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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To wonder who is buying chocolate cereal

1000 replies

Blueyseviltwin · 21/04/2025 18:56

Who om each is buying Lion bar and Oreo cereal? See also lucky charms, nesquick and coco pops
These aren't breakfast foods (or any sort of food). I literally cannot imagine anyone thinking it is a reasonable way of feeding children?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Yuja · 21/04/2025 20:00

My sister in law for her 5 year old. They have so many issues with his eating and he’s underweight - he will eat coco pops with milk and it’s a huge relief for them that he eats anything at all.

IHopeYouStepOnALegPiece · 21/04/2025 20:01

I’m buying it for myself to eat for dinner (great sadness that coco pops are so rubbish now) (I’m fat aswell so that’ll really do you in )

ChampagneLassie · 21/04/2025 20:01

Students? I reckon they’re the prime market

Flocke · 21/04/2025 20:01

Namechange1345677 · 21/04/2025 18:56

Me! For me!

This!

Tattletail · 21/04/2025 20:01

I don't think you can get on your high horse about cereal. If you look at their sugar content, most of them are the same, even those hiding behind glossy, healthy looking advertising.

IainTorontoNSW · 21/04/2025 20:02

@Blueyseviltwin
>> These aren't breakfast foods (or any sort of
>> food). I literally cannot imagine anyone
>> thinking it is a reasonable way of feeding
>> children?

The more generally obese countries (the likes of USA, Australia, UK et al) should consider going the way of Mexico.

The former governments of Mexico, pre-COVID19, had realised their proximity to the USA had led, by example, to a long-term change in the formerly very healthy 'standard' Mexican diet.

Barely eight or nine years ago the sugar tax was imposed and a kind of health tax was imposed on the many dubious products that were driving people to obesity and poor dental outcomes.

High sugar soft drinks suddenly, over two years became nearly 3X as expensive. Horrendous relatively cheap confectionary became more expensive courtesy of the sugar tax.

HFCS is (largely) banned in foods produced in Mexico ... or is taxed heavily.

Already, Mexicans know that active health legislation has had an effect. Dental caries in people under 16yo is well down. Soft drink sales, using the price/tax trigger, are barely half their former peaks.

  • - -

Here in Australia, we are reviewing food standards, albeit way too slowly. Less than a year ago, we learned that, if bacon was a introduced as a new product coming onto the market seeking approval as a food for sale, it would fail.

Several foods and food processing methods are dangerous or bordering on dangerous.

  • - -

It all begs thinking about before we consign another generation to avoidable unhealthy foods and drinks for sale.

IstayhomeonFridaynight · 21/04/2025 20:02

I think it's the defensiveness which is making so many people be vile to the OP. It's still nasty to see.

A GP expresses concern about kids eating shit and she gets a pile on. It's like the back lash when Jamie Oliver hadbqhen he started to campaign for healthy school meals.

Boiledbeetle · 21/04/2025 20:02

I have no idea!

To wonder who is buying chocolate cereal
Duckyfondant · 21/04/2025 20:03

Mmm we call that weekend cereal in our house. Sometimes it's the small pleasures in life that count. I imagine your kids are rather privileged so I don't suppose you do understand, OP.

TryingToBeHelpful267 · 21/04/2025 20:03

As you’re a gp surely they covered socioeconomic effects on diet during your extensive education 🙄

Pulled pork at children’s parties? That’s so middle class it makes my eyes water 😂

tireddad1978 · 21/04/2025 20:05

We buy it on holiday, and it has also been extended to other special occasions like birthdays. Coco pops seems quite reasonable compared to some of the newer ones. Did not know about Lion bar cereal - need to check this out.

Berrytea · 21/04/2025 20:05

Honestly I used to be really thick about my foods choices and I didn’t understand that these food were unhealthy and subsequently I was fat. But I have turned it around. Other might know those cereals are unhealthy but see them as a treat or a way of coping

MooseAndSquirrelLoveFlannel · 21/04/2025 20:05

My kids love chocolate shreddies but they also love Bran Flakes.

A fed child is always best, and cereals are often cheap and tasty. Personally, I like mixing two cereals together which my kids are "aghast" at.

Eggs are strictly a lunch time food in this house, unless part of a great big fry up but I'm guessing you'd frown on that as well.

The school morning rush is mad enough without attempting to cook eggs. Kids come down, grab a bowl of cereal or some toast and then leave the house all in about 4 minutes flat. Anything for more time in bed I suppose 🤣

Straightjacketsandroses · 21/04/2025 20:05

SchoolDilemma17 · 21/04/2025 19:58

I agree with you but we are in the minority in MN and in the UK. Only recently there was a post where most people agreed that going to McDonald’s with the kids once a week is completely normal and acceptable.

I don’t think a weekly McDonald’s is anywhere near healthy, so I agree here. Nor do I think eating sugary cereal regularly is nutritious, but most people of this thread are not saying this; they’re saying everything in moderation including moderation.

Actually, I’m a bit obsessive over trying to get less UPFs into our family, and some cereal is pretty good: Kellogg’s choco pillows have like 4 ingredients as opposed to a long list, and Alphabites (I think they’re called this - there is a bear on the packet) are refined sugar free and have a short list of ingredients too. Some of us definitely make very considered food choices!

My kids will eat most things, but duck - unless it is confit and served with pancakes in a Chinese takeaway - is not something I’d ever serve for dinner 🤢

FleurDeFleur · 21/04/2025 20:05

TryingToBeHelpful267 · 21/04/2025 20:03

As you’re a gp surely they covered socioeconomic effects on diet during your extensive education 🙄

Pulled pork at children’s parties? That’s so middle class it makes my eyes water 😂

Don't forget they get coleslaw as well.

Katherineryan1986 · 21/04/2025 20:05

I buy coco pops for myself - I am 58.

Lostatsea10 · 21/04/2025 20:06

If only someone had mentioned porridge to my ARFID son by now! It would have been so simple. He just needs oats. Or, could do as his dietitian, paediatrician and ADHD consultant suggest which is just get calories into him currently as he’s so underweight. He doesn’t actually eat chocolate cereal (or cereal) but he did have a Nutella pancake today for breakfast and a cake, alongside 3 punnets of raspberries.

What other people feed themselves, or their children is literally none of my business, nor is it yours what I feed mine, unless they’re ramming broken glass down their necks, I might then judge!

GoatCatTaco · 21/04/2025 20:06

Me!
We go on holiday (self catering) for one week a year. Each child can choose a box of cereal for the week. It's usually 2 boxes of cocopops.

lifeonmars100 · 21/04/2025 20:06

You would despise me OP, had a healty meal this evening, homemade chicken casserole with baby potatoes, fresh green beans and brocoli but am currently scoffing and Easter egg and might follow that with a hot cross bun as they really need using up. I am fatter than I should be so shoot me now!

ErinAoife · 21/04/2025 20:07

For myself as I don't like milk and can only stand milk with chocolate

Starling7 · 21/04/2025 20:08

BendingSpoons · 21/04/2025 18:57

I quite like chocolate cereal for dessert sometimes. (At dinner time, not breakfast). Pretty sure lots are eating them fairly regularly for breakfast.

Yes, I have cocopops for dessert

Kellybonita · 21/04/2025 20:08

I read that a bowl of cereal in general is one of the worst breakfast foods you can have.

We have just been conditioned to see it as a breakfast food.

No one eats a lasagne for breakfast. When actually it would be very good for us.

lifeonmars100 · 21/04/2025 20:08

GoatCatTaco · 21/04/2025 20:06

Me!
We go on holiday (self catering) for one week a year. Each child can choose a box of cereal for the week. It's usually 2 boxes of cocopops.

We used to take those packs of mini cereal variety packs for our lot and there was always a fight over the Cocoa Pops

Bestwishes23 · 21/04/2025 20:09

We do! We love Krave in our household. I believe in moderation in regard to food, so there's nothing wrong with a bowl of chocolate cereal at the weekend in my house.

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 21/04/2025 20:10

TyrannasaurusJex · 21/04/2025 19:23

oh shut up you do NOT serve pulled pork at kids parties 🙄

If I offered my DD pork or kids pizzas, she'd choose the pork.

After her swimming lessons, her class all go to the cafe for a treat afterwards. She can choose whatever she likes, she's just been swimming, I'm not restrictive around foods. She always picks fruit, even when the rest of her class are choosing cupcakes or brownies. She also doesn't like potatoes so she won't eat chips.

I mostly cook from scratch because I have allergies. But she's absolutely allowed sweets, cereal, chocolate, beige food. She just tends to choose the "real" food more.

Kids like that exist. People who don't feed them loads of rubbish exist.

The difference is, most of us don't actually use it as a stick to beat other parents with. I firmly believe that making sure children are fed is the most important thing. Doesn't matter so much whether that's whole foods or chicken nuggets, as long as they have full tummies. The rest can follow on as and when you can get it in them.

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