Homemade baked goods vs cereal for breakfast

chocolatecake

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 3:58 pm

My kids used to always have cereal and milk for breakfast. Cereals like kix, chex, life etc. I baked cinnamon buns last week and my second grader has been having one every day for breakfast since. It kind of bothers me but then again if you really think about it I am not convinced that cereals have any more value than homemade baked goods. Just curious your thoughts on the topic....

cupcake123

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 4:05 pm

I always think about this. Like technically pancakes are just cake. What makes it "healthy" or deemed a breakfast food. For me it's about balance. Sometimes my kids have muffins sometimes cereal, sometimes eggs.
And eating something in the morning is better imo then going to school hungry

Amarante

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 4:15 pm

There is no comparison between a "baked" item and cereal unless you are serving absolute garbage cereals.

Healthy cereals are made with whole grains and minimal sugar and fat. Generally they are fortified with vitamins but even plain cereals have the nutritional value from whole grains. Also children generally will get significant calcium and Vitamin D from the milk and many kids don't drink enough milk or dairy as most dairy products don't have as calcium per serving as milk.

Even so-called healthy baked items are less healthy than most cereals - they typically have more sugar and more fat - they are in the category of "treats" as a small part of a healthy diet and not intended to be a main source.

I used to make baked oatmeal quite a bit and it had the benefits of oatmeal while still looking more like a dessert. I used to freeze individual portions and they were handy because they just were nuked. I would even bring them in for my own breakfast at work.

I don't think of pancakes as a particularly healthy breakfast although there are some frozen waffles that are made with whole grains and are essentially equivalent to a cold cereal in the form of a waffle but of course these are often served with syrup and butter which adds taste and calories but not really much nutritional value unless you need to fatten up someone.

There is nothing wrong with having "cake" for breakfast occasionally but not as a substitute for real food.

MiracleMama

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 4:25 pm

chocolatecake wrote:

Cereal is not a health food. Even the better ones. Still very processed. If you bake, there is a range of how healthy it will be - depending of kind of flour, amount and type of sweetener, fats, etc. It can certainly be just as good or better than cereal. You have control of what goes in.

mushkamothers

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 4:28 pm

I've been serving grilled cheese the past week. Cheese on rye bread is hardly my idea of nutrition but it's still better than any cereal. And in the meantime I'm getting my act together to make healthy muffins, homemade granola etc.
Fortified and processed cereals with added iron is NOT healthy either.

motherfrmisrael

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 4:38 pm

Unless it's deep fried or full of margarine, anything you bake is better then cereal.

You can also make healthier versions, with less oil and sugar and no one will know the difference, and then a muffin can be as nourishing and sustaining as a sandwich! add oats for extra credit!

Amarante

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 4:44 pm

Not all cereals are healthy. Don’t serve Frosted Flakes or Froot Loops. 😂🤷‍♀️ What kind of breakfast cereals are people serving. It seems as if they are serving unhealthy sugar cereals and thinking those are the universe of cereals.

There are many extremely healthy cereals made from whole grains with minimal sugar.

I am not sure why baked goods are healthier.

And nothing wrong with toasted cheese especially if made with whole wheat bread. Nothing wrong with ampny kind of sandwich either for breakfast.

Peanut butter on whole wheat bagel, English Muffin or other bread product.

Make a pizza with half an English muffin some cheese and tomato sauce. Or just a tomato with melted cheese.

Whole wheat or corn tortilla with a feeling of some kind. You can even use melted cheese by nuking briefly.

Dessert ps are fine occasionally but they are not a healthy choice compared to healthy cereals or other easily prepared food.

amother

IndianRed

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 4:51 pm

If you look at the ingredients and nutritional information on a box of cereal or store bought baked goods you'll see you can do much better on your own. Find recipes with whole wheat flour, oatmeal, almond flour. Use healthy types of oil or butter, a lot of commercially made baked goods have trans fats. Cut the amount of sugar in the recipe, aim for less than a teaspoon of sugar per serving or a tablespoon of sweetener for four servings. Honey and maple syrup aren't health foods but they're slightly better than sugar. Add something like grated zucchini, carrots, apples. Bake your own bars or muffins and keep them in the freezer. Save boxed cereal for when you run out, there are some that are lower in sugar and junk than others.

scruffy

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 5:19 pm

There are healthy pancakes - I make these which are essentially rolled oats, cottage cheese, and eggs.

https://www.thekitchn.com/cott.....63223

They taste really good (I'm not a health nut and this is my honest review!) and are nutrient dense.

You can make healthier muffins as well. Not all baked goods are equal.

Edit to switch the link

amother

Brunette

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 7:30 pm

amother [ Honey ] wrote:

Which are extremely healthy cereals?
I would think homemade goods are healthier as they’re not so processed and have probably less preservatives. You can adjust the sugar and flour type to make it even healthier.

Most homemade baked goods have more fat and sugar than cereal.

challahchallah

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 7:31 pm

Amarante wrote:

I used to make baked oatmeal quite a bit and it had the benefits of oatmeal while still looking more like a dessert. I used to freeze individual portions and they were handy because they just were nuked. I would even bring them in for my own breakfast at work.

Do you have a recipe you like for baked oatmeal? I’ve made a couple and they often end up tasting a bit soggy to me. Is there a trick?

amother

Cerulean

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 7:49 pm

amother [ Brunette ] wrote:

Most homemade baked goods have more fat and sugar than cereal.

Healthy fat is great for growing kids and brain development. Cereal has no nutritional value in that realm. I make homemade baked goods sweetened with bananas or dates for most days of the week with zero restrictions on healthy fats.

nicole81

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 8:24 pm

cupcake123 wrote:

Cereal is sugar coated vitamins.

Not if you buy cereal without added sugar. Regular Cheerios with milk or plain yogurt, with berries or half a banana is a solid breakfast.

And frankly, some cereals are way worse than sugar coated vitamins. There's a huge spectrum when it comes to cereal quality and nutrition.

We read labels carefully and have specific standards for both weekday and shabbos cereals. They're all healthier and more nutritious than standard baked goods. That said, there's nothing wrong with giving baked items for breakfast every so often.

amother

Mimosa

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 8:28 pm

Even the so called whole grains with minimal sugar and fortified with vitamins are junk in my book. Extremely processed, gmo, tons of pesticide, almost all have some amount of sugar, and the added vitamins are artificial, not bioavailable and some are actually harmful. Especially the iron, b12 and folic acid. I Davka look for unfortified tbh. Even then it’s way too much carbs right in the morning. Terrible for blood sugar regulation, not enough fat and protein to balance it out.

gootlfriends

Mon, Dec 27 2021, 8:33 pm

I used to buy cereal for my kids. Then I realized most cereals they will eat are low in fiber and high in sugar with little to no protein. So I started making muffins. Pumpkin muffins with applesauce instead of oil and whole wheat flour. To my kids it is still muffins.