# Healthy breakfast cereals for kids?



## Christy (28 Aug 2007)

I have tried to search the internet for a listing of healthy breakfast cereals for the kids.  I found a few different bits & pieces but nothing concrete.  From what I have found out so far porridge seems to be one of the best options, after that I heard that Shreddies, Shredded Wheat and Weetabix are among the better ones.  Does anyone know of any research carried out on this and if so what the outcome was.

Thanks

Christy


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## Squonk (28 Aug 2007)

I recall an article on this recently on "Which" magazine? I think your conclusions are about right. See below:
[broken link removed]
[broken link removed]


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## ClubMan (28 Aug 2007)

Christy said:


> I have tried to search the internet for a listing of healthy breakfast cereals for the kids.  I found a few different bits & pieces but nothing concrete.


Probably because concrete is not very nutritious.


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## Caveat (28 Aug 2007)

What about some of the muesli type options?

_Country Store_ (being sweeter)is probably more palatable for kids than say, Alpen or similar.  Although the reasons why it is sweeter could be questionable.


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## ClubMan (28 Aug 2007)

Most breakfast cereals are high in added salt and sugar. _"Muesli" _like _Country Store _or _Alpen _is packed with sugar. _Lifeforce Muesli _and some other similar recipes have no added sugar/salt - just oats, nuts/grains, fruit etc. It's also very easy to make your own muesli. You could do a lot worse than a bowl of fresh fruit, some _Lifeforce Muesli _and milk or yoghurt.


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## pc7 (28 Aug 2007)

I thought I was being good eating alpen! Just flicked through the which article looks like i'm switching to shredded wheat from next week. The alpen was great cause I wasn't getting hungry until lunch time, when I eat porridge I'm starved by 11!! which makes no sense cause its meant to keep you full. Very depressed at all the sugar/salt/fats listed in the majority of the cereals.


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## LouisLaLoope (28 Aug 2007)

Health food shops do a cereal like sugar puffs, but the sweetness comes from honey instead.  Can't think of the brand but I reckon most of those shops stock them.

But porridge is your only man - keep those young 'uns going til lunch!  Honey is nice in porridge to sweeten it and a friend uses maple syrup - bit bold, but might win over your children.


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## carpedeum (28 Aug 2007)

Porridge or Wheetabix works with us most mornings, though you may need to allow the kids to add a spoonful of honey or a few strawberries, not the worst additions, into the porridge. Porridge fills them up for the hours ahead but, also because the carbohydrates in oats are absorbed by the body slowly, they won't be as hungry between meals. Porridge contains essential fatty acids, as well as more fibre than many other cereal and is a great source of vitamins E, B1 and B2. There is even a microwaveable form if you don't have time in the mornings

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3238131.stm
[broken link removed]http://www.guardian.co.uk/food/Story/0,2763,1398457,00.html


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## Welfarite (28 Aug 2007)

Oats are the coming thing it would seem.....Oatabix is new on the market, isn't it? Agree the best is porridge but the trick is to "sell" it to the kids unlike when I was young(er!) adn forcefed the stuff so that now I can't stand it!


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## Morgause (28 Aug 2007)

Porridge with Allbran mixed in is lovely.  It gives the porridge a malty taste similar to shreddies.  There's a bit of sugar in the Allbran of course but the Allbran might be better for you than just sugar.

Soaking the porridge overnight saves time in the morning too if you don't want the microwavable stuff.


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## muesli (28 Aug 2007)

Bit of a muesli addict (as you might guess!) - this is nice:

[broken link removed]


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## Vanilla (28 Aug 2007)

I wish I could get my two toddlers to eat something healthy for breakfast. We started off great- followed Gina Forde and Annabel Karmel. Oh sure we had the baby blender on full blast every morning whipping up fantastic fresh fruit and oaty concoctions. Then there was a gradual decline over time, so gradual I hardly noticed it. Now they will only eat coco pops....  How did I get to this sorry state? And is there any way back from the brink of cereal hell?


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## Trish2006 (28 Aug 2007)

My son is only 21 mths but he either gets weetabix or readybrek/porridge with a handful of rice krispies thrown in for texture and a teeny drizzle of golden syrup (really must switch to honey) for flavour.  For the moment he seems happy enough with this, but he always raids the cheerios box at his nanas and my Special K too.


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## Welfarite (28 Aug 2007)

Vanilla said:


> I wish I could get my two toddlers to eat something healthy for breakfast. We started off great- followed Gina Forde and Annabel Karmel. Oh sure we had the baby blender on full blast every morning whipping up fantastic fresh fruit and oaty concoctions. Then there was a gradual decline over time, so gradual I hardly noticed it. Now they will only eat coco pops.... How did I get to this sorry state? And is there any way back from the brink of cereal hell?


 
Hmmm, this sounds like the novelty wearing off and methinks the mammy is to blame! The poor toddlers probably yearn for their healthy diet once more (feeling guilty yet? )

Time to bring out the blender once more! Think of that bprogramme "honey, we're killing the kids..."


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## aircobra19 (28 Aug 2007)

I have notice thats not all cereals of the same type are the same. So take Alpen, theres a low sugar one in a blue box, but tescos own brand low sugar muesli is even lower in everything according to the packet. (last time I looked anyway) . Some of cereals you might think are good for you are actually loaded with salt. I think Special K has lots of salt. So you have to compare the ingredients on the side of the specific packs of specifc brands. Don't assume all  Muesli is the same. Ditto the other types of cereal. I seem to remember rice krispies weren't bad, but I'm open to correction. 

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/international.cfm?id=391422005

I haven't checked them in a while to be honest. Must to another scan next time I'm there.


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## ang1170 (28 Aug 2007)

Welfarite said:


> Oats are the coming thing it would seem.....Oatabix is new on the market, isn't it? Agree the best is porridge but the trick is to "sell" it to the kids unlike when I was young(er!) adn forcefed the stuff so that now I can't stand it!


 
Watch out for the added sugar: unlike Weetabix (which is good and healthy), Oatabix has sugar in it. Talk about regressive steps.....

I knew there were some bad ones out there, but I couldn't believe the Which article where some cereals are more than 50% sugar by weight.


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## Jennypen (28 Aug 2007)

Hi Guys,
Cane or Brown sugar is also lovely on porridge. My friend loves banana and dried cranberries on hers. Cinnamon is also a big thing here on your "oatmeal". A little cimmamon and brown sugar together is delish! It's better than the regular white refined stuff and u dont need as much of it.

Weetabix have only become widely available here in US in the last couple of years. ($3.79 a box..how does that compare to home?). One novelty way to make them appealing to kids is to use cookie cutters to cut shapes into them....and pour just enough milk in the bowl to soak them plus a little extra in the bowl. A few raisins for eyes, nose, etc... Kids like the faces and theres more texture when theyre not all mushy in the bowl. 

The big thing with anyone is variety..mix it up...weetabix one morning, porridge another, plain yogurt with some apple,orange, strawberry, blueberries are excellent another...same thing every day will make anyone dread breakfast time. 

Anyone remember getting a boiled egg in a cup with butter?? I loved it with brown bread!!

Moderation here, as in all things is the key.


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## SarahMc (28 Aug 2007)

Mine get porridge with raisins, or sometimes with a bit of jam (thats weekend stuff!).



> Anyone remember getting a boiled egg in a cup with butter?? I loved it with brown bread!!


 
Thats still my ultimate comfort food.


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## Sue Ellen (28 Aug 2007)

The one thing I love watching in the supermarket is the kid telling the Mother that they want to try such and such a cereal. When you look at that particular cereal its always the one with the best free toy that week.


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## ClubMan (28 Aug 2007)

ang1170 said:


> Watch out for the added sugar: unlike Weetabix (which is good and healthy), Oatabix has sugar in it. Talk about regressive steps.....


I'm pretty sure that _Weetabix _has sugar added too!


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## SarahMc (28 Aug 2007)

I was amazed recently when I rent away camping with a load of 11-16 year olds, the amount of cereal bars the mammys had packed in the suitcase, just in case the children didn't like the cereal on offer.

As if on such a trip you would allow a child to sit eating a sugar laden bar whilst the other children tucked into Weetabix/Rice crispies?

Needless to say the bars were confiscated, along with the gobstoppers and coke - anyone want to buy a joblot of gobstoppers?


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## z109 (28 Aug 2007)

ClubMan said:


> I'm pretty sure that _Weetabix _has sugar added too!


I was trying to verify this claim when I came across this in the Observer food monthly: (interview with Howard Marks)

"*Weetabix* Other than fibre, these slabs of desiccated wheat contain precious little else in terms of nutritional value, and have added sugar and salt; Howard should add a piece or two of fruit."

Now I remember why I don't like them!


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## Sue Ellen (28 Aug 2007)

SarahMc said:


> anyone want to buy a joblot of gobstoppers?


 
Plenty of use for them on AAM alright


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## Christy (29 Aug 2007)

Thanks for all the replies, especially Squonk for the links, it gives me something to be_ digesting_ anyway.


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## Trish2006 (29 Aug 2007)

I just read that which report and it definitely makes for interesting reading.  I said that my son gets weetabix/readybrek.  Not strictly correct, what he gets is Tesco Healthy Living Wheat Biscuits or Tesco Instant Hot Oat Cereal, both of which fared better than their 'branded' counterparts in the report so that has me happy although I had checked the boxes when I started buying them just to make sure they were no worse.  Of course the fact that they are only half the price too is a bonus.  It just goes to show just because the branded stuff is advertised and we all think they're the ones we should be buying, doesn't mean they're the ones we should be buying.  I've also found the same with Dunnes Stores fromage frais, lower sugar, fat and cals than petit filous and less than half the price ( the ones in the 'boring' packaging, not a cartoon character in sight!).  So aswell as making our kids healthier we could be making our wallets healthier too.


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## Caveat (29 Aug 2007)

Probably doesn't apply to the vast majority of posters here but I think it's worth mentioning that I have noticed this bizarre attitude to sugar content whereby some parents are meticulous in their research of breakfast cereals but think nothing of providing all the sweets, chocolate & fizzy drinks their children could ask for - during the remainder of the day!

As at least some sugar is advisable, the irony is that if these kids are going to eat something with high sugar content,  they would probably be better off having it a breakfast time, when it at least has a chance to get burned off, rather than later on in the day.


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## MissRibena (29 Aug 2007)

I'm a make your own muesli person.

I have 4 containers in the press:  One with nuts (cashews, brazils, almonds, hazelnuts - toasted & chopped myself), One with cranberries (or apricots - low sugar dried fruit / no sulphuric-whatsit), One with mixed seeds (pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, linseed) and One with Bransticks, OatBran, Oats (just flahavans).

I just put a spoon of each in my bowl with some nat. yoghurt or milk.  No need for honey as cranberries are sweet enough.

Mad expensive to start off but fine after that as most of the things last for ages.  Very handy to keep the containers seperate because you can vary the amount of each component depending on the humour.  Also if you have the mixed seeds seperate, you can throw a spoon or two on salads and things, which is surpisingly yummy.  The chopped nuts and cranberries are handy to add to a natural yoghurt as even the zero fat ones are full of sugars (or sweetners which aren't good for you either).  If you eat yoghurt at home, the big pots work out cheaper too - I just spoon a bit into a teacup with a few nuts/seeds etc on and off  go.  Glenisk is by far the nicest natural yoghurt I've tried (steer clear of Onken at all costs IMHO).

Can't believe I sound like such a sandle-wearing tree-hugger but that must be old age for you    It came about with a low GI eating regime but it's actually quite tasty and stuck with us fairly well.

Rebecca


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## BillK (29 Aug 2007)

The Special Meusli sold in Lidl over here in UK and containing 50 % fruit and nuts is delicious. It deserves to be healthy but as we keep it in a Tupperware box I can't tell you sugar content etc.

£1.40 a bag and mixes well with Bran flakes from ASDA.


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## Vanilla (30 Aug 2007)

Welfarite said:


> Hmmm, this sounds like the novelty wearing off and methinks the mammy is to blame! The poor toddlers probably yearn for their healthy diet once more (feeling guilty yet? )
> 
> Time to bring out the blender once more! Think of that bprogramme "honey, we're killing the kids..."


 

Not at all. I blame Mr.V.


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## june (31 Aug 2007)

I think that children do not need to have as much fibre as adults, their nutritional needs are different. I would go easy on the weetabix ,all bran etc if possible.


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## ClubMan (31 Aug 2007)

True but still doesn't make sense to shovel the likes of _Coco Pops _into them surely?


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## dee06 (3 Sep 2007)

My daughter age 9 is diabetic and we find that weetabix or ready brek keeps the blood sugar the most stable till lunch time.  The more complex the carbohydrate the slower and steadier the energy will release from it.

Sometimes we compromise and she throws in a few rice krispies into the mix for a change or when she's bored with the usual thing and missing something crunchy. A bowl of rice krispies on its own will make her sugar high and she'll be looking for more snacks mid morning.

I guess this is a good guideline for non diabetic kids too.

I am trying the alpen no added sugar this week for myself and I find it gives me wicked heartburn straight away. That's usually a sign there's a lot of sugar or fat in it.  Mind you I am nine months pregnant so lots of things give me heartburn but this is particularly bad.
I haven't examined/compared the box for sugar content but even weetabix with a spoon of sugar doesn't do that to me.


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## aircobra19 (3 Sep 2007)

dee06 said:


> ...
> I am trying the alpen no added sugar this week for myself ...



Compare it with the Tesco brand one (no added sugar one).


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## dee06 (3 Sep 2007)

aircobra19 said:


> Compare it with the Tesco brand one (no added sugar one).


 I haven't bought tesco muesli since hubbie cracked his tooth off a piece of banana in it years ago. It didn't soften when milk was added. 
Maybe the tooth was weak anyway but still.....


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## aircobra19 (3 Sep 2007)

Sounds more like a nut than banana.


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