How can I change the system?  

How can I make a difference in creating awareness about Food?

How can I eat well each and everyday?  

What is the best way to share my story, the research and the recipes?

What products are best?  No worries there!  I will be researching food and making the best suggestions based on my criteria.  If you have specific questions, I would love to help you find the answers!  I’ve had lots of discussion lately about GF foods, we don’t eat GF in our house–because of my research I certainly know which products are and aren’t. 

Q:  What cereals are best for breakfast?  

For example, if I don’t want to feed my kids cereal for breakfast, I need to come up with my own options.  Did you make your list from Day 1?  My list looks like this:

• no GMO foods (I’m getting better at this!)  fyi:  Cheerios in the US are heavily laden with more than one source of GMO’s in the cereal!
• no High Fructose Corn Syrup (because they contain GMO’s)
• no Artificial or Natural Flavorings (I wrote and share a video about artificial flavorings here)
• no Preservatives
• nothing with a shelf life of over a year! 

The best options for cereal that I have found are:

Nature’s Path Corn Flakes (also GF)

Nature’s Path Koala Crisp

Barbara’s Honest O’s

I don’t like milk.  I don’t like the taste the texture or the idea that, for me, it is the equivalent of nursing from a cow.  When I chaperoned the 1st grade field trip to the dairy farm cured me of milk.  So if I never had milk products . . . my life would still be complete.  

I also have 2 kids who do not drink milk either–for their own reasons and I respect that.  But, as a parent, what do I give my kids for breakfast?  

Excellent question!  I am writing a book, Blessed by Breakfast, and it gives tons of ideas on breakfast foods that are dairy free, gluten free, vegan, vegetarian and some ideas that include everything in between.  My favorites are French Toast Bake and the Ham, Swiss, red pepper/onion/spinach crustless quiche.  (If you want to be part of the insiders group sign up here.)

But really the other glitch is that kids want the other cereals!  They want the biggest, brightest box . . . what does a parent do?  Especially if the parent loves Captain Crunch as much as the kids?  Here are my creative solutions!

• say “No”, well that isn’t very creative you might say!  But it can be . . . 
• leave your kids at home when you go grocery shopping
• “we are going to eat 3 boxes of the Koala Crisp and have one box of tutti frutti O’s”
• buy one box of what the kids want and mix it with your healthy choice
• buy one box of the “better” cereal and just put it in the box of the old cereal–the classic bait and switch–only works on smaller kids.  
• Make muffins on Sunday and have them for breakfast Monday morning, then cereal on Tuesday, leftover pancakes on Wednesday, cereal Thursday, quiche Friday morning . . . you get the idea.  
• Over time kids will enjoy a breakfast of yogurt, fresh fruit, toasted bagels, oatmeal.
• Give them a spelling test on the ingredient list–once they can spell all the words–they get the cereal.  For older kids, have them research just want those words are!
• Have a special time a couple of times a year and indulge!  We recently did this with Captain Crunch and the kids have begun to self regulate what they eat.  That really is my goal–to have them make their own healthy food choices.  (I also had them notice the changes in their . . . ok, I just gotta say it–poop! the new house rule–if it makes your poop green–not a wise food choice!)  This appeals to the younger boy gross out phase :-)
• I give my kids cereal as a snack–I included some in this video.

Do you struggle with the cereal aisle?  What are your kids favorite breakfast foods?  What is holding you back from making a healthy breakfast that doesn’t come out of a box?  

I’d love to hear your ideas!  Care to Share in the comments?

Be Blessed.

 To receive a free copy of my Blessed by Breakfast cookbook, please go to http://blessedbybreakfast.com and sign up! I send updates that include; family tested and approved recipes, video tutorials, tips and tricks on how to begin your day with the blessing of food.

Books I suggest: The Omnivore’s Dilemma: The Secrets Behind What You Eat,

Young Readers Edition The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Hope’s Edge: The Next Diet for a Small Planet

Some of my friends have also joined the 31 day challenge:  

Anastacia Maness  http://rocksolidfamily.com/31-days-building-commitment/

Racquel Narciso http://howtomakeitinsanfrancisco.com/…/

Pamela Hodges http://ipaintiwrite.com

I’m linking up to these blogs.