A Creepy Crawly made from Cereals

According to a survey by Nestle, 47% of children have munched on a creepy crawly from the garden. Thankfully, my own five have never succumbed to the urge to chow down on a caterpillar, worm or heaven forbid, a slug! I would have officially freaked out if my kids had ever indulged in an insectoid treat. Just the thought of it makes me shudder.

Although almost half of the children of the parents surveyed would have happily gobbled up a bug or two, over two thirds would refuse to eat a plate full of greens. I know what I would prefer!

Despite some children's strange dietary habits, it's easy to get some wholegrain goodness and added vitamins and minerals in their diet by giving them a bowl of fortified cereals.

To celebrate how nutritious cereals can be and to show kids there are better things to eat than bugs, Nestle have joined forces with food artist Prudence Staite to create a giant caterpillar made from cereals.

Nestle have also challenged us to have a go at making our own cereal creepy crawly creation. So the children set to work to make their own cereal butterfly! I think that for every one piece of cereal stuck on to the butterfly, the kids ate at least two!

They cut the body from the cereal box and using PVA glue stuck the Cheerios all over it. While it dried they made the wings by splodging paint on one half of a piece of A3 paper then folding it in half to make a matching pattern on each wing. Once dried they cut it into wing shapes and attached the Cheerio covered body. The finishing touches included more Nestle Nesquik cereals, sequins, pompoms, pipe cleaner antennae, a smiley foam mouth and googly eyes. I loved the finished result. So colourful and bright - a really cheerful Cheerio Butterfly!

The butterfly had a photo shoot in its natural habitat, the garden! It looked so bright and cute among the bushes and plants. Who knew that cereals could inspire such creativity - while still tasting so delicious!

NEW Low Sugar Oat Cheerios

NEW Low Sugar Oat Cheerios, have just 1.4g of sugar per serving, are rich in fibre and are made with 98% wholegrain. They give families the opportunity to maintain the balance between a great tasting breakfast and a healthier way to start the day.

Freddy is a big fan of Cheerios so he was our first test subject.  I didn't tell him they were new, and just gave him a bowlful in his favourite bowl just like I always do.  Immediately he looked suspicious and asked why were they all white!  Then he tried a few spoonfuls and said that they weren't quite as tasty as his usual three colour Cheerios, but they were OK.  We compromised by adding a handful of regular Cheerios to the bowl, and he yummied them all up.

For me, this is a success story.  Freddy is the boy who hates change and likes exactly what he likes. I happily adopt compromises that will mean he is still getting all the taste and crunch, but with less sugar in half of what he consumed. I will never make mealtimes a battlefield, and when a happy compromise can be reached, I think it moves things forward for the better with everyone still smiling. The wholegrain goodness and lower sugar recipe provides a good start to the day for my little boy.

Ian, on the other hand, always complains about the sweetness of cereals, so the Low Sugar Oat Cheerios were perfect for him.  As oats are such a superfood, packed with slow release energy, these cereals make a great start to the day.  They are quick and convenient and they retain the element of fun with their tasty 'O' format.

It is good that Nestle are responding to the new guidelines on sugar, allowing us all to continue enjoying our favourite cereals in a healthier way.

Find Nestle cereals in the cereal aisle of supermarkets.

Shake Up your Wake Up with Nestle Cereals #BreakfastWeek

Nestle are celebrating #BreakfastWeek by inviting us all to shake up our wake up and make breakfast times more fun.  They want us to get creative with the kids and mix and match our cereals to make a yummy concoction to start the day.  Not only will this encourage kids to get involved with preparing their breakfast, it will ensure they enjoy a nutritious start to their morning.

Funnily enough, breakfast cereal concoctions have been a 'thing' here Inside the Wendy House for as long as I can remember.  Why have one type of cereal when you can have two or even three?  There is so much choice and with every green bannered box of Nestle breakfast cereals, you know you are getting wholegrain goodness and at least five vitamins and minerals.  You really can't go wrong.

Freddy's favourite, which he has every morning is a Cheerio and Shreddies combo with cold, almond milk.

So, here I give to you Freddy's Nestle Cheerio and Shreddies combo:

Freddio's Shreddio's!

Kezia went for a mix of Curiously Cinnamon and Cookie Crisp, served with a splash of cold almond milk (or eaten dry from a bowl as a tasty brekkie on her way to school along with a drinkable yogurt for a hearty breakfast on the go!)

Kezia called her combo:  Sugar and Spice.

Honey Monster's New Choco WOWs, Honey WOWs and Stix Cereal Bars.

The Honey Monster has launched new Choco WOWs and Honey WOWs cereal and Stix cereal bars in two exciting flavours full of kid appeal: Marshmallow and Vanilla Yoghurt or Honeycomb and Milk Chocolate.

Breakfast is so important to children. But if you have a fussy eater, getting a good breakfast into your little one can be difficult.  This is when offering kid friendly cereals can be a great help. They may be sweet treats but a morning bowl of WOWs is also packed with vitamins, iron and fibre and contains no artificial ingredients. The milk chocolate or honey coated multigrain hoops with oats and crisped rice will give your youngsters the energy they need to see them through the day ahead. It's nice to see that even though the cereals contain sugar and chocolate, they are also packed with good stuff.  In an ideal world, kids would eat a sugar free organic breakfast in the morning, but in the real world kids often don't work this way! As a parent I'd prefer my kids to eat something in the morning, even if that means compromising to satisfy a sweet-tooth.  The child will be happy and the parent can rest easy knowing that their little one has had a daily dose of vitamins, iron and fibre in the process.

The WOWs are very tasty and Freddy enjoyed eating them with milk as an after school snack.  He enjoys cereal in the afternoon, re-energising him after school.

Stix cereal bars are made from crisp rice and Sugar Puffs and are an ideal, energy-boosting snack which can be enjoyed at home or on the go.  Freddy has one as his Friday snack at school, when kids are allowed something other than fruit at breaktime.  He really likes the Marshmallow and Vanilla flavour Stix bar.  They are a good size for little people.

Kids will love Honey Monster’s new fun range and mums know that their little monsters will happily eat the cereals or the bars and will be getting the goodness they need.

The Honey Monster is also on tour and is visiting Tesco Extras up and down the country - sadly not at any near me though! Find out more info here: www.honeymonster.co.uk

We received some WOWs and Stix to try from the Honey Monster!

Fuelling Big School Days with Weetabix

The kids are going back to school and they will need a good breakfast to fill their bellies and keep them going until lunchtime.  With Freddy starting full time school on September 4th, I want to be sure he has a good start to the day to prepare him for everything new and exciting that comes his way.  So for Freddy, a bowl of Weetabix with milk is on the menu.

Weetabix is made with 100% wholegrain, is high in fibre and low in fat and sugar making it a great source of slow release energy to fuel my little lad until lunchtime.  It has four added vitamins and iron to aid his physical development and has no added nasties. It is ready to eat in moments with its easy to serve portions, making it perfect for busy mornings. What's more, Freddy loves it!

Having a healthy diet is essential for little ones, especially when they start school, which will see them expending loads of energy as they are stretched both mentally and physically. Weetabix's consultant dietician has some top tips to help make sure your child is happy and healthy at mealtimes.

• A variety of foods at regular meal times is key to a healthy diet
• Involve children in food and meal preparation
• Offer child-size portions, allowing for seconds if wanted, rather than serving one large portion
• Be a positive role model for your child when it comes to eating
• Eat together as a family
• Keep sweet treats as an occasional end of meal treat
• Top up between meals with a healthy snack such as vegetable/fruit sticks with yoghurt dip or breakfast cereal with milk
• Make sure your child is not too tired to eat
• If you have any worries talk to your doctor, health visitor or school nurse

Granola Rock Cake Recipe

Jordans have sent me some products to inspire me to create something yummy in the kitchen.  So using their delicious Super 3 Seeds Granola with cranberries, I made some Granola Rock Cakes, based on the rock cakes my mum used to make when I was a child!  They are very quick and easy to make.

Ingredients

125g butter

125g soft brown sugar

1 egg

200g plain flour

1/2 teaspn baking powder

125g Jordan's Super 3 Seeds Granola

Method

Cream together the fat and sugar.

Beat in the egg.

Add flour, baking powder and granola.

Stir well.

Blob onto baking tray evenly spaced.

Cook at 180 degrees for approximately 15 minutes.

The rock cakes are very oaty and the seeds and cranberries are delicious additions!  They are a tasty and healthier alternative to cookies.

Kelloggs Mini Max for Breakfast

Mini Max...Mini Morning Maximizers for Your Kids (as long as they aren't vegetarian!)

Kellogg's Mini Max is the new cereal from Kellogg's.  Crunchy little bundles of  baked wholegrain wheat provide the right balance between a breakfast that is good for the family along with a taste they will love.  They are high in fibre and low in salt.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and so enticing the family with something tasty and appetising yet packed with wholegrain goodness, ensures they will get a good start to the day.  That is the idea behind taking mini Shredded Wheat and slathering them in a tasty topping!

The wholegrain parcels in the Mini Max Original that we were sent to try, are coated with a sugary crust and fortified with vitamins and minerals.  Kizzy immediately tucked into a bowl with her usual soya milk and really enjoyed them.

Unfortunately, after she had finished her bowl of cereals, I had a close look at the packaging and was quite horrified to see Beef Gelatin listed as an ingredient making them unsuitable for vegetarians.  As a vegetarian family, this is really a big deal.  I assume that cereals will always be vegetarian and as there as no no "not suitable for vegetarian" labelling on the product packaging I did not think I needed to read the small print on the back of the box.  I am really disappointed in Kelloggs for using bovine gelatin as an additive, making these cereals out of bounds for veggie families. 

Before realising this fact, we were impressed with the Mini Max cereal, and as most people are not concerned with consuming gelatin, this will not pose a problem to most families. They do provide a tasty and filling breakfast.   But sadly, Mini Max are off the breakfast menu here Inside the Wendy House.