But the strangest part about my Kid B upbringing is that my mother had zero qualms with me drinking gallons of Hawaiian Punch, which, to my knowledge, is liquid sugar dyed red. Lol.
My favorite cereal is Reese's Puffs. I mix a bit of it into healthier cereals.
I was a mix of kid A and B. When we switched to boring cereals, I took the Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) route and doused bowls of Chex in sugar and ate the slurry at the bottom of the bowl. Not my finest years.
I was kid A. Thank you for this post. I am happy to see my cereals of choice on the 10 and under list. Also I will share with my coworker who says cereal is too sugary.
Thanks for keeping us not only healthy but sane and common sense educated. People can get on some extremes and you keep us on track with real world, working knowledge. Thanks brother!
I can remember choosing what cereal I got based on the toy that came in the box. I love Lucky Charms, but if Fruit Loops had a Mr T necklace inside...sold.
I don’t understand the reasoning behind looking at added sugar instead of total sugar. By this measure raisins, honey and actual sugar have zero added sugar while actually being 60, 80 and 99% sugar.
I get eating food you enjoy but a calorie is a calorie so whatever your target, less or more, why not just consider that whether it pure enjoyment or fuel you are after.
Ps
As a six year old I’d pile sugar on any cereal as my mum thought sugar was a healthy source of energy. I was a skinny kid. At 60 I avoid raisins as with a desk job I store every spare calorie. I am still a grainarian first and oatmeal and bread both work for me as pleasure foods.
It’s not just the added sugar in these cereals, it’s the sugar plus all of the other highly processed ingredients. It’s a little odd to go from reading the oatmeal post with the sentiment of “we have been eating oatmeal for a long time and our grandparents recognize it as a food” to “modern processed cereals aren’t so bad.”
We’re all adults and when it comes to food people should do what they want, but I personally cannot eat any kind of cereal without adverse health consequences, and I think the same is true for a lot of other people, if they would test it for themselves. Maybe consider getting uncomfortable and giving up sugar?
Thanks for your comment. I'm sorry to hear you can't eat cereal without adverse health consequences. It sounds like you should stay away from it!
I've given up sugar at times and didn't find it useful. I'm far better off when I use it on purpose. That was the intension of this post—giving perspectives on how a person might eat added sugar on purpose (which might include, like you do, avoiding it entirely). Thanks for reading the piece!
Kid B all the way, EXCEPT for our 2-week vacation at the beach each summer. Then my Mom would get us two giant triple pack boxes of Trix, Cocoa Puffs, and Lucky Charms from Costco. My older sisters claimed the Lucky Charms, but didn’t like the other two. So those two weeks were an artificial chocolatey-tutti-frutti free for all. Heaven.
Oh hell i was kid B, shredded wheat, grape nuts, oatmeal. My best friend was kid A when i ate there id eat capt crunch till roof of my mouth hurt. Now i prefer occasional shredded wheat
I was totally Kid A, but now “everything in it’s right place” is the motto. I’ll eat my kids’ Cheerios but the missus and I don’t give them overly sweet cereal -- but they get a ton of other sweet things to more than make up for it!
I was pretty much Kid B.... oatmeal, cream of wheat daily. Occasionally during the summer my mom would buy Honeycomb cereal and Wheaties On family camping trips she would let us get the small boxes of “sugary” cereal as a treat. I distinctly remember my sister and I bickering over who got what.
Oatmeal has been a staple of my entire life.
As far as cereal being healthy... I guess it sort of depends on how hungry you are... sometimes you have to just eat something and it’s probably better than nothing.
To answer directly: I haven't seen any compelling evidence suggesting any one refined sugar (all sugar is refined to some extent) is any more healthy or unhealthy than another.
Larger answer: If you're worried about unhealthy inflammation, exercise is likely the best way to reduce it.
Several years ago, I tried Magic Spoon cereal for the first (and last) time and no matter the flavor the end result was always the same. After ~10-15 min. my stomach became VERY cranky/unhappy. Then by 20-30 min. it was off to the bathroom for a hasty backdoor exit unlike most anything I've experienced before. Here's looking at you, Allulose...
FWIW, I was Kid B. 'Cuz sugar.
But the strangest part about my Kid B upbringing is that my mother had zero qualms with me drinking gallons of Hawaiian Punch, which, to my knowledge, is liquid sugar dyed red. Lol.
My favorite cereal is Reese's Puffs. I mix a bit of it into healthier cereals.
I was a mix of kid A and B. When we switched to boring cereals, I took the Calvin (of Calvin and Hobbes) route and doused bowls of Chex in sugar and ate the slurry at the bottom of the bowl. Not my finest years.
Chocolate Frosted Sugae Bombs!
Haha, I also did this with all sorts of bland cereals...Cheerios, Chex, and even Grape Nuts.
I was kid A. Thank you for this post. I am happy to see my cereals of choice on the 10 and under list. Also I will share with my coworker who says cereal is too sugary.
Thanks for keeping us not only healthy but sane and common sense educated. People can get on some extremes and you keep us on track with real world, working knowledge. Thanks brother!
I can remember choosing what cereal I got based on the toy that came in the box. I love Lucky Charms, but if Fruit Loops had a Mr T necklace inside...sold.
I hope you kept that Mr T necklace!
I was def kid B! But one Christmas my parents did buy me a box of Lucky Charms because I was obsessed with it!😂 That was a good Christmas
This would be a good opportunity to offer a granola recipe that strikes the right balance.
I don’t understand the reasoning behind looking at added sugar instead of total sugar. By this measure raisins, honey and actual sugar have zero added sugar while actually being 60, 80 and 99% sugar.
I get eating food you enjoy but a calorie is a calorie so whatever your target, less or more, why not just consider that whether it pure enjoyment or fuel you are after.
Ps
As a six year old I’d pile sugar on any cereal as my mum thought sugar was a healthy source of energy. I was a skinny kid. At 60 I avoid raisins as with a desk job I store every spare calorie. I am still a grainarian first and oatmeal and bread both work for me as pleasure foods.
It’s not just the added sugar in these cereals, it’s the sugar plus all of the other highly processed ingredients. It’s a little odd to go from reading the oatmeal post with the sentiment of “we have been eating oatmeal for a long time and our grandparents recognize it as a food” to “modern processed cereals aren’t so bad.”
We’re all adults and when it comes to food people should do what they want, but I personally cannot eat any kind of cereal without adverse health consequences, and I think the same is true for a lot of other people, if they would test it for themselves. Maybe consider getting uncomfortable and giving up sugar?
Thanks for your comment. I'm sorry to hear you can't eat cereal without adverse health consequences. It sounds like you should stay away from it!
I've given up sugar at times and didn't find it useful. I'm far better off when I use it on purpose. That was the intension of this post—giving perspectives on how a person might eat added sugar on purpose (which might include, like you do, avoiding it entirely). Thanks for reading the piece!
Kid B all the way, EXCEPT for our 2-week vacation at the beach each summer. Then my Mom would get us two giant triple pack boxes of Trix, Cocoa Puffs, and Lucky Charms from Costco. My older sisters claimed the Lucky Charms, but didn’t like the other two. So those two weeks were an artificial chocolatey-tutti-frutti free for all. Heaven.
Oh hell i was kid B, shredded wheat, grape nuts, oatmeal. My best friend was kid A when i ate there id eat capt crunch till roof of my mouth hurt. Now i prefer occasional shredded wheat
I was totally Kid A, but now “everything in it’s right place” is the motto. I’ll eat my kids’ Cheerios but the missus and I don’t give them overly sweet cereal -- but they get a ton of other sweet things to more than make up for it!
Amen. Sounds like a sustainable approach.
I was pretty much Kid B.... oatmeal, cream of wheat daily. Occasionally during the summer my mom would buy Honeycomb cereal and Wheaties On family camping trips she would let us get the small boxes of “sugary” cereal as a treat. I distinctly remember my sister and I bickering over who got what.
Oatmeal has been a staple of my entire life.
As far as cereal being healthy... I guess it sort of depends on how hungry you are... sometimes you have to just eat something and it’s probably better than nothing.
Oatmeal is my go-to breakfast. Has been for years.
What about coconut sugar vs refined sugar as it pertains to inflammatory effects?
To answer directly: I haven't seen any compelling evidence suggesting any one refined sugar (all sugar is refined to some extent) is any more healthy or unhealthy than another.
Larger answer: If you're worried about unhealthy inflammation, exercise is likely the best way to reduce it.
Several years ago, I tried Magic Spoon cereal for the first (and last) time and no matter the flavor the end result was always the same. After ~10-15 min. my stomach became VERY cranky/unhappy. Then by 20-30 min. it was off to the bathroom for a hasty backdoor exit unlike most anything I've experienced before. Here's looking at you, Allulose...