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Rethinking the Cereal Aisle
What's in Your Toddler's Cereal Bowl?
By Teri Brown
There's no getting around it. You have to read the labels. Leigh Spencer, mother of two from Jacksonville, Ore., checks the labels of her breakfast cereals all the time.
"I read labels to check for sugar or any variant of corn syrup used as a sweetener," Spencer says. "I try to avoid anything with high fructose corn syrup. What I look for is a cereal that will provide a nutritious meal that will last until lunchtime. The two cereals that we buy are Old Fashioned Oatmeal and Weetabix, neither of which have any added ingredients. We use either soy milk or organic milk with our breakfast."
Pope says that portion size is another thing parents should be keeping their eyes on. "With more and more children facing issues with weight gain and obesity, it is smart to be aware of the amount of cereal your child is consuming," she says. "The 1-ounce serving on the side of the box comprises as little as 1/2 cup for some cereal varieties and as much as 1 1/4 cup for others. It is certainly easy and common to consume several servings at one sitting. Provide a reasonable size bowl for cereal – the larger the bowl, the more cereal most will eat. Remember that low-fiber, refined cereals don't do much to fill children up and that it is easier to consume larger quantities with more calories."
Parents don't have to give up the convenience of box cereals in order to offer their children a nutritious breakfast. Just remember to check the label for sugar content, carbohydrates and portion size.
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