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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

DH thinks rice crispies are a suitable breakfast

869 replies

thisismyheart · 28/03/2023 07:46

That's it really, DH would happily send children (3&6) off to school/childminder on one bowl of rice crispies and a bit of fruit in the morning. I feel very strongly about filling kids tummies properly before school, and while i have no problem with a bowl of rice crispies now and then, that they are ultimately just puffs of air, and the children need something more nutritionally dense.

We argued about it properly this morning, and now he's in a huff about me undermining him. I just want to guage what others think - is a bowl of rice crispies and a bit of fruit enough to keep a child's energy levels up all morning?

OP posts:
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13
Tessisme · 28/03/2023 10:44

Well, they aren't the best cereal in the world, but some people, including children, are happy with a lighter breakfast in the mornings. My eldest (14) usually has something quite filling, but he goes through phases of Rice Krispies or cornflakes. I just let him get on with it as he knows himself how hungry he is or isn't. My 10yo has IBD and very little appetite, so I am over the moon if he even eats a biscuit with milk for breakfast, never mind a bowl of Rice Krispies!

Deadringer · 28/03/2023 10:44

Weirdly I used to eat porridge every morning for breakfast and I was always starving by mid morning, now I usually skip breakfast or have a slice of wholemeal toast and I am good til lunch time.

Pickles2306 · 28/03/2023 10:45

is the child still hungry? My daughter's not a big eater and prefers to snack, so a bowl of cereal is fine for her -anything more would go to waste!

MeridaBrave · 28/03/2023 10:46

Why argue over this? My kids don’t feel like anything in the morning. Unless your kids are saying they are starving an hour later I can’t see the issue.
Buy full fat milk if you are worried.

CockPits · 28/03/2023 10:46

Deadringer · 28/03/2023 10:44

Weirdly I used to eat porridge every morning for breakfast and I was always starving by mid morning, now I usually skip breakfast or have a slice of wholemeal toast and I am good til lunch time.

Porridge always makes me hungry too. Funnily enough I feel better by lunch time having not eaten porridge than I do eating it

HarLace1 · 28/03/2023 10:46

Yes sorry perfectly acceptable breakfast which is what in fact my own kids had this morning, and dare I say....with sprinkled sugar! Quick, call social services.

UndertheCedartree · 28/03/2023 10:47

Kanaloa · 28/03/2023 10:27

‘Tastes so sweet’ implies that they are unusually sweet tasting in relation to other foods. They are not unusually sweet tasting to most people who have a varied diet and will compare them to foods like grapes, ice cream, chocolate. Most people would not rank Rice Krispies as ‘so sweet’ simply because they have sugar as an ingredient.

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Ok, well, I'm not so good at knowing what 'most people' think. To me they taste very sweet. I eat a varied diet but I suppose I would compare them to other cereals, maybe other breakfast foods. I wouldn't compare breakfast to chocolate. They taste so sweet for a breakfast cereal.

CurlewKate · 28/03/2023 10:47

Of course they're a suitable breakfast! It's 4 years since I last said it but "....only on Mumsnet..."

Cheesedoffandgrumpy · 28/03/2023 10:48

I agree with you, but for different reasons.
The issue with rice crispies is not the air, but the fact that it is a highly processed food that is almost all carbohydrate. Processed carbs are turned into sugar in the body very quickly.
A balanced meal needs protein and fats.

Deadringer · 28/03/2023 10:48

HarLace1 · 28/03/2023 10:46

Yes sorry perfectly acceptable breakfast which is what in fact my own kids had this morning, and dare I say....with sprinkled sugar! Quick, call social services.

May God forgive you. 😂

Brokenmiata · 28/03/2023 10:49

It's cereal, it's designed to be a good start to the morning. Kids have snack at school at like 10/11 anyway so just pack them a bigger snack.

YourPastryNeedsLard · 28/03/2023 10:50

Rice Krispies are actually the best one - the most iron etc. Better than bran flakes and all the "healthy looking" cereals

Kanaloa · 28/03/2023 10:50

UndertheCedartree · 28/03/2023 10:47

Ok, well, I'm not so good at knowing what 'most people' think. To me they taste very sweet. I eat a varied diet but I suppose I would compare them to other cereals, maybe other breakfast foods. I wouldn't compare breakfast to chocolate. They taste so sweet for a breakfast cereal.

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Do you find them significantly sweeter tasting than cornflakes? Frosties? Cheerios? Shredded wheat? They really don’t ‘taste so sweet’ in relation to other boxed cereals. They just have sugar as an ingredient. Most bread has salt as an ingredient but people are implying toast is a good breakfast option, not saying toast just ‘tastes soooo salty.’

pornyshroudofturin · 28/03/2023 10:50

Choconut · 28/03/2023 08:10

The second ingredient in Rice Crispies is sugar so it's not something I'd give for breakfast apart from as a treat, but they do add in vitamins. Weetabix or Shredded wheat would be more filling and less sweet (but I don't know if the kids would eat them as I remember thinking they were horrid as a child).

If you've got time and they'll eat it then I'd make porridge and put some cinnamon and nutmeg in it to sweeten it and chop up the fruit and put it in there. Unless you're having vegetable protein ie lentil dahl for breakfast I wouldn't have animal protein if they already have it for lunch and dinner. It's probably healthier not to have any protein for breakfast than to have 3 lots of animal protein during the day (not that I'm vegetarian by any means!).

Rice Crispies as a treat?? Surely not. Ricicles or coco pops maybe but rice crispies are surely one of the most boring breakfast cereals known to humankind?? Barely above cornflakes or bran flakes in cereal hierarchy in this house...

UndertheCedartree · 28/03/2023 10:51

Deadringer · 28/03/2023 10:41

My mistake, i misread the ingredients, its 3% of an adult's daily allowance. However I was replying to a poster who stated that Rice crispies are 'largely sugar' which isn't true. In any event, sugar isn't the devil. An ideal breakfast for many people might be porridge and wholemeal bread, but not everyone wants to eat that, not every day anyway.

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Yes, that's fair.

Nap1983 · 28/03/2023 10:51

Mumof3confused · 28/03/2023 09:20

I think this question was for me? (Nutritionist)

So, good sources of fat/protein would be things like eggs, nuts (nut butter), seeds, Greek yoghurt, sardines, avocados, cheese, ham.

Better carb choices would be brown bread, rolled or steel cut oats (not quick cook). And too these with any combination of the above, making sure carbohydrates are not eaten without fat/protein. For example eggs or avocado on toast or porridge topped with nuts, fruit or berries and Greek yoghurt.

If you tend to make pancakes on a weekend, adding an extra egg to the batter is useful. Also when making banana bread, I would add extra eggs and nuts to the mix. If the kids are desperate for cereal, perhaps see if they’ll have it with some natural yoghurt instead of milk to make sure they get more fat/protein - I’d add some fruit or berries on top to sweeten it instead of honey.

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On what planet are parents serving up sardines and toast with avocado before school? Fuck sake… I think most folk accept cereal isn’t the most nutritious breakfast but when In a rush served with fruit and as part of a varied diet I really don’t think it’s the worst. Beating in mind there are poor kids who get nothing!!

Hardbackwriter · 28/03/2023 10:52

LuckySantangelo35 · 28/03/2023 10:37

Totally unreasonable

a cooked breakfast of smoked salmon and scrambled egg on toast is way better for filling children’s tummies

you and your husband just need to get up earlier to sort this out for them

or perhaps you could both adjust your working hours to accommodate this?

I don't think you're going far enough. They need smoked salmon, eggs, berries picked that very morning (organic, natch) and I'm disgusted that you may be suggesting using shop bought bread rather than making your own sourdough. If you don't have time for that then you should simply give up working entirely.

LuckySantangelo35 · 28/03/2023 10:54

Hardbackwriter · 28/03/2023 10:52

I don't think you're going far enough. They need smoked salmon, eggs, berries picked that very morning (organic, natch) and I'm disgusted that you may be suggesting using shop bought bread rather than making your own sourdough. If you don't have time for that then you should simply give up working entirely.

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You are quite right!
Shame on me

why have kids if you’re not even going to look after them properly!!? They didn’t ask to be born!!

LuckySantangelo35 · 28/03/2023 10:55

@Mumof3confused

lol who’s gonna eat sardines on toast for breakfast

ain’t nobody got time to be scrambling eggs and opening tins and all that crap in a morning

Malarandras · 28/03/2023 10:55

Both my kids won’t eat in the morning. I offer them breakfast, they say no. They always come back home just fine, doing great in school. I didn’t really eat breakfast as a kid either and I’m doing just fine too. I’d much rather they ate breakfast obviously, but I can’t force feed them so that’s that.

Bearpawk · 28/03/2023 10:55

I think it's 'fine' if that's all they will eat but we now know more about nutrition and ultra processed convenience foods such as sugary cereals obviously aren't the pinnacle.
Most of my generation grew up on coco pops and start and we managed fine.

Deadringer · 28/03/2023 10:56

92% think the op ibu. Will no one think of the children!!!!!

Hardbackwriter · 28/03/2023 10:56

LuckySantangelo35 · 28/03/2023 10:54

You are quite right!
Shame on me

why have kids if you’re not even going to look after them properly!!? They didn’t ask to be born!!

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I for one certainly didn't have kids to allow rice crispies to raise them!

Robstersgirl · 28/03/2023 10:56

You’re clearly unaware that we are in a cost of living crisis. Way to go, guilt tripping parents who can only afford rice crispies for breakfast or had to use a food bank and have no choice about rice crispies.
Feed your kids what you want, have a word with your husband and remove rice crispies from your Waitrose/Ocado/Harrods favourites.

GonnaGetGoingReturns · 28/03/2023 10:56

Just out of interest, I don’t have kids, what do schools feed children at breakfast club?

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