What was your favorite breakfast cereal growing up?

When I was little I was wild about Fruit Loops. I loved all the colors and of course, I couldn’t get enough of the sweet, sugary taste. There was nothing better than mom coming home with a big box of them from the grocery store that my brother and I would fight over.

That was in the 70’s, way before we really talked about how much sugar there is in cereals marketed to kids. We’ve known for years that a whole range of these cereals really aren’t good for them, but the marketing arm of large consumer companies is long and powerful, convincing many families with kids that there sugar-laden cereals are the way to go.

But did you hear about the Consumer Reports study that came out this week about just how bad the top selling kids cereals are? It’s probably not a surprise to hear they’re full of sugar, but the extend to which many of them are unhealthy is alarming.

Take a listen to this week’s audio tip and you can learn the facts about these cereals and hear some simple tips to feed your kids a healthier breakfast.

What about you? Do you have a penchant for sweet cereals yourself? And what do you do to feed your kids a healthier breakfast? Check out the recipe below for a healthy and delicious breakfast. This is one of my favorites that I make regularly.

Whole Oatmeal
Oat groats are a whole grain found in health food stores. With a bit of soaking you can turn them into a delicious and filling breakfast cereal that will keep you going for hours.  The beauty is that it doesn’t require any cooking, just soaking the oats and creating the cereal! You can break up the preparation into 2 simple steps. I make enough to last for several meals. This recipe is from “Raw Foods Made Easy.”

Step 1: Soak the Oat Groats

1 ½ cups whole oat groats

Place the oat groats in a small bowl and cover with water. Soak for 8-10 hours at room temperature.  Drain in a colander and rinse well. Return the oat groats to the bowl, cover with water and soak for another 8-10 hours.  Drain and rinse again. Allow oat groats to sit for 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate. The oats will keep for three days in the refrigerator.

Step 2: Make the Oatmeal

Ingredients:
2 cups soaked oat groats
½ apple, peeled and chopped
2 tbsp. pure maple syrup or agave nectar
2 tbsp. water
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
¼ tsp. salt

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides as needed. Serve at room temperature and add milk if desired. Simply delicious!

Filed under: Blood Sugar, Breakfast, Fiber, Healthy Kids, Sugar Addiction, Sugar and Sweeteners, sugary cereals