I used to love eating Cap’n Crunch when I was growing up. I mean love it. I’ve long since given up my relationship with that sweet melt-in-my mouth, yummy in my tummy fake food. Even before I had kids I sort of figured out that eating Cap’n Crunch every morning wasn’t so good for me.
Of course when I saw the The Early Show (CBS) headline, Study Ranks “10 worst” Kids’ Cereals for Sugar, I expected my former love to be on the list…and it was…3 times! Yes, it seems Quaker has lots of versions of Cap’n Crunch and they ranked in 4th, 5th and 9th places. Here’s the whole list:
1st. Kellogg’s Honey Smacks — 55.6% sugar by weight
2nd. Post Golden Crisp — 51.9%
3rd. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Marshmallow — 48.3%
4th. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s OOPS! All Berries — 46.9%
5th. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Original — 44.4%
6th. Quaker Oats Oh!s — 44.4%
7th. Kellogg’s Smorz — 43.3%
8th. Kellogg’s Apple Jacks — 42.9%
9th. Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries — 42.3%
10th. Kellogg’s Froot Loops Original — 41.4%
Okay, even if you’re not far into your REAL food journey, you and I both know that these cereals, or most cereals for that matter, on the shelf are not going to support our children’s health. They’re mostly sugar, which contributes to disease, and what’s not sugar is often other fake food ingredients like artificial colors and flavors.
Nothing. Good. For. Your. Child.
Often clients ask me if there are any cereals we eat in our home. My answer: one and it’s not very often. Food for Life’s Ezekiel has some sprouted, slow-baked cereals that I consider okay. The thing is that besides the sugar in most boxed cereals, there are other reasons that we don’t eat them.
One: Most are extruded. The grains, mixed with water, are forced out of a tiny hole at high temperature and pressure, which shapes them into little o’s or flakes or shreds. Individual grains passed through the extruder expand to produce puffed wheat, oats and rice. These products are then subjected to sprays that give a coating of oil and sugar.
In his book Fighting the Food Giants, biochemist Paul Stitt describes the extrusion process, which treats the grains with very high heat and pressure, and notes that the processing destroys much of their nutrients. It denatures the fatty acids; it even destroys the synthetic vitamins that are added at the end of the process. The amino acid lysine, a crucial nutrient, is especially damaged by the extrusion process. (Read more about this and the Rat Experiment at WestonAPrice.org).
Two: There’s not enough Powerful Protein or Friendly Fat. Yes, I can add some by making sure to fill the bowl with grass-fed, full-fat milk, but it’s still going to be mostly simple carbs from the fake food cereal. That means blood sugar is not going to be as stable as it needs to be to support great health, learning and behavior.
Bottom-Line: As parents and caregivers we need to stop feeding our kids cereals for breakfast on any kind of a regular basis. This often freaks parents out when I suggest this. I understand. They’re convenient. Kids love them.
The problem is that kids need parents to set boundaries and this includes what’s acceptable for breakfast most days. So, what can you serve for breakfast? Here are some REAL food ideas that you can start to add into your menu to crowd out any cereal that’s taking up space there:
1. Overnight Pancakes are a consistent favorite in our home and pretty much with everyone we serve them to. Soaking the oats overnight, a traditional way to prepare grains, makes the oats more digestible and nutritious. They have lots of Friendly Fats and you can add some Powerful Protein by including a side of Turkey Sausage (see below). We top these with blueberries or baked apples that have been sliced with skin on and baked until soft with butter or coconut oil and cinnamon.
2. REAL Breakfast, our eCookbook, is loaded with Chef Jackie’s delicious recipes. We make a double batch of the Turkey Sausages every other week. They taste like the ones you find at a very popular breakfast restaurant chain!
3. Eat lunch and dinner foods for breakfast. Kids are often up for this, but parents frequently resist this idea. Give it a try for a few weeks. Warm up some leftovers and serve them for breakfast. We love chicken soup or tacos. Plenty of Powerful Protein and Friendly Fat when you use REAL food ingredients.
My motto is that once I know better I have to try to do better for my kids. We know boxed cereals aren’t a healthy choice, especially not on a daily basis, even if they are convenient. Afraid your child is going to tantrum about a change in the breakfast menu? Give a 1-2 day warning that boxed cereals are not going to be served each morning and ask him to give you some of his favorite meal ideas to replace them with. The food companies and grocery stores are not supposed to be in charge of what our kids eat in the morning.
In the end, we want to be the parents our children need. They need boundaries, especially when it comes to health and safety, and whether we want to believe it or not, what we feed our children for breakfast falls into this area. So take one step at a time, replacing morning cereal with a REAL food breakfast that you’ll feel great about!
Angelle
~Your Personal How-To Holistic Health & Parenting Coach
I cannot believe I used to eat that junk.
I love how you challenge the social norms for nutrition. As a nutritionist specializing in autism and related conditions, I see the value of a good breakfast every day. My clients who not only avoid gluten-based cereals and high-sugar cereals, but avoid all cold cereal often do the best during the day at school. Thanks for this important information.