To think this about Cereal & Toast?

[Bbq1]

Only a lighthearted aibu so please don't flame me!

My ds is almost 17, very slim and healthy. He enjoys the occasional bowl of cereal and even more occasional slice of toast. That is his choice, I on the other hand love toast. There are often threads on here with parents complaining about the amount of food their teens consume. They usually state something along the lines of 'Fruit, vegetables, toast and cereal are unlimited ". The first two I understand but cereal and toast are actually unlimited?? How can it be any healthier or better if a teen consumes a box of cereal or most of a loaf (as many would) in one sitting as opposed to one bag of crisps? Add on butter/toppings and/or milk how can that be healthy?

Bread, butter and milk are all perfectly fine foods containing nutrients and calories. Some breads are better than others, of course.

My kids don't really care for any of them, but I'd be pleased if they did.

If they're the type who eats a box of cereal or half a loaf of toasted bread in one sitting, they're hardly likely to stop at one bag of crisps, unless it's a sharing sack.

Those who talk about how much fruit and veg their teens inhale are usually stealth boasting about either the prodigious fruit and veg consumption or their unlimited grocery budget. Not particularly helpful to the majority who don't have unlimited money to try and fill a bottomless pit.

Because toast, cereal and milk is relatively cheap. My son eats a normal amount of a healthy and balanced diet, when this doesn't touch the sides he has to be filled somehow.

Toast and cereal is mostly affordable (not the big brands though!)

Other food isn’t as affordable

👀

If a hungry teen eats one (normal sized) bag of crisps they'll still be hungry and there's no nutrition in it. A bowl of cereal with milk will fill them up more and has calcium, protein etc.

I agree it's affordable but unlimited amounts aren't healthy. I see the sense of unlimited fruit and veg. However, I don't think it's an affordability issue because refilling a fruit bowl/the fridge daily with fresh fruit and vegetables can't be cheap.

Not sure I understand your logic? If a child is hungry enough to eat half a loaf of bread or a box of cereal not sure 1 bag of crisps would cut it so its not really a great comparison? To be fair i’m not a huge fan of letting kids have unlimited cereal depending on what it is as some are pretty sugary but bread is an important source of fibre, protein and vitamins (white bread also contains calcium and iron) so as long as your careful with toppings perfectly reasonable. Milk is a source of calcium (important in growing children/teens) as well as fat and more importantly fat soluble vitamins.
Crisps are classed as empty calories as they don’t really have any nutritional benefit although fine as an occasional snack.

What’s unhealthy about butter and milk? Important part of a growing teen’s diet, I think.

Well ok then, but good cereals do exist

I don’t think I understand the logic to this thread. 😅

'Unlimited' surly just means unlimited within reason/budget/what's actually in the house.

No one refills their fruit bowl daily.

Bread, milk, cereal all healthier more filling and cheap(er) than 15 packets of crisps.

Of course there is nutritional value in bread and cereal but definitely some more than other. It's just the unlimited caveat that I wonder at. I have visions of teens chomping through a block of butter and a loaf because there are no limitations. I'm not arguing against anything. Just pondering. Unlimited bread and cereal is trotted out so often as a healthy option that I was just questioning if it's really that healthy. Also, are there parents out there who support their child in eating truly unlimited amounts of certain foods? Like I said, I'm not arguing against anything, I just don't know anyone irl who uses this approach to providing unlim amounts of specific foods.

i thought the latest advice was fruit should only be eaten with meals for the sake of your teeth, and all snacking is unhealthy.

Well presumably because they have better mutritional value than crisps. Depends of course what bread/ cereal you buy. But no teen is going to eat an entire box of wheatbix as an alternative to a bag of crisps are they?

DS(16) doesn't like toast. But loves toasties & Welsh Rarebit. No, I don't get it either.

If my child needed 'unlimited' cereal or toast, and was slim and healthy then I would assume that their regular meals were insufficient. I would either increase portion sizes or suggest substantial between meal snacks, such as jacket potato and beans, thick veg soup with bread or oats and yoghurt. I certainly would not be encouraging endless processed cereal. Toast is fine if its wholegrain with a decent topping such as nut butter or banana, but limitless buttered white bread, no. If a child is hungry they need nutrition as well as to be filled up.

I’m not sure unlimited anything is a good idea. My teen has a healthy appetite, but I would be a bit worried if he was eating numerous bowls of cereal, and whole loaves of bread in addition to his 3 perfectly good meals a day.

There’s no way cereal is healthy, it may as well be a pudding. That’s the marketing guys having you over. Bread isn’t much better.
Snacking is out of control hence we are facing rising rates of obesity and T2 diabetes which will put even more strain on the NHS. Come on!!!

I think you are confusing unlimited in this case. My teens know they can help themselves to fruit, bread, cereal etc so is unlimited in that sense. In reality they won't eat a box of cereal in a day or a loaf of bread, bout it is still in limited as they can help themselves if they are hungry.

My ds can have as much wholegrain toast as he likes. He's at the hollow legged, growing-fast stage. He has as much fat on him as a stick of celery.

Wholemeal toast is excellent in terms of nutrition. Plenty of fibre, reasonably unprocessed, slow release carbs and a small amount of protein. Butter adds a bit more protein and valuable fats that make him feel full. A little marmite adds some vitamins. A very very small amount of sugar.

Knowing he can have as much as he wants, means he feels no pressure to cram, and stops when he feels full. He has a healthy relationship with food as a result.

I don't buy cereal except porridge oats (which he doesn't like).

Pretty sure the OP is trying to make the point that the teenagers described probably don't actually need such vast amounts of toast /cereal, they just LIKE it, and making it unlimited means they are probably consuming far more calories than the need, and contributing to issues of obesity. I know so many people who describe their teens as slim when they really aren't, largely because they are wolfing down loads of extra food each day. Buttered toast is yummy. Of course you'd eat more of it whether you are hungry or not!!!

This is exactly it. There are other affordable far more nutritioussnd filling snacks available. I also very much doubt that children eating through a loaf and cereal are eating wholegrain and muesli because it's not so affordable then.

I give my kids bread and cereal over crisps. They're generally full/don't come asking for more after two slices of toast or a bowl of cereal. They could probably eat an entire six pack of crisps and come asking for more ten minutes later.

If you look at the calories, you can have two weetabix and a milk for under 200 calories.

Its also psychological. If they do the whole 'I'm hungry' winge, I offer basic boring bread and butter. I know if they say no to that then they're not really hungry and they're just sniffing for crap. Which is not given. If they say yes, then I know they're hungry and as above will keep them going longer than a bag of crisps.

Besides, most breads and cereals are fortified. So it is a good way of getting stuff into some kids.

most bread sold in the UK is hardly healthy, rammed full of additives to hasten the proving process and then more to extend the shelf life, likewise cereals, full of sugar.

If someone is eating a healthy balanced diet there is no need for snacks between meals, they just need to learn to wait until the next meal time.

It's just the unlimited caveat that I wonder at. I have visions of teens chomping through a block of butter and a loaf because there are no limitations.

If a child would eat a whole loaf of bread simply because it's there and nobody is imposing restrictions on them, then the issue isn't what they're eating, surely?

I don't think posters are suggesting that there isn't a point at which toast consumption is a problem, more that there are some foods that are relatively easy to provide, cheap, filling and can be provided with little hassle and toast is one of them.

I think by unlimited it is meant that this is the food they can eat without having to ask so that food for actual meals isn't eaten. So if they are hungry a few hours after dinner they can make themselves a bowl of cereal of a few slices of toast to fill them up. My DH is 58 and sill sometimes has some toast later in the evening if we have had a lighter dinner. He has a big appetite yet remains slim.