what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

Join the conversation!
Register for free or sign in to chat and get advice from other brides-to-be.

• 25-Oct-2009 21:34

  what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  Snuffles Joined on 10-Mar-2005 United Kingdom Posts 2,756	Contact Will always had porridge when he was younger, but once when I ran out had cheerios and now won't touch porridge...so I'm wondering what the better cereals are - or are they all full of sugar? What do you give your little ones? I always follow cereal with maltloaf or toast plus 2 fruits so it's half a healthy breakfast!

• 25-Oct-2009 21:38

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  catarina Joined on 04-Apr-2005 United Kingdom Posts 8,944	Contact We have Ready Brek, weetabix, cornflakes and rice krispies here.  Jack doesn't know there is more exciting cereals out there.  He has them with a handful of raisins on the top too to get a fruit portion in and to make them a bit sweeter.  The one time he had sugar puffs it was bizarre - you could see the sugar rush high and low so clearly, so we steer well clear of sugary breakfasts!

• 25-Oct-2009 21:38

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  Noo Joined on 22-Feb-2005 United Kingdom Posts 5,375	Contact J (25 mths) has a mix of porridge, weetabix, shreddies and rice crispies. I don't like giving her shreddies as I try to avoid nestle products but H bought them by mistake and I know that I loved them as a child. She still adores porridge despite having other cereals, I mix it with grated apple, raisins and a teeny bit of cinnamon. Two beautiful girls  J - Sept 2007 & S - Nov 2010

• 25-Oct-2009 21:43

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  StoryBooks Joined on 31-Jul-2009 Posts 60	Contact We like Weetabix, either plain with a squirt of 'fruit squish' (puree) on top, or mashed with banana, or Shreddies (although fairly high in sugar) here. As a treat we sometimes have those filled parcel cereals, Blueberry or Cranberry wheats, because they're expensive. I tend to give Cheerios as a snack (I carry around a little pot full in my changing bag for emergencies LOL).

• 25-Oct-2009 21:50

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  dibird Joined on 17-Jan-2004 Scotland Posts 963	Contact In this house it's porridge, ready brek, weetabix, shreddies or mini shredded wheats.  She has discovered rice krispies in the last few days too.  She seems to like them all and breakfast is always a successful meal here!

• 25-Oct-2009 21:54

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  hazel Joined on 23-Mar-2004 United Kingdom Posts 56,972

  Contact We mostly have Shreddies I saw a programme where a professor looked at the research into children's food and her conclusion was that the most important thing was that they had breakfast - as long as they have it it doesn't matter that much if it has sugar in it. Apparently it's dietary fat not sugar that leads to obesity. Obviously it would be better not to have too much sugar, but she said that for breakfast, not to beat yourself up if they'll only eat Frosties or whatever.

• 25-Oct-2009 22:00

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  StoryBooks Joined on 31-Jul-2009 Posts 60

  Contact hazel: We mostly have Shreddies I saw a programme where a professor looked at the research into children's food and her conclusion was that the most important thing was that they had breakfast - as long as they have it it doesn't matter that much if it has sugar in it. Apparently it's dietary fat not sugar that leads to obesity. Obviously it would be better not to have too much sugar, but she said that for breakfast, not to beat yourself up if they'll only eat Frosties or whatever. Ah yes, I saw this too http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k7976 They looked at children's performance and concentration with and without breakfast. I was relatively surprised by it TBH, she was much less negative than I'd have thought about Coco Pops etc. It does make sense though, any breakfast rather than none. She was also pro Cheese Strings IIRC as a good way to get calcium into kids, despite relatively high salt content and the fact they're processed.

• 25-Oct-2009 22:00

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  Lady Moonlight Joined on 03-Jun-2004 United Kingdom Posts 11,135

  Contact The beans get porridge, weetabix, ready brek, shreddies, cornflakes, cheerios, fruit filled shredded wheat or rice krispies.  Always followed by a fruit pot or a serving of fruit. At this stage (just over 3 yrs), I wouldn't even consider buying something like Frosties or any of the chocolate or sugary cereals, they don't know about them so don't ask for them! Luke & Hannah (aka "The Beans") - born June 16th 2006

• 25-Oct-2009 22:00

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  michy-lou Joined on 27-Aug-2005 United Kingdom Posts 18,769

  Contact Elliott has never liked porridge or weetabix,  he has whatever we have in the cupboard which at the moment is shreddies,  Cheerios,  branflakes, and rice Krispies.  He likes all of these and we stayed at my SIL's this weekend and he had 'Start', which he liked too! All the above cereals I'm aware they have sugar in,  but also have lots of good stuff in too, which is fine by me!  We don't give him the obviously sugary ones like Frosties. Proud mummy to Elliott (March 08) and Oscar (Nov 11) mc Nov 2010

• 25-Oct-2009 22:06

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  Starstruck Joined on 10-Jun-2002 United Kingdom Posts 13,323

  Contact Aliya (4yrs) has porrige, readybrek, weetabix, shreddies and rice crispies.  We occasionally get in a "treat" breakfast, which might be a jordans fruity crunch, or mini weetabix with chocolate chips (my favourite!).  When she goes to Nanny and Grandad's, they usually buy her those mini boxes in a selection pack so she can choose one each day.  I don't mind as its a very rare occurance. She's very good at understanding that "treat" cereals are just that, and when they are gone they are gone.  In fact, last time I got mini weetabix with chocolate chips, she even allowed me to serve up 1 weetabix, with a few of the mini ones on top so they lasted longer.  I guess she understood that she would have them more often that way. Beautiful bridal tiaras and bridal jewellery Join us on Facebook

• 25-Oct-2009 22:41

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  hazel Joined on 23-Mar-2004 United Kingdom Posts 56,972

  Contact StoryBooks: hazel: We mostly have Shreddies I saw a programme where a professor looked at the research into children's food and her conclusion was that the most important thing was that they had breakfast - as long as they have it it doesn't matter that much if it has sugar in it. Apparently it's dietary fat not sugar that leads to obesity. Obviously it would be better not to have too much sugar, but she said that for breakfast, not to beat yourself up if they'll only eat Frosties or whatever. Ah yes, I saw this too http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00k7976 They looked at children's performance and concentration with and without breakfast. I was relatively surprised by it TBH, she was much less negative than I'd have thought about Coco Pops etc. It does make sense though, any breakfast rather than none. She was also pro Cheese Strings IIRC as a good way to get calcium into kids, despite relatively high salt content and the fact they're processed. Cheese is quite high in salt whether it's in cheese strings or just plain cheese. And processed doesn't automatically equal bad. However the whole idea of cheese strings makes me want to vom

• 25-Oct-2009 23:00

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  Janner Joined on 19-Jan-2005 United Kingdom Posts 2,036

  Contact Own brand versions of Cheerios, Rice Krispies and Coco Pops (rice and coco pops usually mixed together by toddler for fun) but he's started asking for Ready Brek with honey or maple syrup, which is fine by me because life's too short to eat oats without some kind of sugar. Also pain au chocolat when I remember to buy them, Nutella on toast when there's no pain au chocolat and bananas when I've forgotten to buy anything.

• 26-Oct-2009 8:10

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  MrsDux Joined on 20-Nov-2002 United Kingdom Posts 1,832	Contact L (3) has a weetabix, a handful of puffed wheat (sugar puffs without the sugar) and a handful of some other cereal (usually a sweet one, so coco rocks at the moment). As others have said I would rather he ate some breakfast than nothing at all.

• 26-Oct-2009 8:25

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  oldspeckledtam Joined on 24-Oct-2004 United Kingdom Posts 2,623	Contact Ana has weetabix, cheerios or shredded wheat, but is allowed 'chocolate breakfast' on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. (If she remembers to ask...) This week we're enjoying Chocolate Shreddies. I also saw the programme Hazel referred to and I don't really object to her having chocolate cereals. She also has cheesestrings!

• 26-Oct-2009 8:40

  Re: what are the better breakfast cereals to give toddlers?

  Jaffa cake Joined on 26-Aug-2005 United Kingdom Posts 4,868	Contact Oliver has oatibix or cornflakes. At nursery he has cheerios or weetabix. Oatibix has less salt and sugar than weetabix and he can't seem to tell the difference so that's fine by me! It's only been recently he's eaten cereal though - he used to refuse it so it was toast and fruit most days for breakfast, or scrambled egg. I saw the breakfast programme too - was interesting.