Breakfast for kids is a challenge!

As a Mom to 5 many of my challenges are based around food.  I personally am a morning person. I get up early with my little ones and we eat breakfast together.  But, as soon as my older kids became teens they stopped wanting to eat breakfast.  They go to bed too late and then they cannot wake up in the morning.  As they sit groggy at the table the last thing they want to think about is, what should I have for breakfast.  

I am participating in a Share Your Love for Cereal Month with MyBlogSpark and I think new ideas are always worth a try.  I was sent a selection of 10 different cereals by General Mills.  Each cereal came in its own disposable bowl and each cereal appeals to teens.  I put these cereals on the table and my teens jumped on them.  They opened it up, put in the milk they liked and ate it up in minutes.  

My oldest even asked if he could have another one?  Seriously, are these the same kids who sit with their eyes closed and heads on the table most other days?  My best advice for kids who do not like breakfast is to always try to stay one step ahead. Change things up!  Serve different foods and flavors than they are used to.  I know when I took out my waffle maker a few months ago everyone was excited for hot fresh waffles in the morning.  That experiment lasted for months.  Us Moms and Dads need to be on our toes, thinking ahead, planning ways to make the kids want to eat.

General Mills recently did a survey in the DC area and 97% of parents think that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  I agree!  My 15 year old does not get to eat lunch at school until 1 pm.  If he does not eat before we leave the house at 730AM he cannot concentrate in any of his classes.  On the General Mills survey another interesting question was, what is the most important factor to get your child to eat breakfast, and 81% of the respondents said that the food had to taste great!  The last question that I found really important is which food do you think is a healthy food option, and 86% answered with cereal.  A 2009 study found that children who eat cereal have significantly higher intakes of whole grain, folate, calcium, iron, fiber, zinc and several other nutrients.  If you would like to watch a video or read more about cereal please visit www.cerealbenefits.com  It is very important to me that my kids have some whole grains and calcium in their morning meal and if they can get that in a cereal they love, all the better!  If I could ask an expert in the cereal world a question, I would like to know if there is anyway to make a cereal that my kids would love without all the usual sugar.  Can there be a happy medium between sweet cereal and less sugar?  I hope so!!

Another tip I can offer is that when my kids agree to come shopping with me at the grocery store, they usually choose many foods that surprise me and 98% of the time they eat it and enjoy it!!  I love when my kids come along and choose new breakfast foods and nothing makes me happier than seeing them wake up in the morning eager to eat breakfast!

*********Would you like to win a cereal giftpack of your own from General Mills?

Please leave me one comment and tell me which benefit of cereal is most important to you and your family?  Or, leave me a comment and tell me what question you would like to ask a cereal expert?

If you would like additional entries, 

* follow me on twitter @cookwith5kids

* tweet about this giveaway using hashtag #myblogspark

* please leave a comment for each entry, thank you!

Winner will be chosen on June 11th at noon.

Dislcaimer: I was sent a giftpack from General Mills and MyBlogSpark to review.  The opinions I have provided above are all my own.  Winners must live in the US.