to think nesquick whole grain cereal, fat free milk and no added sugar juice is relatively healthy for a fussy eater

[twistedsista]

Hi,

My 7 year old Ds is a very fussy eater, tried everything!

I would love it if he would eat kale with cottage cheese on rice cakes for breakfast but get real no child eats perfectly like that.

Today he had a normal sized bowl of whole grain nesquick cereal with skimmed milk.I know it has some sugar in it but its only about the same as a banana and to counter this he has a glass of sugar free orange squash. Both the cereal and juice have added vitamins. Does everyone else agree this is pretty healthy and realistic breakfast?

Thanks

Marie

[MrsWinnibago]

Sugar free squash is awful...terrible actually. It's got Aspartame in it. Google Aspartame and see what's what.

If your son is only 7 why is he on fat free milk? Also I have no idea about Nesquik cereal but it's not very good if it's got added sugar I'm sure.

So sorry....yabu. But I understand the difficulty of having a fussy eater.

[WhoKnowsWhereTheTimeGoes]

I would do full fat milk and normal juice, perhaps 50/50 with water rather than the sugar free stuff.

[idontlikealdi]

Breakfast biscuits are FULL of sugar, at least he getting some calcium with the milk on the cereal.

[YouTheCat]

I wouldn't be giving a child that age fat-free milk.

[ItMustBeBedtimeSurely]

I'd make it semi skimmed or full fat milk personally.

[ItMustBeBedtimeSurely]

And diluted juice rather than squash ( or if it has to be squash, I prefer to give the stuff with sugar because I don't want my children having sweeteners).

[upyourninja]

I don't know the exact contents, but no, I wouldn't say it was healthy. No healthy fats or protein, no natural vitamins. Just carbs (simple and complex), fibre, and artificial stuff. Which sweeteners are in the sugar free juice?

Can you get him eating something with protein to fill him up? Cereals are completely unnecessary - porridge or even something like ham and cheese or leftover meals would be better.

[paxtecum]

Sugar free squash is terrible - as already stated.

Unless he is overweight he needs full fat milk.

[upyourninja]

Have you tried bunging a jug of water in the fridge and putting chopped up lemon and lime, or oranges, or mint in? You just serve the water and it's lovely.

[rinabean]

Normal milk and squash would be better for him.

tripecity, those biscuits have just as much sugar!

Sugar isn't necessarily a bad thing for kids. Kids need more energy than they have room in their stomachs for, unlike most adults. Whole grain cereal without sugar would be better but at least it's whole grain. I know it's tiring but keep trying different things, there's bound to be something he'll like. That cereal is fine for now - it's very good for him that he does have his breakfast.

If he doesn't like healthy 'breakfasts' then how about different foods that are more like dinner? It might be more of a hassle for you (depending on what it is) but worth considering.

[sonlypuppyfat]

Sugar free juice is made in the devils kitchen, evil rotten stuff. I always wonder if there are any fussy kids in poor famine hit countries.

[upyourninja]

Also fruit sugars are processed rather differently by the body than refined cane sugar - a banana is preferable to refined sugar.

[LadyIsabellaWrotham]

I agree with everyone else that unless he's obese (I assume not, surely you'd have said), full fat milk is probably a better bet than skimmed, and I can't see the point of sugar free squash at all. Would he not eat a banana?

[ChickenMe]

Full fat milk would be better. More filling and better nutritionally. Tastes better IMO. Agree that cereals are high in sugar so maybe something without added sugar and put fruit with it if poss? Agree about Aspartame. Don't think its suitable for kids. Would he eat eggs?

[Canthisonebeused]

It's breakfast, better than nothing.

My dd was terrible at eating breakfast, she just couldn't stomach it but would be hungry by break time of given nothing.

She would often have 2 rich tea biscuits on the way to school. She's much better now at 8 to understand the importance of eating well and will eat far healthier.

I would just go with it and maybe slowly introduce healthier sides until the unhealthy options are whined out. I would often say 1 biscuit and a piece of fruit.

[DeepThought]

How big is a normal size bowl, pour in your usual amount then weigh

Agree it's not ideal.

[sonlypuppyfat]

Porridge is good for fibre and you can fancy it up with fruit. My DCs like HM drop scones with banana and nutela a good filling breakfast to start the day.

[nilbyname]

Its not brilliant, but then cereal is basically shit in a box.

Would he eat-
Home made granola or muesli full fat milk?
Real juice watered down
Something more continental like some salami or ham, some cheese?

My kids have-

Pear or Apple or something from the fruit bowl. Museli or Crumpets with honey/marmite/peanut butter or Poached eggs, some ham/sausage/bacon. Depending on the day and time of the year.


However, it is completely fine to eat, and better that than nothing at all and battle free.

[gamerwidow]

sounds absolutely fine to me. skimmed milk actually has more calcium than full fat or semi skimmed. they only advise against when children are very small because they need the fat for brain development. nothing wrong with aspartame or other sweeteners either any link to cancer or other illnesses has been comprehensively debunked by the scientific community.

[FindoGask]

"Its not brilliant, but then cereal is basically shit in a box."

aye, right. OK, it's not the most balanced breakfast imaginable, but there's nothing intrinsically better about a crumpet with honey on it than there is a bowl of wholegrain cereal and milk.

To the OP - is there a reason he's on skimmed rather than full fat milk? There's more fat soluble Vitamin A (precursor for retinal and other important stuff) in full fat milk than there is in skimmed. There's nothing wrong with fat in moderation, and a serving of milk with cereal is pretty moderate.

[vindscreenviper]

Try a glass of 1/4 'bits-in' orange juice topped up with soda water in place of squash, my DC's love it. Have you tried Oatibix with chopped banana or a handful of frozen berries, it really soaks up the (full-fat) milk so I know that a good helping of calcium has been ticked off for the day. My 7 &10 yo DC have had a mini cheeseboard with oatcakes, cornichons and olives for breakfast every day this week, they sort it out themselves and tidy up afterwards so I am just letting them get on with it even though I couldn't stomach it at 7am.

[isitsnowingyet]

My 3 DC have been eating 'shit in a box' for breakfast for the past 14 years. They all seem perfectly fine. They do eat other foods at other times of the day of course!!

[whois]

My 7 &10 yo DC have had a mini cheeseboard with oatcakes, cornichons and olives for breakfast every day this week, they sort it out themselves and tidy up afterwards

Smug face! ;-)

OP it's not the best breakfast in the world but not is it the worst. I would swap to semi or full fat milk though and normal orange juice watered down.

[isitsnowingyet]

What is 'homemade' granola??