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????

Medals will be issued shortly....

I make banana bread. I love banana bread. Sometimes we have it for breakfast (coconut bread also). I don't kid myself about how much sugar and oil it contains.

Also, fruit purée = sugar. Agave nectar = sugar. Brown sugar = same as white sugar. Dark chocolate = sugar (in banana bread, why?)

Weetabix is rubbish, though - oats? Eggs?

When I was in Germany (southern region) on a school exchange, we had hot chocolate made with condensed milk, and a piece of marble cake for breakfast every day. There was also a mid morning break of a fabulous danish pastry that you could buy for 1DM (it was a long time ago!)

I don't know whether it's a good or bad idea, but it's not one that I've gone with.

Also, "your homemade breads cakes are a better option than Cheerios!" - why compare with Cheerios, the comedy sugar snack for stupid people? No one who might even remotely, vaguely care about their children's health actually offers Cheerios for breakfast.

Oh for God's sake. I'm sure parents who give their kids Cheerios for breakfast have more than a passing interest in their children's health (!).

These threads really bring out the lunatic food fringe.

"Eggs are really high in cholesterol"

So? It's been shown that high cholesterol foods do not contribute to personal cholesterol levels. Eggs are very good for you, gold standard for protein in the diet. The cholesterol that they contain will just mean that your body has to make that bit less cholesterol that day. Cholesterol is conserved in the human body, up to 80% of daily production is recycled by being reabsorbed.

Saturated fat now, that's been linked to increased cholesterol in the body.

www.cholesterol-and-health.com/Cholesterol-Rich-Foods-Raise-Blood-Cholesterol.html

Raspberries are only 4.6g of sugar per 100 grams. So very low sugar. Strawberries are only 6. Mango is 24.42.

Cheerios are 24.4. Wheatabix is about 5 plus 4g for each tea spoon of sugar.

All that negative business about eggs and cholesterol is very old (1980's health advice). Much more is known about eggs now and they are seen in a very positive light

I haven't RTFT but honestly, you are doing your children no favors by giving them a carb-loaded, protein light meal to start their day; and training them to eat cake. Sorry, I'm
With your DH on this. Having said that, cereals are generally crappy too! Eggs, even wholegrain toast with peanut butter, would be better.

Yes the breakfast should really contain some protein

Almonds and fruit have protein.

Almonds do, fruits are generally fairly low in protein though. Guavas have the most protein (at 2.6g/100g) so not really a good protein source.
Nuts and grains are better, so muesli is better for protein.

If it fits into your day and the pattern of eating then great, no probs :)

And if it doesn't, then vary it a bit.

I wish DS would eat eggs, tomatoes, bacon etc for breakfast (or at all), but he won't, sigh.

I love the idea of cake for breakfast.
I wonder if they would try some savoury varieties too.
Cheese and sweetcorn muffins/ beetroot cake?

Nigella has a fabulous recipe for snickers and peanut butter muffins.
Packed with protein surely.

With a nice glass of milk. Yum.

Or a flourless cake using ground almonds.
That would be nice.

I think it's like a lot of these things, like crisps for babies etc. The actual products themselves aren't all that bad but it's the habit that it's encouraging from a young age of eating cake at certain times and snacking on tasty, crunchy crisps.

When they're young and you monitor what's going in then it can be as healthy as you like. But when they get older and can buy their own then it won't be the super healthy/low sugar options that a well meaning adult would choose anymore.

As an odd treat I don't see anything wrong with cake at breakfast time. But I wouldn't be aiming to add more sugar in, especially at breakfast time when the emphasis should be on an energy packed meal for the morning.

There is a ton of sugar already in many products- which up to an amount, is fine. Other than treats in moderation why aim to make it any worse?

Fruit, honey, etc- packed full of sugar but a hell of a lot better than adding spoonfuls of white sugar to things, even if just in terms of a habit.

Surely cake contains eggs?

Actually there was a study a while ago and those that believed in everything in moderation interestingly had worse diets

Cheerios is 1/4 sugar by the way