An epic battle rages inside my head. For years, I have struggled with my feelings about cold cereal, particularly sugar cereal. I hate sugar cereal: it is full of preservatives and strange ingredients; it does not sustain you after you eat it (i.e., if you eat it at 7:30am for breakfast, you are hungry for lunch by 7:50am); and it is full of sugar (just like a juice box or fruit snacks--a cavity's best friend). On the other hand, I love sugar cereal: it is the stuff childhood memories are made of; it is convenient, spontaneous, and downright fun; and it allows my children a glimpse of normalcy (thus preventing them from being the "weird" kids on the block who have never heard of Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms). Last year, a peace treaty paved the way for sugar cereal's role in my life: My kids eat it as their after school snack. Watching my waif like, bird like daughters gobble up three bowls of Lucky Charms at one sitting got me thinking--Why does cereal have to be bad for you to be fun? Why is healthy cereal so unfun? I started experimenting, and have come up with a few concoctions that have gone over very well. My only disclaimer is this--my children are not picky eaters (another epic battle fought and won; one child at a time). They do think the recipes below are yummy and diverting, all at the same time. Now if only I could make up my own cereal boxes that are fun to read.
If you try this, or have variations of your own, do share.
Banana Cream Pie Cereal
fresh banana slices, a bit of white sugar, cheerio & rice crispy cereal, and whole milk (The creaminess of whole milk makes the "cream pie" suddenly seem legitimate...but that's probably all in my head.)
Peaches & Cream Cereal
fresh peaches, a bit of brown sugar, cheerio & rice crispy cereal, and whole milk
Blueberry Buckle Cereal*
fresh (or frozen) blueberries, a bit of brown sugar, a teeny tiny bit of cinnamon, kashy go lean cereal or cheerios, and milk
(may substitute or combine with raspberries)
You get the idea. We also use fresh strawberries and huckleberries. I am heavy on the promotion ("Can you believe you get to eat Banana Cream Pie cereal for breakfast? This must be a special day!") The possibilities are not endless, but they are guilt free.
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8 comments:
Whole milk definitely makes it more like dessert. I love it when we run out of skim and I have to steal some from the kids for my cereal. I love the idea of having sugar cereal as an after school snack. I'm craving Fruit Loops just thinking about it.
I have to admit every time they eat it...I eat it.
You are too funny with the "banana cream pie" for breakfast bit. My kids would never fall for that. They've seen too many commercials while watching the same old episodes of Tom & Jerry, over and over again. I must say though that I have had to ban Kashi Go Lean! from my house. It's like Super Colon Blow masquerading as a breakfast cereal. There should really be a warning label on the box. Tears us up.
Amen to banning Kashi Go Lean - too many embarassing moments after eating that cereal.
Take it easy on Kashi! It is the best cereal ever. Ellie is reading this over my shoulder, and she just said that it gives you floofies all day.
At Costco I like to go to the big screen TV section and then to the tools. I like the Costco mini brownies, too.
Hey ds, do they sell generators at Costco too?
First of all how do you battle a picky eater. I thought I had won that battle, but it turns out K has developed new taste buds and has become picker. A has been a picky eater since we started her on solids. I just don't know what to do now. We will have to have a nice long talk about it some time.
Here's how I solve the sugar vs. non cereal problem at my house. I mix them. I have Tupperware pourable containers. Here are my mixes:
Cheerios and Honey Nut Cheerios
Cheerios and Banana Cheerios
puffed wheat and Super Sugar Crisp
Cheerios and Lucky Charms
bite size Shredded Wheat and frosted wheats
You get the idea! The ratio is up to me (I am usually the 2:1 non to sugar).
Um, I just put Kashi Go Lean! on my grocery list because of the comments. LOL
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