Kids love sugared cereals and it is hard to persuade them not to want them. Here is a place where you can compromise. Most companies are reducing the sugar in cereals, though not by as much as we’d like. Have your child read the sugar content on the cereal nutrition label. Pick one with 6 or less grams of sugar in a serving. That equals about 1 ½ teaspoons of sugar a serving.
Use a sweetened cereal to top off an unsweetened choice. Good example: Honey Nut Cheerios has 12 grams of added sugar in a serving. Regular Cheerios has less than 1 gram. Put a ¼ cup measure into the sweetened cereal box and let the child put that much on top of the healthier choice.
Consider using sweetened cereal as a substitute for candy. Teach kids that sweetened cereal is more like candy than cereal and use it accordingly. Packed in small bags it can be a treat, a snack or a lunchbox surprise. All ready-to-eat cereals are grain based, many are whole grain, they are low in fat, have no cholesterol, no trans fat, are moderate in calories, and fortified with essential nutrients. Put side by side, sweetened cereal is a much healthier snack than a candy bar or cookies.
