to think DH is over-reacting to the kids' breakfast?

[EmGee]

Kids generally have homemade banana bread (I do add some dark choc pieces...), or other homemade cakey/bread/muffiny thing sweetened with fruit puree, a bit of brown sugar or some maple syrup. I add ground almonds and things like chia seeds or oat bran as much as possible, and try to use alternatives to white flour to vary things. Always cut down the amount of actual sugar that is given in the recipe to the absolute minimum.

I also make flapjacks and have successfully reduced the sugar content dramatically by using mashed banana for example. Kids are less keen on the banana version though.

My reasoning is that these things are homemade and I know exactly what has gone into them. The kids like them. It's quick and easy in the mornings. Is it so wrong?

They normally have water, milk or I make hot chocolate using unsweetened dark cacao powder and add a bit of brown sugar to sweeten.

He thinks weetabix is 'better' and it's ridiculous that they eat 'cake'.

AIBU or is he????

Hmm. How old are the kids? That is a lot of sugar.

I think YAB a bit U. There are some really good things in your recipes, but

Fruit puree - sugar
Brown sugar-sugar
Maple syrup - sugar

Plus, they don't know or care what's in it. You are training them to eat cake as far as they are aware,

Well cake for breakfast every day is a bit odd. Why not give a savoury or unsweetened breakfast during the week and cake at weekends? Knowing what goes into their food doesn't make it less sugary.
My ds has seeded bread with peanut butter or marmite which is a pretty good start to the day I think. Or a boiled egg?

Instant solution, take it in turns.

He does weetabix on his days you do your thing on your days.

Cake and hot chocolate for breakfast? Sign me up.

What's the rest of their diet like, sugar-wise?

Well cake for breakfast isn't great nut it's definately better than weetabix which is just stodge really and not exactly the best breakfast either.

but then my father said similar as he thought my kids were missing out on nutrients in cereal as they have eggs and stuff instead.

I like your thinking, but you are getting them used to really very sweet things as breakfast, especially as little ones taste things as sweeter anyway. Regardless of what form your sugar takes, it is still sugar effectively. I give the sort of thing that you are talking about to the kids as an afternoon treat/snack.

Breakfast here is porridge, fruit/yogurt, home made granola, toast and eggs normally. (Not all at once!)

Hm - it does seem a lot of sugar, despite the adjustments. I also can't last til lunch if I have a cakey type breakfast - do they have a midmorning snack. Weetabix or museli is healthier - more filling, less sugary, more fibrous (to keep the digestive tract ticking over). But they're not going to die from your breakfasts and they could be a lot worse. Your DH is however perfectly entitled to have a say and his perspective is reasonable. Could you do the cake-type breakfasts as a treat at weekends?

Will they not eat something healthier, like scrambled eggs?

I'm all for cake for breakfast, but not every day! Also, what could be more quick and easy than shoving a couple of weetabix in a bowl? I'm with your DH here, no-one needs cake and hot chocolate (for breakfast!) every day.

And reducing the sugar content of the recipe but then making it up again with puréed fruit, syrup, chocolate, or brown sugar is an exercise in futility.

Does seem an odd, very sugary, choice for every day.

All of that for breakfast! What's wrong with a bit of toast and eggs?

That would be a Sunday morning breakfast in my house.

I don't have the time or inclination to fart about with cake on a school-day. I'm with your DH tbh.

There is a lot of sugar for my liking!
If you like making your own, why don't you make bread? Then you can add sliced banana on top with nutella?

How old are they? I wonder how much of a battle you will have to change their habits now.

Homemade =/= healthy

That is waaaay too much sugar for any meal - just because the sugar is dressed up in a different form (bananas are unbelievably high in sugar) it doesn't mean your body treats it any differently.

Why add sugar to sweeten? You shouldn't need sugar in a hot chocolate .

I bake too for my children and never buy cake. I reduce the sugar too as the kids didn't notice when I did but I don't swap it for maple syrup.

Yes, we have home made bread and home grown eggs for many most breakfasts. Get a breadmaker...even easier!

I make mine breakfast even though they're 18 and 14. They get poached or scrambled egg on wholemeal toast. If I didn't they'd be scarfing Mars Bars of a morning. Cake with syrup every day isn't a great idea.

You obviously love cooking, OP, but I think it's a mistake to encourage this kind of sweet tooth in children

You grow eggs? Like on a tree?

I sometimes do pancakes which have puréed spinach, pumpkin, berries, flax and chia. I think there is 1tbs sugar for the whole batch which I'm sure could be eliminated because of the berries. DS will eat them without maple syrup and we both like them with Greek yoghurt on top!
Normally though it's oatmeal for breakfast

Cake for breakfast? No, that's just training them into bad habits early in life.

Cake and hot choc for breakfast? My Italian friends, my French friends, and all their families have done this for years

They all, tho, don't get this obsession of Brits to feed, what a French friend described as 'chaff' for breakfast. Now that they consider seriously weird,

So, what's wrong with an egg and soldiers or bacon or sausages?

It sounds lovely but it would still be a lot of work for me .I would be going for the Weetabix