Overall, I would say that the challenge has gone well. It's becoming easier for me to think outside the box when it comes to breakfast, and to not just resort to cereal because it's quick and easy and they're "starving," and needing something right away. My children don't seem to be missing cereal, and I've noticed that they aren't snacking all morning. They also seem less ravenous at lunch time.
I saw a few things this week that reinforced that I was on the right track in ditching the cereal. The first was an article called, The 20 Unhealthiest Cereals. On the list were some that I would expect, and I others that I would not, including one of my family's favorites: Kellogg's Raisin Bran! I always take other's interpretations of what's healthy and what's not with a grain of salt, but it has certainly given me pause.
Last night I saw a guy on Jay Leno who is a personal trainer and is purposely gaining weight so that he can lose it again. When asked what he was eating to gain weight, his breakfast of choice was cereal! I couldn't find the Jay Leno clip on youtube yet, but if you want to learn more about his story, check out: Fit2Fat2Fit.
I've linked up to:
Your plate looks yummy!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It tasted pretty good too, if I do say so myself :)
ReplyDeleteI linked to your site via fit2fat2fit
ReplyDeleteI love cereal but have dropped them all for one...quaker oats! (not instant, old fashioned) What do you think?
Oatmeal can definitely be a good option--- Unfortunately my kids were introduced to oatmeal with brown sugar. I did try oatmeal with apples, cinnamon, and honey on day 3- but served it with "egg cups" for more protein. You can up the whole grain/ fiber of oatmeal by switching to steel cut oats. It used to be harder to find, but is now carried in most grocery stores- It takes longer to cook, but you can either cook a big batch ahead of time and then reheat as needed, or find one of the quick cook versions that have come onto the market lately. You can also add protein to your oatmeal with nuts (or stirring in nut butter) and sweetness with fruit (berries/ apples.) I'm curious to see what Drew eats for breakfast when he starts eating healthy food again!
ReplyDeleteLOL. Came over from fit2fat2fit to comment that I too have been eating oatmeal for breakfast. Great source of iron and fiber.
ReplyDeleteI use a pack of the standard flavored oatmeal stuff and then add equal portion of plain instant oats as well. Adding a few raisins and chopped walnuts make it pretty tasty.
I've seen several people doing this - and since cereal is my 3.5 year old's go-to choice for breakfast, I'd really like to "pause" as well and think outside the box. Having a 10 month old as well, it's hard to always have time to do more than pour cereal from a box. BUT - it's so much better. We make homemade pancakes from time to time - but perhaps yogurt/granola parfaits or egg sandwiches are good choices too. I'm happy to see your challenge - and will be challenging myself as well!
ReplyDeleteSteph, the challange has been well worth it. It has been two weeks now and I don't think I'll ever go back. It's getting easier the more I do it. At first, I was lost for ideas and everything else just seemed like it would take so much time- However, my kids seem more calm and they don't want to snack all day long. Feel free to check out my other cereal challenge posts for other breakfast ideas... I also plan to do a future post in which I'll list all of the breakfasts from that week as well as the others that I've discovered since then. Good luck with your challenge!
ReplyDeleteOh, please do a post that lists all the breakfasts in one place! This is such a good idea! As much as I love cereal, I love yogurt more, so that tends to be what I feed my kids. As they get older, I'm running out of ideas.
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking this up to Refresh Your Nest Friday!
Carrie- I'll try to post a list this weekend! Glad you like the idea... it really has worked out well for us. If you try "breaking out of your yogurt" rut, please stop back and let me know how it goes!
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