photo credit Jennifer Murch
I read an article on CNN recently about cereal sales declining 5% last year. The article speculated that due to the sugar content and artificial colors, consumers are steering away from using cereal as their primary breakfast food. In a climate where people are more concerned than ever about the ingredients in their food, cereal just isn’t making the cut.
In response to the gradually decreasing sales, General Mills has started formulating new recipes for their classic cereals, using natural coloring and lowered sugar. Their hopes is to bring cereal back to the table by giving consumers more natural ingredients.
If you watch the video in the link above, the reporter does a pretty dang good job of bringing up some “devil’s advocate” points to even the shift toward “natural ingredients” that didn’t really occur to me until she’d asked. She wonders why the foods need to be colored at all–even with naturally manufactured options? I personally wouldn’t care if Trix weren’t rainbow colored anymore. Do you think Americans are so used to their brightly colored cereal that there would be a revolt and run for the hills at the sheer sight of grain colored cereal?
The HH has always kind of preferred his oatmeal or granola to store bought cereal, so I don’t think our house is a terribly good representation of buying trends. Though, Monkey Boy would probably be happy to eat sugar-laden cereal everyday of his life, and honestly, in the height of the couponing craze, I would have been more apt to buy it {if it were near free, of course}. Now, though, it’s more of a “treat.” So, we are probably not driving the cereal market one way or the other around here.
How about your house, what do you feed the kiddos for breakfast? Are you a cereal house, or have you moved away from the standard weekday morning breakfast too? If you moved away from it, would you go back to it if companies like General Mills offered more lowered-sugar, natural alternatives?
~Mavis
Tammy says
I don’t buy that much cereal, though a box or two makes its way into our house once or twice a month. It isn’t the healthiest, even when it is “healthy”. It’s just so expensive too!
I don’t understand why we are a culture that has to have everything artificially (or naturally) colored. My husband buys things like chocolate covered cookies once in a blue moon and the cookies have food dye in them. WHY? So that when you bite into it and look at it is the perfect color? Or maybe a large percentage of people lick the chocolate off and they need it to be a certain color? LOL I get things like M&Ms, but things like yogurt, cereal, etc. I don’t understand. Although, maybe it is because people don’t cook their own food so they don’t realize that if you cut up strawberries and mix them into yogurt it will be a soft pink and not bright red?
Tammy says
PS the link doesn’t work
Jane says
I try to avoid most cereals, but there’s usually a box of cheerios in the pantry for rushed mornings. I love things like homemade granola, scrambled eggs, oatmeal, fresh fruit for my kids, so I think even if cereals changed up the ingredients I am still more likely to stick mostly to my own stuff. PLUS,even outside of what it’s made of…cereal is so ridiculously expensive lately.
Mavis says
Oh homemade granola is the BEST! Yum.
Jessica says
At one point the kids were cereal fiends, but those days are long gone! If left to their own devices 1 will scour cupboards for any random pop tarts, one would go the toast/yogurt route and one would be creating egg, bacon and cheese sandwiches. Most school mornings find the kids eating oatmeal or cream of wheat and toast/bagel ( its COLD here!), eggs and toast or homemade pancakes/waffles. I round things with fruit and/or yogurt many days.
I have about 10 boxes of cereal/granola from some great coupon deals.. so we will be using them before I think of buying more.
Mavis says
It’s hard for me to think of eating cold cereal when it’s so cold outside. Warm oatmeal just sounds so much better (although I can still eat warm oatmeal in the hot summer months, so I guess there’s no real logic there!!).
Delores says
We are an oatmeal house. In all honesty, this is mainly because I have a bunch of kiddos and buying the oatmeal in bulk is way cheaper than other options. We use steel cut for hot oatmeal and then use the rolled for homemade granola. If we are running in a hurry, then it might be leftover rice for breakfast. We do the sugar cereal on special occasions, mainly birthdays.
Alison says
I grew up eating cereal (and only cereal) 6-7 days per week. I only let my kids eat it as a treat on lazy days. They are hungry an hour later, can’t concentrate and generally have bad attitudes. We try to get more protein in the mornings.
Stephanie says
MIne too! Even the “low sugar” kinds like plain Cheerios and Rice Krispies cause behavioral problems. We have to do eggs or oatmeal with nuts to keep them full. The good news is my boys are learning to cook while they’re young. Why eat cr@p that tastes like cardboard when you can eat real food?
Monica says
My husband is not a cereal eater and while I like it, I do not eat it very much either. When my step-kids are over I always make breakfast (it’s usually the weekend so I have time to do so). So there would be no change here.
pamela says
I always have cereal in the house. BUT I usually don’t eat it for breakfast. I often have a weird work schedule and often have that as an after work meal. It is usually store brand and mostly unsweetened. Although I do like to mix sweetened and unsweetened in the same bowl! Yeah I’m a rebel like that!
lynne says
My hubster & I don’t eat much cold cereal anymore, except for homemade granola. I will admit to the cravings for “Marshmallow Mateys” (a generic lucky charms), and PB Crunch. Those DO get bought on occasion ;-). Otherwise, hot cereal 4 times a week, and eggs 3 days a week is pretty average around here. When I DO buy cold cereal, it’s always an organic/non GMO type. (except for the aforementioned “treats”!) LynneinMN
Debbie says
We eat cereal often. We mix plain cheerios with honey nut half and half. Cuts amount of sugar in half and is yummy. Add fruit and it’s even better.
Sandra says
I adore oatmeal, especially steel cut, but even whole grain, unsweetened, no-milk-added oatmeal screws up my blood sugar. I have switched to a low-carb breakfast of coffee, one egg (usually medium size hard boiled), and one slice of Dave’s Killer Bread Good Seed, thin sliced, with butter (no jam). Just that one change helped me drop 15 pounds over time. (My cholesterol is fine.) Some days, though, I grab a homemade low-carb soy muffin from my stash in the freezer, and eat it in the car. So very American. I would rather take an hour to breakfast on a cafe creme and a baguette with butter and “confiture” (jam) at a sidewalk cafe in Paris.
My HH eats super sugared cereal, or a fast food breakfast that I don’t even want to know about. He would eat cookies for breakfast if any crossed his path.
My daughter isn’t a breakfast person. I think she was born that way.
Barbara says
My children do not eat cereal for breakfast – they prefer pancakes & sausage. However, I will buy cereal for an after school snack. But, it is a snack and not a food I would expect to hold them for hours.
Claire says
In our house, only my eleven year old daughter eats cereal, and even then, she prefers Life to Trix. The problem with other options for her is that she would rather go hungry than MAKE breakfast before school, even if it’s just reheating oatmeal.
I got the hubby a toaster that cooks eggs and toasts, and so he makes himself a breakfast sandwich every morning at the office, eating a piece of fruit on the way to tide him over.
My two little boys have yogurt and cinnamon bread every morning. Breakfast is my time to get dairy into them, and at one and two years old, they are masters of the food pouch, so I can buckle them into their boosters and give them breakfast, then prep the day with minimal interference. My older boy is slightly lactose intolerant (and least so to yogurt), so it’s easiest to give him milk products in the morning when I can easily change a very poopy diaper while still at home. He’s quite regular, so it works for us.
Now, if I could just figure out how to make cinnamon bread myself .. I can NEVER get yeast to rise in my cold house.
Jen F says
I have used a heating pad to help with dough rising. Maybe that would help?
Claire says
We have a cool house too. I place the bowl in a couple of inches warm water. I dip the towel in the water before draping over the rising dough.
maryann says
Before starting your bread recipe, place a cake pan of water in the oven on the lowest rack. Preheat your oven to warm (170) and then shut off oven. Start your recipe; by the time you place the dough in to rise the oven will have cooled somewhat (pan of water will be warm) but will be plenty warm enough to help with the rising. Second option would be to place a pan of boiling water on the lowest rack, under the bowl of dough.
Jennifer Jo says
Cute kid.
Tamara says
Of course! . . . wonder whose he is!?!
Laura Z says
During the week, we usually rotate oatmeal or oat bran with fruit, egg dishes, and toast w/ peanut butter or cream cheese. On Saturdays or Sundays we might have bacon, pancakes, crepes, waffles, or grits with our eggs for brunch.
jfred says
I can’t even remember when we stopped buying/eating cereal….it’s been 4, maybe 5, years. I was tired of my kids being HUNGRY an hour after bfast. And my own drop in blood sugar each am. We already ate real breakfasts many of our days, so I just stopped wasting our money on cereal. (And yes, I couponed then, but even .50-$1/box was a waste of $ if my kids weren’t getting good nutrition!)
So we eat oatmeal, 10 grain cereal, grits, eggs and toast, bacon, sausage gravy, hash browns, muffins, fruit, bagels, french toast, pancakes, yogurt, and/or leftovers for breakfast now.
Laura Z says
That was me, too. I could score 5-6 boxes of cereal for free at a time for couponing, but our blood sugars all suffered for it, and everyone was hungry /snacky by 10.
Lana says
My guess is that it means more are eating breakfast out. Hubby and I go out for Chick fil A one morning a week and it is incredible how many parents and their kiddos are in there eating. There are also lots of teens there every morning since it is near a high school. The drive through lane is also non stop. I cannot imagine having taken all my kids out for breakfast on a daily basis. The cost would have been crazy.
Marcia says
We used to eat cereal. I don’t really eat it anymore. I have smoothies.
The kids are hit or miss. I usually keep one box of cereal on hand (cheerios or the like), but it may take a long time for them to finish it. They also eat bagels, toast.
My husband eats raisin bran every day. So we buy that at Costco. He goes through a Costco-sized bag ($9) about every 6 weeks.
Debbie N says
My family eats cereal occasionally. I usually buy my cereal at Trader Joe’s since since they don’t use food coloring or additives.I probably wouldn’t buy more cereal but I might be enticed to try some if I noticed it at the regular grocery store.I think the problems the big companies will have is getting people to notice.I don’t even look at the cereal in my regular grocery store anymore.
I am glad the big companies are changing because it is good for people as a whole. I did buy all my halloween candy from nestle because of their changes in their candy.
Sarah B says
We eat Eggs/Yogurt/oatmeal/eggos and hubby has a protein smoothie with waffles. If I’m going to buy cereal it’s for a treat and it’s usually lucky charms. We need to get protein into ourselves to last us a good portion of the day! My issue is oatmeal, trying to get more protein in that for myself. I use coconut milk for part of it. I can’t do soy or cow’s milk. I can’t stand nut butter mixed in. I might try some nuts sometime. I make a mean chocolate steel cut oatmeal every morning.
Loretta says
I have either porridge, eggs or bircher muesli, my son has chicken noodle soup with soba noodles, my daughter forces down a smoothie (she is not a breakfast person), and my husband has eggs and bacon, or occasionally cereal. We keep 1 box in the pantry as it is so expensive, and frankly tastes like sawdust. Growing up I used to gag down a lone Weetbix without milk before school and my mother insisted my sister and I have a tablespoon of bran ‘to keep us regular’, I hated eating in the morning.
Julie C says
I’m more of an oatmeal or granola w/yogurt type myself. One of my kids loves cold cereal, one only eats it on occasion and the other rarely eats any breakfast foods. My cereal lover kid can easily eat half a box at a time, just for his first course. He’s 17, plays football, lifts weights, and I swear he eats every 2 hours round the clock, lol. I keep cereal on hand mostly so he has something quick to eat while waiting for dinner to get done. He will eat oatmeal too, but if a few boxes of cereal and couple gallons of milk a week help keep him fed and happy, I’ll buy it. Usually, it’s something kinda plain, but I do get a box of sugary cereal every now and then as a treat.
molly says
What’s your trick for caramelized bananas? Looks delish!
Diana says
Oatmeal made with skim milk, every morning for me.
NOT the single-serving commercially processed oatmeal packets that contain loads of sugar and flavorings. I buy the bulk oatmeal canister.
To each serving, I add 2 tsps of the following mixture that I make up in a large batch and keep in a jar by the oatmeal:
Oat bran
Wheat bran
Chia Seeds
Flax seed (coarsely ground)
Cinnamon with a dash of sugar
Plus, a tiny dot of yogurt butter
When I’m packing for a trip, I make up and pack a serving of my oatmeal for each morning of my trip.
Not only do I feel better about what I’m eating, than if I ate commercially processed and packaged cereals, but the price per serving for me is a fraction of processed cereals.
Mable says
Every weekend I make a homemade version of sausage egg muffins, for the following week’s breakfasts for my husband. If I did not, my husband would stop at McDonalds every morning. I costed it out in terms of time and money and I can make five muffins in half an hour, from frying to assembling to packaging and throwing in the freezer, for one third the cost of the real deal—even slightly less if I keep my eye out for sales of eggs, muffins, sausage and cheese. Each one is about 350 calories, which is okay for one meal of the day. It makes him happy to eat them and save money and it makes me happy to save the money and to give him something he likes. Last week he said, “Why don’t we try making them without the cheese because the spiced sausage sort of covers up the cheese taste anyway.” So, this weekend I hope he will say no cheese can be permanent—saving money and calories!
Debi says
We are not a good representation of cereal families either. Our kids are grown and gone so we eat eggs, oatmeal and pancakes most mornings. When our kids were home we stocked Cheerios, Rice Krispies, Shredded Wheat and Grape Nuts. I bought one box of “special” cereal per shopping trip (twice a month). Once my oldest discovered that Kix was just Trix with no colors and gross smell I stopped buying those, but Fruit Loops and Count Chocula were big favorites. Opening a box of fruit flavored cereal always made me gag… and the expense! Ugh.
jamie says
We spent a month traveling through Vietnam last year and ate the free hotel breakfast everywhere we went. Very few of them had any American type breakfast items, but they looked more like a lunch or dinner buffet. Since we came home, we rarely eat cereal. Oatmeal, soup, some breakfast sandwiches, waffles during the week. Holidays and weekends we eat more like in Vietnam. Soups, veggies, fruit, stir fry, meats, rice, real food! It has helped us stay fuller longer and eat less calories.
carmen says
One of my teenagers became a cereal eater when responsible for getting her own breakfast. She eats early, has some food intolerances (eggs, cheese) which make it harder to find better choices. She chooses the healthier options.
The rest of us don’t eat cereal, apart from my husband’s occasional muesli or porridge at the weekend. The lack of colourings would make zero difference to us; we don’t eat them because they’re processed carbs and nowhere near filling enough for the first meal of the day. Something like seeded breaded toasted with protein/fats is better. We have things like scrambled egg on toast with fruit or a smoothie. Or yoghurt & fruit with some sliced ham. An omelette etc.
I wasn’t brought up on cereal for breakfast, I think it’s quite an American thing. Porridge was the only option here (UK) when I was younger, along with cooked breakfasts and toast.
Dominic says
We have 30 hens, so my wife and I eat eggs & fruit for breakfast most days, but my 9 year old eats peanut butter toast every day. Every. Day. The 7 year old bounces from toast to cereal to eggs. But not sugary cereal. Honey Nut Cheerios, plain Cheerios, and some sort of Flake, usually.
JC says
We typically eat eggs with spinach and black beans (my husband adds sausage & salsa). Growing up I pretty much ate breakfast shakes or toast as I ran out the door. Even as a kid I did not like sugary cereal, I was the weirdo asking for raisen bran. If I’m going to have something sweet for breakfast I’d rather go for homemade coffee cake, cinnamon rolls, or pie, and those are typically reserved for special occasions.
Pam says
We very seldom buy cold cereal and when we do it’s eaten as a snack at night. Breakfast is usually leftovers around mid morning. Once in awhile it’s actually a “normal” breakfast of eggs, sausage (or bacon), toast. Our favorite breakfast is biscuits and gravy with bacon on the side.
Mavis says
Biscuits and gravy know the way to my heart {and thighs, too!} Ha.
Jen Y says
I can’t remember the last time I bought a box of cereal. i used to buy it for my son but I quit when it discovered it always went stale before we finished eating it. My husband is diabetic & we eat low-carb – there is now cereal that’s low carb enough for us including oatmeal.
Yvette says
Although I come from a large family, where cereal was sanity relief in the mornings for my mother, I came to despise it in my adult years. It’s so bad, the smell makes me sick to my stomach ,ESPECIALLY once milk is added! I have always been a toast/hard boiled egg person on those rare mornings I ate breakfast, while my husband was a HUGE Mountain Dew with a doughnut kinda guy. First thing. In the MORNING. Ick!
Fast forward 10 years, and our super healthy son ( who has never liked cereal, and is also repulsed by the sight and smell) , frequently eats eggs, English muffin with cheese and Canadian bacon or Cream of Wheat. And not just any cream of wheat. No sugar added. All I do is throw (unsweetened) raisins in the pot as the water is boiling, then add the cream of wheat, mixed with cinnamon and nutmeg. After it’s finished cooking, I put a cap of vanilla extract in the bowl, prior to filling it with the hot cereal. That’s it. Oh, and he usually eats about 2 bananas and 2 oranges, as well.
As for the hubby, all that crazy eating caught up with him ,so he now has to have plain Trader Joe’s bran flakes, with unsweetened raisins for sweetness. I don’t think it has many additives in it (since it’s Trader Joe’s), but if they change it, I don’t think he would notice or care, since he’s already not very thrilled to be eating what he refers to as “rabbit food.”
maryann says
I’m intolerant to eggs, so food with eggs products are basically off limits. I do have cereal but usually as supper. Shredded Wheat with honey and hot milk are normal for me. Although a bowl of Cinnamon Toast Crunch warm works well also.
I do think more people eat out now then at home (less groceries to buy, no clean up and someone else is cooking) even though it is much more expensive. Its a bad habit of mine also.
I find with my younger coworkers, not many of them know how to cook the simple things. I had one coworker ask me how to make pan fried potatoes once. People are also amazed at how food taste without onions (I am allergic to them, so they are not in my house at all) and that you can actual make a dish without them.