Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, and a healthy cereal will get your morning started right. Fruit and fiber cereals offer some of the best nutritional benefits. They are high in fiber, an important nutrient that is lacking in the average American diet.

Special K protein shakes are available in three flavors -- milk chocolate, strawberry and French vanilla. Kellogg’s manufactures these ready-to-drink protein shakes that are available for purchase in grocery stores nationwide.

If you need a quick and healthy meal in the morning, try bran flakes. Bran flakes are a healthy cereal choice, because they are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. The nutritional values of bran flakes vary from brand to brand, so read the nutrition labels before buying.

Lucky Charms, an oat-based cereal with firm marshmallow pieces, may be magically delicious— as the leprechaun in the iconic commercials claims — but it is also quite nutritious.

When you're hungry or low on cash, a trip to your storage room may yield a box of expired cereal. Before you crack open the box and dig in, ensure that you're willing to eat old cereal. While safety-wise it should be fine, it may not have the best taste or texture and also could have lost some nutritional value.

The most popular "nutri-grain cereal" came from the Kellogg's company, which still sells the cereal in Australia and New Zealand but has discontinued it in the United States. Kellogg's Nutri-Grain is billed as "the Iron-man food," promising to promote health and energy for those who eat the cereal.

Kellogg's Froot Loops is a multicolored, sugar-filled processed breakfast cereal marketed to children by the cartoon character Toucan Sam. The front of Froot Loop's colorful packaging boasts fiber and whole grains, but not the high sugar content. Froot Loops does not have the nutritional value of a healthy cereal.

Children choose cereal based on the latest television advertisement or the cute yet useless toy that comes in the box. As a parent, you want them to eat a cereal that offers vitamins and minerals and sends them off on their day feeling full.

Cereals include a wide spectrum of choices. Picking out the right cereal when shopping may be confusing. Start by looking at the nutrition labels to ensure adequate vitamins and minerals are included. Many varieties are fortified with added beneficial vitamins.

Special K cereal, manufactured by Kellogg, comes in a variety of flavors in addition to the original version. You can buy low-fat granola and high-protein versions, as well as blueberry, red berry, cinnamon pecan, vanilla almond and fruit and yogurt variations.

Life Cereal, distributed by Quaker Oats Company, is promoted as a healthy food but may not necessarily belong on a "Best Breakfast" list.

A bowl of healthy cereal with skim milk can provide a nutrient-rich, low-calorie breakfast. When picking a cereal, look for one that has calcium, vitamin C and iron without a lot of sugar.