Healthy Breakfast Cereal for babies/toddlers

O

Obiwan

Registered User
Morning, just wondering if any mummies have done some research on which breakfast cereals are good and healthy for kids? I was at 360 yesterday and there is wide variety available but I can't decide which ones are actually healthy to be given to our kids for breakfast/snacks?

Thanks in advance!
 
You're right cereals are a minefield and the packaging is so deceiving, they make out they're healthy and there's actually loads of hidden salt and sugar in some brands. Porridge is pretty much the only one without salt or sugar added. (And shredded wheat I think, but I can't stand those!). We have porridge most mornings and occasionally weetabix, cheerios (yellow packet) or rice crispies which all have salt and sugar to some extent but they are some of the lowest.

We avoid anything that is cocoa or honey as I don't think they actually need too much of a sugar rush in the morning, plus they are already getting energy from the natural sugars in the fresh fruit they have on their cereal.

Be careful of the organic brands as they 'seem' healthier but often their sugars are labelled 'raw cane extract' in the ingredients or some such which is organic, yes, but at the end of the day still extra sugar - always check the nutritional content to be sure what you're getting.

(I've spent hours reading cereal packets - can you tell!)
 
apart from shredded wheat, rice crispies and the "regular" cheerios - you can try "just right" - it's really like it's label says "just right" - not the tastiest, but my daughter likes it. also, oatmeal with milk in the morning is a healthy choice too - though i believe that has some sodium in it too - go for the organic kind as that has less sodium in comparison....also, will but oatmeal squares and mix it in with the other cereals - that is higher in sodium, but it makes eating rice crispies much easier (as that IS quite bland!)
 
I also get the oatmeal squares, but just give them as finger food.
For cereal, I love brown rice flakes, by ****oggs. They are a bit like corn flakes but thicker and crunchier. It has a simple but nice taste, and is healthy. I mix it with yogurt, a bit of soy milk and chopped up fruit.
I used to buy cheerios-that's what all the moms give back home, but it's about $80 a box here, for the yellow(healthy) one, so I stopped doing that.
 
The Australian Consumer association have done several studies, including a very recent one, on this topic. Basically, the only commercial cereals that meet healthy guidelines for daily use for kids was Kids Weetbix (weetabix is similar, but is not widely sold in Australia, nor are cheerios, so not sure how they compare). All the others are too high in sugar and sodium, although there were quite a few like rice krispies and cornflakes that were fine for occasional use ie once a week or less. They did say the best breakfast was oats as porridge, but this doesn't include the 'quick oat'commercial cereals just normal rolled oats.
 
My kids generally have oatmeal squares or cheerios (but they are 3 years and 15 months now). Sometimes scrambled eggs or toast or weetbix but usually cereal. My 3 year old likes to pour the squares or cheerios into the bowl and help pour the milk. If it matters to you, check the box for the cheerios as some are made in China (this bothers me so I check it). I make sure we buy the US ones.

When they were younger, they had baby oatmeal (there are a heap of choices at Bumps 2 Babes) or weetbix with fruit puree.
 
Hi TNT thanks for sharing. Can i ask if Kids Wheetbix is suitable from 1 year old? or Older? :) Where did u buy them from please?
 
Regular weetabix is fine from six months, so is regular oatmeal, there's really no need to pay extra for kids stuff. Just pick the brand with the fewest additives for weetabix and get plain porridge oats which have no sugar or salt added.
 
We give mostly museli. Dorset Cereals an Jordan's make sugar free versions with dried fruit and nuts, as does Citisuper. But we only began giving this after about 18 months due to the nuts, before we only gave rice or oats porriage. You can also make your own sugar, salt and additives free wholewheat bread or pancakes.
 
Thanks everyone!!! Very helpful. Will go check them out.

To be honest, we haven't been very careful in feeding her. We literally give her everything we eat, so I am sure she is exposed to way too much sugar and salt.

Only thing we haven't given her is Nuts (19 months now), when is a good time to introduce nuts?
 
we do cheerios + kix cereals, congee and then home-made oatmeal w/raisins and pears (annabel karmel's recipe) which is super quick and easy.
 
jvn i agree normally re kids products, I think in the survey they used it rather than normal weetbix because they were looking at cereals targeted at kids, but salt and sugar levels are similiar for the normal version to the kids. You can buy both normal weetbix and kids weetbix at Marketplace and many other ?nternational type supermarkets, also some Wellcome's & Park n shop. Both my two (4.5 and 22 months) love it with fresh fruit or sultanas and they have that or porridge or muesli during the week; they have bagel/toast, egg or sometimes cornflakes or similar for a change at the weekends. I have dorset muesli with natural yoghurt and fruit and both of them also try to eat my breakfast (they have v good appetites)
 
Obiwan said:
To be honest, we haven't been very careful in feeding her. We literally give her everything we eat, so I am sure she is exposed to way too much sugar and salt.

Only thing we haven't given her is Nuts (19 months now), when is a good time to introduce nuts?
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We're the same, he's the same age and has eaten exactly what we've eaten from six months. I just get a bit annoyed when things that 'should' be healthy and not have salt added, like cereal. It just seems so unnecessary.

You need molars for nuts, wait till she's got the full set.
 
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