The cereals that appeal to children come in brightly colored boxes with flavors like peanut butter, chocolate, cookie, or cinnamon roll. The cereals may even contain marshmallows or sprinkles. Ask yourself if you would allow your child to eat a cupcake or candy for breakfast? If not, then you may want to rethink your child’s cereal. More cereals marketed to children than not have as much sugar or more than a dessert. Recently I read and article about the amount of sugar in children’s cereal and I was astounded. I know I should not have been given the nature of the food industry but my jaw was on the floor nonetheless. The government has voluntary guidelines for nutrition in regards to food marketed to children. The guidelines are not being followed by most cereal companies. This is not a matter of a little sugar makes the medicine go down. This is a matter of a cereal being all sugar with a dash of nutrition for the purpose of convincing mom to keep buying it.
We all know that Kellog’s Honey Smacks are full of sugar but did you also know that General Mills Wheaties Fuel has the same amount? One cup of either of those cereals has more sugar than a Twinkie. According to the article I read, Honey Nut Cheeries, a favorite with my husband and kids, contains more sugar than three Chips Ahoy chocolate chip cookies. Personally, I would rather have the cookies if I had the choice. But really are cookies appropriate for breakfast?
So what are the worst sugar offenders? The five worst based on content of sugar are Kellog’s Honey Smacks, Post Golden Crisp, Froot Loops Marshmallow.Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch’s OOPS! All Berries, and Quaker Oats Cap’n Crunch Original. (source: EWG analysis) If you have any of these cereals in your cupboard then serve them for dessert not breakfast.