 50 / 100 | 12.6g sugar; USDA omits the added-sugar line, but the ingredients list a sweetener — scored as added, not naturally-occurring |
| Fiber | B | 75 / 100 | 4.16g per serving — good |
| Overall | C+ | 67 / 100 | Weighted blend: protein 25% · ingredients 22% · saturated fat 18% · sodium 15% · sugar 12% · fiber 8% |
How it compares
| Product | Protein per serving | Per 100 g | Per oz | Calories |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quaker Life Original Multigrain Cereal (this product) | 6.36g | 9.8g | 2.8g | 244 |
| Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Cereal | 2.76g | 7.9g | 2.2g | 114 |
| General Mills Rice Chex Cereal | 3g | 7.5g | 2.1g | 150 |
| General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios Cereal | 2g | 7.1g | 2g | 110 |
| Plain cooked chicken breast (benchmark) | — | 31g | 8.8g | ~165 |
The whole grains are real — so is the sugar
Life is one of the few sweetened cereals where the whole-grain claim isn’t just marketing. The base is whole grain oat flour (the first ingredient) backed by whole wheat flour, and the 4.16g of fiber and 6.36g of protein per serving are the honest result — both meaningfully above the typical boxed cereal. On the dimensions Labelgrade weighs most heavily, that’s a genuine head start, and it’s why Life clears the bar that pure refined-rice or corn cereals can’t.
The problem is the second ingredient: sugar. At 12.6g per serving, the sweetness isn’t a trace from the grain — it’s added, and it sits right behind the oats on the list. USDA’s entry for this product doesn’t break out an added-sugar line, but the ingredient order makes the source clear, so we score the sugar as added rather than naturally-occurring (that’s the D on the sugar dimension). The takeaway is balanced: Life is a real whole-grain cereal carrying a real sugar load. It’s healthier than the dessert cereals and less clean than plain oats — squarely a C+.
Read the cup, not the bowl — and mind the additive panel
One number trips people up here: 244 calories. That looks high for a cereal, and it is — because this USDA entry is the 2.29-oz single-serve cup (65g), not the ¾-cup bowl most nutrition comparisons assume. A cup holds noticeably more cereal than a poured bowl, which inflates every per-serving figure on this page, sugar and sodium included. If you eat a smaller bowl, scale the numbers down accordingly; if you eat the whole cup, take them at face value.
The other thing the macros don’t show is the back half of the ingredient list. Life carries disodium phosphate, BHT (a synthetic preservative), and Yellow 5 and Yellow 6 — the additives that drag ingredient quality to a C and are the main reason a fiber-and-protein cereal can’t climb into B territory. None of this makes Life a bad breakfast; it makes it a processed one. The honest move: pour a sensible portion, add milk for the protein and calcium it lacks, and treat the 12.6g of sugar as the cost of the convenience.
Scope
This page covers Quaker Life Original Multigrain Cereal, UPC 00030000316009, as represented in USDA Branded Foods FDC 1458847. Quaker sells multiple variants in this product line — other sizes, flavors, or fat levels may have different macros and Labelgrade scores. Manufacturers periodically reformulate; always cross-reference the actual package label, especially if you have allergies or dietary restrictions.
Ingredients (from the USDA Branded Foods entry)
WHOLE GRAIN OAT FLOUR, SUGAR, CORN FLOUR, WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, RICE FLOUR, SALT, CALCIUM CARBONATE, DISODIUM PHOSPHATE, REDUCED IRON, BHT (PRESERVATIVE), YELLOW 5, NIACINAMIDE*, ZINC OXIDE, YELLOW 6, THIAMIN MONONITRATE*, RIBOFLAVIN , PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, FOLIC ACID*. *ONE OF THE B VITAMINS
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Quick Facts
Per serving · 1 container (65 g)
See how this fits your day — protein calculator · macro calculator
Full nutrition facts
| Nutrient | Per Serving (1 container (65 g)) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 244 |
| Protein | 6.36g |
| Total Fat | 2.85g |
| Saturated Fat | 0.526g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Total Carbohydrates | 34g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4.16g |
| Total Sugars | 12.6g |
| Sodium | 322mg |
| Cholesterol | 0mg |
| Calcium | 228mg |
| Iron | 15.8mg |
| Potassium | 170mg |
Scope: This page applies specifically to Life Original Multigrain Cereal · UPC 00030000316009. Other sizes, flavors, or formulations may differ.
How this fits each diet
Each score is computed from the same USDA nutrition + ingredient data, against the published rules of each diet. They tell you "does this food fit this diet" — not whether the diet is right for you.
contains no listed animal products
contains no listed meat or fish
contains a gluten-bearing ingredient
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Quaker Life cereal healthy?
It's better than most sweetened cereals on the dimensions that matter — 4.16g of fiber and 6.36g of protein per serving, both from a real whole-grain oat-and-wheat base. What holds it back is the sugar: 12.6g per serving with sugar listed as the second ingredient, plus artificial colors (Yellow 5 and 6) and BHT. The whole-grain core is a genuine plus; the sweetened coating and additives are what keep it at a C+ (67/100).
Why is Quaker Life only a C+ if it has fiber and protein?
Because the grade weighs the good against the not-so-good. Life earns a B on fiber and a C+ on protein density — strong for a cereal — but it takes a D on sugar (12.6g, with a sweetener high on the ingredient list) and a D on sodium (322mg), and the additive panel pulls ingredient quality down to a C. The whole-grain base lifts it above the candy-coated cereals; the sugar and additives stop it short of a B.
Is Quaker Life cereal the same as Quaker Oats / oatmeal?
No. Both are Quaker and both start with oats, but plain oatmeal is a single whole-grain ingredient with no added sugar, sodium, colors, or preservatives. Life is a processed, pre-sweetened cereal built on oat flour plus corn, wheat, and rice flours. If you want the cleanest version of the grain, cooked oats grade far higher; Life is the convenient, sweeter, eat-from-the-box cousin.
What's a serving of Quaker Life, and does the grade include milk?
Heads up: the USDA entry here is the 2.29-oz single-serve cup (65g), which is noticeably bigger than a standard ¾-cup bowl — that's why this serving shows 244 calories and ~13g sugar. The grade is for the dry cereal only, no milk. About ½ cup of milk adds roughly 4g of protein and a dose of calcium, nudging the bowl higher even though it doesn't change the cereal's own score.
Which cereal scores better than Quaker Life?
If the goal is the fiber-and-protein payoff without the sugar load, an unsweetened high-fiber cereal or plain cooked oats will clear a B easily. Among graded boxed cereals, Life is actually one of the stronger picks for protein per serving — its real weakness is the added sugar, so the simplest upgrade is choosing the less-sweetened format of a similar whole-grain cereal and adding your own fruit.
When was this data last verified?
2026-06-05, against USDA FoodData Central FDC 1458847. We re-verify top-traffic pages monthly and update within 7 days when a manufacturer reformulates.