I can breeze through the sweets aisle at the supermarket when Georgie is with me. You see, we’ve talked about it and worked long and hard enough for him to know what I’m ok with him choosing at what not.
But the cereal aisle. Man! Completely different situation.
In fact it may actually be far worse than the sweet aisle. The colourful packaging, the chocolate coating, the superheroes and the princesses and all that hidden sugar. And then of course comes the inevitable question: ‘But mummy its breakfast cereal! It’s not sweets! Why can’t I have it?’
So the above prompted this post. We all know a healthy and hearty breakfast is important but not all of us have the time to make it. Definitely not everyday and especially not parents. So we depend on the fast, easy and inexpensive cereal that however has just as much sugar as a bar of chocolate! Which means that we end up sending our kids to school hyped up on sugar and then wonder why they’re not ‘performing’ well and worse still, we may even be setting them up for obesity or diabetes type-2.
For your information: One cup of most cereals on supermarket shelves exceeds 60% of the daily limit for sugar.
So here’s a list of healthier cereals:
Cheerios: They are considered the healthiest mainstream cereal option and also the most favoured among kids. They’re low in sugar and high in whole-grain oats. I like to add them to Georgie’s lunchbox. They go well with any fruit as a snack.
Shredded Wheat: Tons of whole grain and loaded with fiber, this may be a difficult one to convince your kids to eat due to the bland taste. Adding honey or maple syrup has worked with Georgie as has pieces of banana and strawberries. You can find shredded wheat in bite size options too.
Weetabix: Such a healthy choice. Low in sugar and fat, made from 100% whole wheat, high in iron, fibre and vitamin B. An absolute favourite in our home. I like mine a bit soggy with bananas and honey. A fantastic option for babies too.
Cornflakes: Obviously the plain type as they contain less sugar. However note that cornflakes do not contain much fibre.
Bran flakes: Definitely a much healthier option than regular corn flakes, bran flakes come in a variety of types and are of course packed with fibre. Again this is another one of Georgie’s favourite lunchbox dry snacks. Served in a bowl we like to add toasted shredded coconut, hazelnuts, dried bananas and raisins to jazz it up.
Granola: If you’re cool with giving your kids nuts (and you really should unless they’re allergic) give granola a go. Nuts contain good fats and omega-3 fatty acids making granola great for heart health. Granola also contains rolled oats and honey. You can add absolutely anything to this crunchy energy booster including yoghurt and even enjoy it as a dry snack on the go.
Porridge: Basically porridge is the method of boiling oats or other grains in milk or water. Oats and grains are healthy for you, they give you energy and build strong bones. Porridge is a fantastic healthy cereal option and the best part is that you can dress it up anyway you like. Georgie likes his with cinnamon and honey while I like to pack mine with nuts and fruit and maple syrup.
I really wanted to use specific brand names in this post but I realise that we all shop at different locations and some supermarkets carry certain brands that others don’t. I didn’t want that to be a factor in not opting for healthier options. Regardless of what brand you purchase look for the basics and stick to these types of cereal and you’ll soon be eliminating any extra sugar intake in your child’s diet.
