Oh, yes. It's true. An average of twice a week, I serve up cold cereal, fruit, and milk and call it good.
And... so??
That might not seem so earth-shattering, but in my many corners of the blogosphere it seems to be a near-crime. COLD cereal? Cereal??? Really???
Listen. I make plenty of hot breakfasts. We eat a ton of oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, muffins, and the like...
And you know what? I'm not any better of a mommy on the days I scramble up a breakfast burrito (like this morning) than I am on the days I pour Cheerios into a bowl (like every Sunday before 8:30 am mass). I don't deserve some medal for dirty-ing a pan. My kids don't love me any more. My husband doesn't deem me a better wife on those mornings. It is NOT my defining moment of the day.
I do not serve super sugar-y cereals to my children. That is a choice I've made and, I believe, a good one. But I absolutely do serve up Cheerios or Kix or some other low-sugar option at least once a week.
And I feel absolutely no guilt about this.
Apparently, ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol, and more fiber than non-cereal eaters. More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights too.
Is this why I do it? Oh, heck no. I serve up cold cereal because it's easy and convenient on those early mornings when my husband and I aren't allowed to eat anyway (due to fasting before communion). I serve up cereal because, in my opinion, it's a pretty nutritious, quick option.
I guess what I'm saying is this...
I grow weary of the holier-than-thou attitude that I sometimes see about the whole "I serve a hot breakfast to my wonderful family EVERY SINGLE DAY because I am a good woman". I think it's fabulous if you're all enjoying a hot breakfast together each day. More power to you. But if you, like so many of us, are pouring your kids a bowl of cereal and calling it good... pat yourself on the back. You're a good mommy too. Don't let anyone make you feel like less because you've made a choice that works for your family.
This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.
The fine print:The information about the health value of cereal and a prize pack containing four coupons for free cereal were provided to me by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. My feelings about cereal-eating and how it works for my family are all my own and, incidentally, I buy Cheerios whether I have free coupons or not. Just sayin'.
- General Mills provided you with the free product,
So true! I make a big batch of granola Sunday mornings for the week, as it's cheaper than cheerios ($5 a box here). It's still "cold cereal" though. I don't see the point in sweating over breakfast unless it's the weekend and we all eat together. It's important to check the nutritional value, though. So many cereals are just sugar-in-a-box.
ReplyDeleteI love cold cereal and so do my boys. Occasionally I'll make something like eggs for morning snack, but almost every morning we have cold cereal. I'm ok with that!
ReplyDeleteI am right there with you. My kids eat cereal more for snacks than breakfasts, but still, I am not opposed to cereal. There is something to be said for a breakfast or snack that the kids all eat without complaint and that they can serve themselves.
ReplyDeleteUs too and it actually ends up being 3-4 times per week. And, sometimes when days go seriously awry, we even have cereal for dinner (like 5x per year). I do throw in fresh fruit or applesauce 90% of the time though!
ReplyDeleteI am not ashamed!!
I don't see anything wrong with cold cereal almost every morning if it's a relatively healthy one. Most of them have more nutrients than any hot breakfast I could whip up at 6:30 am before my teens go to school! I make oatmeal and the occasional smoothie too!
ReplyDeleteYou tell 'em, sister! My kids are 19-27 years old (the two oldest live in their own places now) and we had a mix of hot and cold breakfasts. And guess what...I didn't create any junk food lunatics along the way! (We like some junk food, we just aren't lunatics about it.) Hot breakfasts, IMHO, are for Saturday or Sunday when you are a little more leisurely in the morning.
ReplyDeleteOn that note, though, I do sometimes make batches of French Toast or Egg/cheese/bacon biscuits for the freezer. But I do it when I feel like it, at my own pace. And it's what works for my family. The food police can eat elsewhere!
I grew up on Count Chocula! and Honeycomb, Cocoa Puffs and an occasional healthy cereal. I was 29 years old before I hit 100 pounds. So, while my son hasn't graduated beyond cheerios yet we definitely have cereal days. I tend to save the waffles and eggs for the weekend.
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