Back in March, the CEO of Kellogg’s suggested in an interview with CNBC that cereal is an affordable option for dinner. He noted that people are struggling to pay their bills and with food costs going up, turning to cereal is a viable option. I mean, what could go wrong? Let’s take a look objectively and see if cereal for dinner is actually a good option for families.
What Kind of Cereal for Dinner?
Well, there are some healthier options for cereal out there, for sure. You have your bran flakes, and your corn flakes, and oatmeal varieties. Good luck serving those to your kids for dinner or any other time. When they have all kinds of sugary, bright options that have fun mascots associated with them, why would they choose the healthier option? I recently did a blog on how cereal manufacturers, in particular, pay to put their products on a shelf eye level to kids. It’s a thing, and it feels icky.
Is Cereal for Dinner More Affordable?
I took a look at the Superstore website for cereal options. Research says that there are about 50 grams of dry cereal in a cup. So let’s take a look at the different kinds of cereal and how much you pay per cup, which is often a serving.
You have your sugary cereals, like Fruit Loops. They cost about $.58 per cup and you get about 7 servings in a box. Cheerios, cost about $.53 per cup and you get about 11 servings to a box. They advertise Muslix Almond Raisin cereal as a healthier option. It costs about $.78 per cup and there are about 9 servings in a box.
Don’t forget that you need milk with these totals. 2 liters of milk costs about $4.45. You use about ¼ cup of milk with cereal, so one jug will do you for about 32 servings. That’s not bad. That’s only about $.14 per serving with cereal.
What are Other Options to Cereal for Dinner?
So, let’s say you have good old bacon and eggs for dinner. How much would that cost? A dozen eggs is about $5.22, so if you have 2 eggs for dinner, you would get 6 dinners out of a carton. That’s $0.87 per serving. If you get bacon that is not filled with preservatives and sugar, it costs $8.99 for 375 grams. That will give you about 8 servings, if you have 2 strips of bacon as a serving. So, you’re looking at $1.12 per serving.
This gives you a grand total of $1.99 for a meal of bacon and eggs per person. The Fruit loops would be $.72 per serving, the Cheerios $.67 per serving, and the Muslix $.92 per serving. He’s right, it is less money.
What About Nutrition?
The cereals listed above all have a significant number of net carbs. In Fruit Loops, the number one ingredient is sugar. Sugar is the third ingredient in Cheerios. Muslix has dates coated in dextrose in their ingredients. Yeah, that’s still sugar. And then there is sugar added as well.
Now, nutrition is a funny thing. Some people will say that carbs are okay and it’s fat you need to stay away from. Most nutritionists will tell you that bacon and eggs are not a healthy meal. The bacon is a processed meat and you should limit your eggs intake. I say (and really, who am I), it depends on your perspective. I eat about a slice of bacon a day, and since I’m on keto, my body seems to process it just fine.
One thing we all agree on – sugar is not good for anyone. Also, you need fresh fruit and vegetables in your diet to maintain your health. There’s one final thing we can agree on. When you eat carbs (other than fiber), you will quickly get hungry again. Fat has more calories, so it keeps you feeling full longer. If you feed your kids cereal for dinner, they are going to need more food before bed. And now, the price starts to add up.
Cereal on Keto
Obviously, this is not a viable option for people on keto. The net carbs usually are more than we can eat in a day. But more than that, it’s not a viable option for anyone. I’m not judging people who eat and feed their kids what they can afford and what they get from food banks. I’m judging multi-millionaire CEOs who promote that it’s okay to have this as an option for families. Food insecurity is not an advertising opportunity. Period. Do better, Kellogg’s.
Wendy
