Toast or Cereal???

For a change of pace you might want to try whole GRAIN instead of whole wheat. Much better and keeps you fuller longer too. Peanut butter instead of butter is a nice change too.

If you are looking for quick out the door breakfasts, I like to make banana pops for my kids. I make them on weekends and then I can just grab one when I'm heading out the door in the morning.

I peel the banana, shove a popsicle stick in the end, roll it in yogurt (my kids like strawberry), then roll that in granola and stick it in the freezer. I usually do 1-2 bunches of bananas at a time and do an assembly line so they're ready to go during the week. It's a healthy popsicle. :-)

Ask your husband where he bases his opinin from. Toast with butter sounds a LOT better than sugary cereal. TOTALLY better. Especially if you're getting the whole grain/whole wheat. Maybe read/compare the ingredients. Some bread has high fructose corn syrup in it. Also I bet some cereals do too.

Ask her gymnastics coach or someone else there. They can be the 'tie-breaker'. Maybe your husband will listen to the coach if not all the moms here that will probably post a vote for "toast" too.

I also agree that many of the answers below are good. I would only add this: there is no place for coco puffs and cookie crisp in a healthy diet. Why would you buy these in the first place? Buy healthy cereals, period. Don't have junk food in the house, and many of the battles will become a moot point.

I am ok with my daughter eating toast and butter for breakfast - we buy really healthy bread with no corn syrup, and it has all kinds of seeds and nuts in it, so I know she's getting at least some healthy nutrients.

I am considered a 'health food freak' by our kids... I do try to stick with fresh fruit, veggies, whole grains, etc. But I know everyone wants their treats and I'm ok with having treats provided they eat healthy meals and snacks. So here, we simply don't buy junk food, with the exception of maybe one thing - we might have one package of cookies in the house, or one container of ice cream, and that's it. Other than that, they'll have to find healthy foods for snacks after school, breakfast, etc. It may take your family some time to adjust, but I really encourage you to purge the junk out of the house, replace with healthy alternatives, and give it a try. (One tip - buy things like healthy trail mix (no salt, not loaded with chocolate chips, etc). Buy dried fruit, some different nuts, etc. Find new recipes and make new healthy meals or snacks if you need to. If you have new and different things for your family to try, that will help in the transition.)

One last thought... you mentioned your daughter will sometimes have toast with cheese. If she has that sometimes, but other times doesn't want the cheese, that doesn't sound so terrible to me. Not every body needs the same foods as everyone else, and we need different things at different times. If she doesn't want cheese on a given day, maybe it's fine to listen to her body and leave it alone. When she needs it, she'll ask for it. By the same token, if you feel like she's not getting good nutrition, offer an alternative. If my daughter won't eat something healthy for a meal (if she really hates what we are having, for example), sometimes I'll offer something totally different and she'll go for it - she's had breakfasts (and dinners, now that I think of it) that include pistachio nuts, avocado, carrot sticks, and other wacky things - but I know they are healthy so that's fine.

Glad you mentioned she's a competitive gymnast because that really does change a lot. Especially if she's elite level, her metabolic needs are much greater.

So, in her case, the cereals she eats aren't great for her, but they do provide the carbs she's needing for her work-outs.

I'd say both breakfasts are all right under those circumstances. When I did gymnastics, I ate a bag of dry cereal and a Dr. Pepper for breakfast. Not much better.

She does need the protein that the milk on the cereal provides as well as the cheese with the toast (or the milk in the chocolate milk).

Since she is competitive, have you considered taking her to a dietician to find out exactly what her metabolic needs are and the best way to fuel her body when she's training?

Either way right now, I think you're OK - the important thing is that she's getting breakfast that has the protein, carbs and fat she needs. If you do a comparison of the nutritional value of the whole wheat toast to the serving of the cereal + milk, I bet you'd find they're relatively similar.

Whole Wheat toast is fine and Milk is always good. She's old enough that the bit of sugar she's getting from the chocolate isn't going to hurt her.

If hubby insists on cereal, then purchase better cereal and there won't be a fight! Get Cheerios, Raisin Bran, Special K... my kids LOVE the Special K w/Strawberries or the Blueberry one.

If hubby is REALLY concerned, have him make her eggs in the morning! Protien is the best starter!

Have a great day -
C.

I think it all depends on what kind of toast or cereal... your best bet is to sit down & read the packages. Either way she is getting milk - unless she doesn't drink the cereal milk (my kids do). But it is also good for kids to get different things to eat. Maybe to make everyone happy - you could set up a schedule that on Mon, Wed, & Fri she has toast w/ butter & milk (and maybe some fresh fruit cut up) and on Tues, Thurs & Sat/Sun she has cereal w/ milk & a glass of juice. Then on Saturday or Sunday - if/when you are all home... have a nice sit down breakfast - an old school breakfast (eggs, bacon, toast w/ butter or jelly, fresh fruit & juice and/or milk or pancakes/waffles sausage, fresh fruit & juice and/or milk or sausage gravey w/ biscuts, hashbrowns, fresh fruit & juice and/or milk). That way in the end... you both feel she is eating what is healthy, she gets what she likes & you all get an extra meal to bond together once a week.

Sorry, I'm a strong believer in bonding time at meal time... sometimes it the only time we are all able to be in the same room at the same time together. So, it's really important for our family... we eat dinner together every night, lunch on Sat & Sun and breakfast at least once a week if not on both Sat & Sun. Yes, it can take sometime to pre & clean up from meals for our family of 5 soon 6, but it's worth it to me.

Good luck - sometimes it's it better to compromise then to fight a battle!

I have a 15 yr old very active cheerleader and she gets low blood sugar.

She eats both, cereal and then toast (whole wheat) with nutella.

She also takes a stash of granola bars, fruit strips, nuts and gatorade to graze on during the day.

These active kiddos need some extra fuel for their bodies.

Hi B.-
Lots of good advice already given, but I still wanted to add my two-cents. My son is not hungry first thing in the am, but we all know you can't send a kid to school without something in his/her belly right? A couple things my son loves... whole grain waffles with peanut butter (just to switch it up a bit from toast), zbars (made by clif for kids, I've bought them both at Target and Trader Joe's) and bean burritos. Also, I see that a lot of moms are concerned about the butter and fat content. Unless your daughter has a weight/activity issue I, personally, wouldn't worry about it, just use your good mommy sense. I don't know if your daughter's school has a snack time, but I used to always pack a really healthy snack and super nutritious, yummy lunch to make up for the b'fast deficits. As for the cereal vs. toast... it's a toss up. Tell your daughter, I like cereal for snack time too.
S.

Whole wheat toast is awesome but limited. And she gets no nutritional value from butter-- in fact she just gets fat. Most cereals (check the box on her favorites) are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals. The extra sugar isn't ideal, but not harmful either. Some brands now have lower sugar cereals, like Froot Loops. Sorry, but I side with your husband on this one. However, I see no need to war when you can compromise. Why can't she alternate cereal and toast every other day? Or have a little of both? Cereal commercials always say they are PART of a nutritious breakfast and often show a shot of a bowl of cereal with fruit, toast, and a glass of OJ.

Hi B.,
There is a lot of advice here and nutrition can be very confusing and I applaud you & your husband for paying attention.

We have to remember feeding a "brainy" breakfast is important because our brains do not store food. So a "brainy" breakfast includes foods that sustain our bodies. Sugary cereals and most cereals do not fall into the category of "brainy" breakfast.Most cereals have a heavy carb, sugar and chemical (artifical colors, preservatives, etc) load that moves too fast through or system.

HIgh fiber and protien are key to sustain a nice even feeding of our body and brain.

If you are open check out this webinar by Dr Sears " Getting Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track"
https://www.nsavirtualoffice.com/uploads/fckeditor/nsa/Fl...

Here's a webinar on"Fueling Exercise & Fitness" by Dr Stricker
https://www.juiceplusvirtualoffice.com/uploads/fckeditor/...

If you would like to know more about nutrition, I'd be open to share what I have learned. One of my most popular health talks (free of charge) in right in the grocery store called "Grocery Detectives: Fact or Fiction" we make sense out of what is on the shelf, learn about labels, the best ingredients and worst ingredients for our bodies.

Best of Health,
L.

Check the fiber content on both. You want something with more than 2 grams of fiber, at the least, per serving. Go with the item with the most fiber. This item will typically have the least amount of sugar as well. Sugar basically is processed into fat in our bodies. Less Sugar and more fiber.

Whole wheat toast is much better than most cereal's. I know that there are some cereals that are pretty healthy though. You just have to check out the labels for the suger content etc. My son likes whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter on it. I've tried it and it's actually really good! Good luck.

What about making muffins (whole wheat/bran, wheat & blueberry, wheat & cranberry orange, etc.) There are tons of fabulous recipes out there that have lots of fiber, whole wheat/grains, fruit, nuts, etc. If you make it from scratch you'll know EXACTLY what is in it. My mother in law makes 3 batches of different muffins on Sunday evening, puts them in the freezer and, right before she goes to bed, takes a couple out and lets them defrost on the counter. They're ready to go in the morning. She is very healthy and only eats things that she KNOWS are good for her (high in fiber, low in sugar, high in whole grains). She shared some Blueberry ones with me the other day. They were made with whole wheat flour, and had a little bit of crumb topping on the top for an extra treat of sweetness. They were delicious! She got them out of a whole grain cookbook. I've also tried muffins made from Raisin Bran cereal. They had applesauce in them. They were fabulous. I agree with adding some fruit and protein to breakfast. It will last her longer. You don't want empty calories that are gone before 9am. You want her to be fuller longer so that she can think and learn and grow. Also, find a recipe for homemade granola bars. Throw some in her backpack. Make your own fruit leather. It is really easy and tasty. Good luck!

How about Maple and brown sugar oatmeal ( the instant one in the box ), that one taste GREAT. And give her some cheese on the side with some juice. She will feel great when she is at school.

How about eggs and toast.
How about a little bit of eggs and ham and toast.
How about those wonderful breakfast sandwiches from Jimmy Dean in the frozen dept. at the store. It only takes about a minute to heat them up. And have it with juice or choc. milk and she will be good to go.

Good luck. = )

Hi B.,
Well if it were me I would definitely go with the toast hands down. Especially since you're trying to be a bit healthy with wholewheat. Cereals are loaded with sugar, high frutcose corn syrup, corn syrup, dyes and misc additives that I won't go in to. Just reading the labels is usually enough to gag you. If at all possible try to get your daughter to eat some fruit with her toast that would give her some natural/healthy sugars. Blessings, Lis

Hi B.! Ahh, my husband was the same way, ragging on me about nutrition etc..Whole wheat toast is in my opinion just as good if not better than most cereals. Most cereals dont offer any nutritional value, especially cocoa puffs and cookie crisp! (they are banned in my house) How about mini-wheats?.With the toast I would throw in some fruit, or maybe an egg (even hard boiled?). Peanut butter on the toast would be great too. If she's a competitive gymnast, definitely add the protein somehow. My boys loved peanut butter on a nutri-grain waffle with blueberries or sliced bananas on it. She might like that. Good luck.

Variety is key. Let her alternate between both, but definitely trash the sweet cereals. Try letting her eat plain cereal (cheerios, brand flakes) and slice fresh fruit over it to sweeten it up. What kid doesn't like strawberries and bananas :)

Toast is more healthy. Cereal is full of preservatives and artificial additives, and a personal trainer told me that it is bad for breakfast. He said to eat oatmeal, yogurt, eggs, things that are complex carbohydrates with protein and fruit for breakfast, and that cereal doesn't have enough fuel for your body. A couple of hours after a bowl of cereal, you are still hungry.

Sugary cereal is not good for children! In fact eating cereals like this will set her up to crash mid-morning and not perform at her best in school or sports and 9 is a very demanding year! If you are feeding her white toast then I am with your husband, there really is very little nutritional value, but get whole grain wheat or nutty bread then you are doing great. A good way to serve toast and get more out of it nutritionally is at least a wheat toast with butter and peanut butter or cream cheese. Peanut butter gives her a lot of protein to keep her strong throughout the morning and cream cheese will build healthy bones (same with butter, do not use margarine).

The best thing to do is a new breakfast every morning, toast, fruit and milk (I wouldn't do chocolate milk), juice, scrambled eggs and cheese (even put a couple of veggies in the eggs and get one serving of veggies in), french toast with strawberries and powdered sugar or pure maple syrup (wheat bread and egg batter on the french toast is great for them).

We have such a huge responsibility to teach our kids to eat right and I think you guys might want to go a bit further with your thinking on breakfast. Given that she is competitive, she will also need a lot of healthy fat to keep her body going, e.g. avacados, nuts, etc. These are great breakfast additions.

Good luck!

Whole wheat toast is definitely better then the cereals you're listing! There are cereals that are better (natural, organic, and low sugar) but coco puffs etc. are pretty bad. Just make sure the bread is "whole" wheat and not just "wheat" and also isn't chock-full of high fructose corn syrup!

I would do two things to make her breakfast the best it can be.
1. Add a piece of fruit and maybe switch up the butter with some peanut butter for protien.
2. I would compare sugar (carbohydrates) and fiber between the toast and cereal. Whichever one was higher in sugar, would lose.

warm ceral is always the bese, some times melba toast, good luck

It would depend on the toast. If its basic white or wheat then none of it is good. We only have whole grain types of bread in the house, sometimes with extra fiber. If its a healthy bread then I would think she's getting good nutrients, better than with cereal no matter how much vitamins they pump into it. Can you get her to eat honey nut cheerios, the new oatmeal cereal, Smart start maple brown sugar, honey bunches of oats? They are all still sweet but are way healthier. Will she eat fruit? If so give her some fruit with the toast. Cheese or peanut butter are great alternatives to butter too. If she's trying to limit food intake or is picky how about getting the V8 fusions? They taste great and give you a full serving of fruits and vegetables. If she's not eating a balanced breakfast a multi-vitamin will help too.

She's a competitive gymnast, and I'm assuming that her coach is trustworthy. Usually, if a coach doesn't have a good take on what his athletes should eat, he or she knows a nutritionist who does. So ask what your daughter should eat and why. Ask about the proteins and the carbs, and ask for specific menus - breakfasts, lunches, suppers, and snacks. Then go with those menus. For a while, let the coach be the boss of breakfast! I assume you and your husband read product labels for nutritional value and ingredients and know what they mean. So go to the coach, and do what he/she says. While you're thinking of breakfast, please remember that a good meal does not consist of food alone. How do you sound in the morning when the subject of food comes up? How do you and your husband sound together? All things considered, bickering can do more long-term damage to a child than food does.

cereal no way is a lot of sugar for a kid in the morning the same with chocolate milk ,i give my kid some smothie in the morning with yogurt .

You've got a bunch of great responses already. I glanced at some of them but didn't see yogurt as an option. My girls have toast, yogurt and a banana most mornings. Sometimes we'll mix the yogurt with granola instead of toast. good luck!

I think you have a lot of good suggestions already here---so just to re-iterate, I agree with the addition of peanut butter. And I think Tawnya offered the most comprehensive answer with regard to recommendations as well.

Protein is the key so sneak it in where you can. The idea of smoothies are great and you can sneak whey/rice protien powder in those. Back to the basics of eggs and bacon can provide stability for any carbohydrates you offer for energy. The whole wheat toast is a good idea.

If you read the ingredients on the cereal box, I find it pretty scary that there will isn't anything that is solid and grounding for long term concentration through the day, not to mention all the things you can't pronounce and artificial dyes. It's a quick energy boost but sets your child to crash mid-morning +/- mood swings. I think the Kashi cereals and even Annie's can be better choices than the sugary ones you mentioned.

Best wishes---FWIW, I have the same battle with my husband who bought two huge boxes of Lucky Charms this weekend---I call him my first and most challenging child sometimes and it certainly fits here. :0)

With the cereals you named I would say the toast is better , the stuff she likes is full of sugar , if she were eating Bran Flakes , Shredded Wheat , Weetabix then I would say cereals would make her feel more full.

I say that if you can get her to put peanut butter on the toast then the toast is definately better. PB provides the protein she needs where the butter just provides fat. She does need some fat in her diet as well but if she isn't eating protein then she is missing vital nutrients. As far as the chocolate milk, that is good for after a work out or practice because it replenishes the body. (it's better than the sports drinks!) But she also needs some fruit as well. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and should be well balance. Hope this helps!

In my opinion neither are very nutritious! There is too much sugar in both! The second and third ingredient in bread is often high fructose corn syrup, and the same with the chocolate for the milk. Also, cereal has partially hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup. The sugar content in cereal is so high that you can eat 6 or 7 teaspoons of plain sugar to equal the amount in the cereal. But if I had to choose, I'd say the cereal at least has vitamins and minerals in it that are good for her, but only if she drinks the milk in the bottom of the bowl because that is where the sprayed on vitamins go once the milk gets to it.
Unfortunately if you really want her to eat something healthier in the morning try giving her granola/breakfast bars (kashi has great organic ones) and a glass of all natural orange juice or plain milkk, or maybe if one of you has time, give her some eggs and a slice of toast with cheese or peanut butter (smuckers makes an inexpensive organic one that tastes awesome.) Or maybe if she likes oatmeal that is really good for you too and inexpensive. There are some great organic cereals and breads on the market these days and neither of them have hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. The reason these ingredients are so bad for you is that they are "man made" ingredients and our bodies have no way of processing them.
I'm not saying that it is horrible for her to indulge in unorganic things on occasion or say maybe the weekends, but if you really want her to be at her best give her good food created by mother nature and not by man!

I think the toast sounds perfectly fine. Maybe boil some eggs and have hard boiled eggs on hand and easily accessible for her to eat with it? That'll give her some protein. And offer fruit with it as well. I think a piece of toast, an egg and a piece of fruit is a perfect breakfast. Adding cheese for calcium is even better. :)

We believe our food supply is safe and healthy. After all the nutrition label tells us the benefits of boxed cereal. It's deceptive. Those are synthetic vitamins. Whole wheat bread is the better option, but protein and fruit are missing from your daughter's breakfast. A fruit smoothie made from whole milk, blueberries, banana and then super charge it with flax seed and probiotics will take care of that!
It might help to give your husband some info on processed foods. Here is the second part of the 10 Worst Foods of the Decade (for the first part click on the link at the end of the article>
http://www.babybites.info/2009/12/24/worst-foods-2/

Toast isn't bad. It's just not very filling. Whole grain toast is a good source of, well, whole grains. I give it to my kids but with peanut butter for some protein. They stay fuller longer. How can your DH seriously think such a thing?? If it were me, I would just stop buying the crappy cereal. It's just empty calories. Why not try something like crispix or a crunchy granola cereal? If it isn't sweet enough, you could always use rice milk.
We do a lot of oatmeal and frosted shredded wheat for cereal here.