The Truth Behind the Cereal Bowl *plus* Another Giveaway!

Continuing my passion for one of my favorite foods of all time, I'm writing again today about cereal, and some facts based on the misconceptions people often have.  Sorry this is a wee bit long, but stick around and read to the bottom for another great giveaway!

Samantha does not eat cereal for breakfast.  I mean, she would, but only if it's dry, like a snack.  I have, on occasion, given this to her, as long as she has a big cup of milk to go along with it.  She refuses to eat it mixed with the milk, though.  Until this morning.  Using one of my new cereal bowls and spoons (I let her choose the color) along with some lovely, colorful, Fruity Cheerios (more about these items at the end of the post!), I plopped them down in front of her and watched anxiously to see if she would eat them.  And she did!!  Well, at least she ate 3 spoonfuls before pushing it away and asking for her usual frozen pancakes.  That's a start, right?  (And secretly, I was a bit pleased because it meant I could eat what was left in the bowl myself.)  I've been working on this for a while, and this was the best attempt so far.  

I, on the other hand, eat cereal for breakfast nearly every day.  And I eat cereal for dinner, probably 2 nights a week.  And sometimes for a late-night snack.  Seriously!  And I prefer the sweetened cereals.  I never worry about adding a ridiculous quantity of calories to my body that seriously does not need them, and I always feel good about getting that extra calcium and vitamin D into my diet with the skim milk. 

It always amazes me that the calorie count is so low in cereal.  I was talking to Steve one day about how I felt that giving sugary cereal to Samantha as an afternoon snack was probably not such a good idea, but he was quick to point out that the calories were considerably lower than several of the other options we had been considering.  Really?  And one of the things I always look at when buying cereal is the amount of fiber, along with the vitamin recommended daily allowance percentages, and am usually pleasantly surprised by my findings.

Consider these facts:

 

•  A 2009 study of children aged 6 to 18 shows cereal eaters have healthier body weights than those who don´t eat cereal, regardless of sweetness level.

•  Cereal eaters consume less fat than non-cereal eaters.

•  Cereal is lower in calories and higher in nutrition than many other breakfast options like bagels with cream cheese and pancakes.

I find this chart, detailing the sources of children's daily intake of sugar, pretty astounding.  Makes me grateful that Sammi drinks skim milk, doesn't drink soda, and that she still accepts super-watered-down juice with absolutely no question...

Now I know why cereal is such a great way to start my day off right, and a great snack for Sammi!

Please take a look at the video below to see how other moms here in the DC area feel about breakfast:

And now for the giveaway portion of this message, along with a challenge to you...

The cereal and gift pack I received, and which one of you will win, were provided by General Mills through MyBlogSpark.  To be considered for the drawing for a set of 4 Crate and Barrel cereal bowls, spoons (pictured above - the spoons are very cool colors!) and six individual serving packs of cereal, I challenge you to take a look at the at the Nutrition Facts on the side panel of a box of cereal, and compare those details with the details on other breakfast foods you may eat every day.  Tell me, in your comment, what cereal benefits surprised you the most, and/or what did you learn?

A random commenter will be chosen on Monday. 

And tomorrow, back to our regularly-scheduled program.