DH thinks rice crispies are a suitable breakfast

[thisismyheart]

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?

Cocoapops and similar are actually better for small children than high-fibre foods. They need nutrient-dense foods.

There was an issue a few years back with 'museli syndrome' in children whose parents were causing malnutrition by giving too many high-fibre lower calorie foods.

Fruit, milk and a fortified children's breakfast cereal are a great start to the day.

We have an empty greenhouse 😂
it came with the house. I do have ideas of all the lovely stuff we can grow but I hate gardening so much lol

NHS website about eating iron recommends cereals and bread with extra iron in them (fortified)

The "extra" vitamins are added because processing has destroyed them in the first place. I agree about the bread but you can buy wholemeal. Bread is really not in the same league as processed cereal. It still contains fibre and superior nutritional value. I have noticed that now most brands add palm oil to bread too and I struggle to find one that doesn't.

They Do a lot of things on the continent, including starting school later which gives time for this. If you can peel, de stone and put an Avocado on toast quicker than I can put some peanut butter on then kudos to you!! I am aware all your suggestions are good choices and healthy I just don’t think always practical In Todays busy climate. Surely you can’t think that a bowl of cereal with fruit is the worst of things that can be given to a child for breakfast… and you must agree that so many kids are overweight and over fed! Btw I struggle to believe anyone on here could get their child to eat a tin of sardines for breakfast… mine is extremely health/diet conscious and she would rather starve

Not extra processed cereals.

This thread has honestly made me so paranoid that I’ve just called my health visitor to ask if I’m feeling my baby the right stuff and the right amounts lol
(she said I’m doing fine btw)

Breakfast cereals like rice crispies, cornflakes etc are ultra processed foods which turn to sugar in the bloodstream causing insulin spikes. As a nation our reliance on these foods is causing a huge number of health conditions - obesity, heart disease, cancer. YANBU.

You're right. Whatever nutrition was originally there is destroyed and denatured by the way that cereals are made.

I wouldn’t chose that for myself but that’s perfectly fine. Pick your battles

Dear god… someone who speaks sense..

I grew up in Scandinavia where eggs, meat, fish and cheese is completely normal breakfast foods and we started school at the same time as my kids do now. So don’t feed your child sardines if they don’t like it. What’s the issue?

Avocados don’t need peeling, you just cut it in half and spoon out the flesh. Peanut butter is also a good choice (unsweetened). I work full time running my own business and I have 3 children who also have packed lunches. Somehow we manage just fine.

Yes, I agree a lot of children are over-fed but under-nourished. One of the main culprits is ultra-processed foods. When children are given real food they eat what they need. Offering them healthy options is not over feeding.

Rice crispies come up as one of the cereals with most iron.

Depends what you bring them up eating, doesn't it. If they were raised on sugar in milk, and then you try to give them sardines, then no, they probably won't eat them. But if sardines were a normal part of their diet since weaning, then they will. ARFID/Disabilities aside, obviously.

One slice of bread can contain between 10-20% of the daily recommended salt intake of a 3 year old.
If you add some processed meat like bacon or ham, their salt intake could easily be much too high.
Fortified cereals are a good breakfast for children.

Yes.

Actually Rice Krispies are fortified so they do have quite good nutritional value! Don’t make stuff up without knowing facts please

Rice krispies as a treat. I can't with this thread 🤣🤣🤣🤣

What a load of absolute nonsense! Since when are fortified plain cornflakes ‘ultra processed?!’ They do not turn to sugar in the bloodstream AT ALL! 🤣

Yes this is 100% correct, cereals are classed as ultra processed foods and the carbohydrates are broken down into simple sugars when digested.

Sounds fine to me, I'm lucky to get a hot drink down my 13yo before he leaves the house at 7 15am

What are ultra processed foods

Its plenty, with milk. It has vitamins and stuff added in. Most of us 70s kids had that for years !
And not everyone functions well with full belly, my youngest preferred a small breakfast, stodgier food made him sluggish

I'm with you OP. They're not filling at all. If my kids take rice krispies/coco pops etc when we're staying at a hotel they are inevitably hungry after half an hour.

Are you serious? Do you know how cereals are made?