Not to let my DD eat cereal?

[Peridotty]

My 16 month old goes to nursery 5 days a week. We pay for her breakfast, lunch and snack (included in the fee). However, I don’t like the thought of her eating cereal so we provide the breakfast and the snack. I don’t think it’s very healthy, even though it’s a wholewheat type cereal. I give her porridge made of steel cut oats instead with some applesauce. Would you be ok with feeding your kids cereal?

Yes

@Peridotty

My 16 month old goes to nursery 5 days a week. We pay for her breakfast, lunch and snack (included in the fee). However, I don’t like the thought of her eating cereal so we provide the breakfast and the snack. I don’t think it’s very healthy, even though it’s a wholewheat type cereal. I give her porridge made of steel cut oats instead with some applesauce. Would you be ok with feeding your kids cereal?

i was brought up eating it as was my husband, and our kids and now our grand kids, and they even sit eating it as a snack in the afternoon, nothing wrong at all depending on which type you get, im fussy tho and i cant eat the full size wheetabix for some reason i can only eat the little ones!

what is it that makes you think its unhealthy? because that really goes against most of the dieticians advice

No it’s dreadful stuff. My mum wouldn’t give it to us as children and now I’m a mum, I agree 😂.
Sure I saw a study recently where they gave one set of rats cereal and the other group the cardboard box and the cardboard eaters survived longer.

You do realise that once they reach secondary school maybe even before they leave primary school that they will eat anything and everything good or bad, so instead of being too controlling offer all choices, yes even Coco pops within reason as a treat. Because if you don't when they do eventually discover them they will have a field day

So much this. Labelling food as good, bad, naughty, allowed, not allowed, etc creates problems in the long term. Food is just food. I teach my DC that some foods should only be enjoyed in limited amounts or at limited times but no food is off limits.

@Beastieboys I am avoiding sugar because I don’t want her to develop a sweet tooth. I believe that if a child eats a lot of sweets when young then they will continue to do so later. If she doesn’t have many sweets or junk food she might not acquire that taste. I’m not going to give her any fast foods when she is young so hopefully when she grows up she will think it’s gross.

I was about to say you are bonkers but living in the US it does make more sense to be cautious of processed food. They add all kinds of crap to food over there.

It's still a bit PFB though.

I was the same with my firstborn. My third eats cereal every day

My son used to eat wheatabix with no milk he would occasionally dip it in a cup of milk but usually he would hold it and eat it like a biscuit he would scream if you put milk on his cereal

Nursery gave him toast it was easier for them and the clean up was simple the toast had more sugar in than the cereal

What is "applesauce" (one word?) anyway? I've always assumed it was literally apples mashed into a paste, in which case it really isn't that healthy.

Fruit in general isn't good for you - it's more sugary than most of the "unhealthy" staples.

Well I do hope it works for you but from experience I've seen it cause the opposite effect once they gain the ability, freedom & finance to make their own choices

Don't worry about what she eats when she's not at home. You will be her guide long term about what is healthy and what is not. Be more concerned about teaching your child there are "good and bad" foods, which is what you are doing here with your "steel cut rolled oats" This is the path that leads to eating disorders and it starts from a young age. Cereal is fine. Be happy that she's eating and relax.

All the people on here saying as long as it’s not sugary it’s fine are absolutely wrong. Most cereal has absolutely no nutritional benefit except for whatever vitamins they add artificially. They even did a study feeding rats cornflakes and another group of rats the mushed up cornflake box in milk. The rats eating the box survived longer than those eating the cornflakes. Have never fed my kids cereal for that reason. Completely and utterly agree with you. Empty calories. Maybe everyone else will catch up in 30 years time…

Cereal should be fine but I agree porridge better. I would not worry, she can have porridge at weekends. She will have lots of things worse than cereal. I am sure apple sauce has sugar(?) Perhaps not.

Steel cut? Sounds fancy! Just ordinary porridge here!

If they’re able to accommodate feeding her porridge you send in, then why not? I’d continue with what you’re doing.
DC ate so much weetabix as a toddler but is now highly intolerant to the stuff. Not sure how that happened. I don’t know if we just never noticed.
We really only eat cereal on holiday , easy quick fix breakfast.

@Peridotty I'm a dental professional and tutor. With my PFB I was so careful, but she had multiple allergies and it was difficult to feed her. Second DC was a nightmare. So fussy and would only drink Ribena for years. This was before they made sugar free. Third baby only drank hot chocolate when my milk ran out. I was rigorous about tooth cleaning and didn't let them rinse the fluoride off after brushing. Guess what? They are all adults now and have never had any tooth decay.

[quote Peridotty]@Beastieboys I am avoiding sugar because I don’t want her to develop a sweet tooth. I believe that if a child eats a lot of sweets when young then they will continue to do so later. If she doesn’t have many sweets or junk food she might not acquire that taste. I’m not going to give her any fast foods when she is young so hopefully when she grows up she will think it’s gross.[/quote]
If only it worked that way. I'm fully testament that it doesn't!

I read an article that people with a sweet tooth are less likely to over eat than savoury lovers. I don't think you can change what they're going to do once you're not in control. But I admire your efforts. (Applesauce is about THE sweetest thing ever! )

Would I let my kids eat cereal?

Yes they both eat it for breakfast and supper, what's so terrible about it?

Cereal is literally breakfast food.

My son ate wheetabix every morning at nursery when he was that age. He is now 15 years old, 6’3” tall, fit & healthy captaining sports teams and representing his country so didn’t seem to do him any harm.

I never gave mine sugary cereal until they were older.

Healthy so shredded wheat/weetabix etc was a staple.

I don't really see how it's worse than porridge really

You're giving them APPLESAUCE for breakfast! That's pure sugar, even unsweetened, as you've removed all the fibre and vitamins from it. Cereal is fortified and a good way to get iron and B vitamins. If you have it with some form of milk, you're also giving lots of fat soluble vitamins too and calcium.

Was it necessary to mention the oats are steel cut. You could say porridge

I’ve not read the whole thread, so excuse me if it’s already been said, I cool my sons porridge by putting two bowls (ceramic/porcelain type) in the freezer. Once it’s done I take one of the bowls out and put it in there and stir and then get the second out, transfer it and do the same. It cools it ultra fast. My youngest is autistic and will not wait once he knows it’s ready. He wants it yesterday

steel cut oats? LOL

What are steel cut oats?

My mother born in 1939 was brought up during wartime rationing and once they were off ration she developed a very sweet tooth... Unfortunatly if is there it will out but by guiding your child rather than totally denying will result I believe in a more regulated intake

Ah, ok it's oatmeal