Bran Cereal Nutrition Calculator — 29× More Fiber Than Corn Flakes, 156% DV Iron from Fortification Alone

Bran cereal (FDC 2708456 — plain bran flakes, fortified) delivers 20.5g dietary fiber per 100g (73% DV) — more than any other common breakfast cereal on a per-weight basis. For comparison: plain oats have 10.1g, granola 8.9g, muesli 6.3g, and corn flakes just 0.7g. A ¾-cup serving (~30g) provides 6.2g fiber (22% DV), making it one of the most fiber-efficient breakfast choices by weight ^[1].

The fiber in wheat bran is predominantly insoluble fiber — roughly 85–90% insoluble to 10–15% soluble. This composition comes from the wheat bran's cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin structures that remain intact through the flaking process. Unlike oats, which are rich in soluble beta-glucan, bran cereal's fiber adds bulk rather than viscosity ^[2][3].

At 361 kcal per 100g, bran cereal provides 17.6 calories per gram of fiber — compared to 40 kcal per gram of fiber for corn flakes (357 kcal ÷ 0.7g = 510 kcal per gram of fiber, actually — corn flakes require eating 510 kcal worth to get just 1g of fiber). For fiber tracking, bran cereal delivers more fiber per calorie than nearly any other ready-to-eat cereal on the market ^[1].

Bran cereal contains 28.1mg iron per 100g (156% DV) — nearly identical to corn flakes' 28.9mg. Both get their iron entirely from fortification: reduced iron powder added during manufacturing. Natural wheat bran has about 6–10mg iron per 100g, but the milling and flaking process reduces this, and manufacturers restore it synthetically to levels far exceeding the original grain ^[1][3].

Where bran cereal differs from corn flakes is what accompanies that iron. Corn flakes pair their 28.9mg iron with 0.7g fiber and 729mg sodium. Bran cereal pairs similar iron with 20.5g fiber and 585mg sodium — lower sodium, dramatically more fiber. The practical question for nutrition journaling isn't which cereal has more iron (they're nearly equal) but what else comes along with it ^[1].

Additional fortified nutrients include folate at 320mcg (80% DV), thiamine at 1.14mg (95% DV), niacin at 13.3mg (83% DV), riboflavin at 0.98mg (76% DV), and vitamin B12 at 1.81mcg (75% DV). The B-vitamin fortification pattern is standard across US breakfast cereals, but bran cereal's retention of the wheat bran provides naturally occurring magnesium (29mg) and phosphorus (108mg) that fully refined cereals like corn flakes have largely lost ^[1].

Despite its fiber advantage, bran cereal has 585mg sodium per 100g (25% DV) — lower than corn flakes (729mg) but still significant. A typical 1.5-cup bowl (~60g) delivers 351mg sodium (15% DV) before adding milk (which contributes another 50–80mg). For anyone tracking sodium alongside fiber, this is worth noting ^[1].

Sugar at 15.3g per 100g places plain bran flakes in a moderate range — less than granola's 24.5g but considerably more than plain oats' 1g. A ¾-cup serving has 4.6g sugar (about 1 teaspoon), which is moderate for a cereal but noticeable if you're choosing bran specifically for its whole-grain profile. The flavored/raisin bran variant jumps to 29.3g sugar per 100g — nearly double ^[1].

The calorie density at 361 kcal per 100g is almost identical to corn flakes (357 kcal) and muesli (363 kcal) — this isn't a low-calorie food in dry form. The value proposition is fiber density per calorie, not low absolute calories. With milk, a standard breakfast of ~60g bran cereal + 1 cup milk totals approximately 367 calories with 12.3g fiber — a ratio that's difficult to replicate with other cereals ^[1].

Flavored bran cereal (raisin bran style, FDC 2708469) has 12.4g fiber per 100g compared to plain's 20.5g — a 40% reduction. The raisins and sugar coating displace bran content per gram, reducing fiber density while adding sweetness. Despite having less fiber, flavored bran still outperforms corn flakes (0.7g), granola (8.9g), and muesli (6.3g) ^[1].

Sugar increases from 15.3g to 29.3g per 100g — a 91% increase — largely from the raisin's natural fructose and added sugar coating. Iron drops sharply from 28.1mg to 9.85mg (from 156% DV to 55% DV), folate falls from 320mcg to 133mcg, and thiamine from 1.14mg to 0.65mg. The flavoring doesn't just add sugar — it also dilutes the fortification proportionally ^[1].

Sodium, interestingly, decreases from 585mg to 347mg per 100g in the flavored variant — the sugar replaces some of the salt-flavored bran mass. Potassium rises from 121mg to 205mg thanks to the raisins, which are naturally potassium-rich. For nutrition logging: the plain variant is clearly superior for fiber and micronutrient density, but the flavored variant still provides more fiber than most other cereals ^[1].