Most cereals are unhealthy due to tons and tons of added sugar and are highly processed.
The label shows that one serving before milk is added contains 27 grams of carbohydrates, 1 gram of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. With the addition of half a cup of milk another 6 grams of sugars are added, to put 33 grams of carbohydrates into the meal, with still only one single gram of fiber.

Fruits and vegetables are loaded with fiber, as well as many important phytonutrients that are needed to maintain good health.

Fiber helps to maintain healthy levels of gut flora, which in turn extract more vitamins and other nutrients from the fiber and make those available to the body.

Very importantly, fiber prevents the carbohydrates within a meal from being absorbed too quickly, causing spikes in blood glucose levels. For that reason the sugars and starches contained in fruits and vegetables do not cause health problems.

Having a habit of eating low fiber, high carbohydrate meals will causes too much insulin release too often, resulting in fat being stored instead of being burned, leading to obesity, while the constant releases of insulin into the body to deal with the glucose spikes will lead to insulin resistence, and then on to diabetes.

Low fiber, high carbohydrate processed food cannot be a safe substitute for fruits and vegetables.

Cereal itself is a manufactured substitute for whole cereal grains, a convenience food from the early 20th century whose only advantage for consumers over traditional breakfasts with fruits, whole grains, eggs and meats was the speed of preparation.

Eating healthier high fiber whole foods will also prolong satiety, preventing sensations of hunger intruding too soon. If you eat the high carbohydrate, low fiber stuff, you will feel hungry quite often, and overeat, which is yet another factor involved with unwanted weight gain.

Cereal can be eaten, but it’s not really food.