5 Alternatives to Cereal

Cereal is basically just a bunch of sugar in a bowl with milk. It’s one of the most unhealthy options for breakfast outside of breaking out the ice cream. It is also one of the simplest breakfast foods there are. As a parent, it’s much easier just to let your kids have cereal for breakfast than trying to make something.

Cereal should be a rare treat, not a common food. We have cereal once a week in our home for breakfast - the kids look forward to it every week, but they know that we only eat it that one day of the week. If I eat cereal, it’s not for breakfast, but rather just as a snack. It’s sweet enough and sugary enough to qualify.

Here are five better alternatives to cereal for breakfast that aren’t nearly as unhealthy for you or your kids.

1. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is extremely simple to make. Get some dry oats, add water, and place in the microwave (for about 3 minutes). Make sure you cover the oatmeal while in the microwave to avoid a big mess. That’s all there is to actually making oatmeal. You can add fruit or a sweetener (like stevia) to it as well to sweeten it. My kids’ favorite is plain applesauce (no added sugar) and raisins. Simply mix whatever additives you add up with the oatmeal and you’re set. Read more about making oatmeal for breakfast.

2. Breakfast burritos

This recipe takes a bit more work, but it’s also one of the tastiest options on the list. You can actually make a big batch of these for the entire week, or you can even freeze them and have them for the next month.

The basics of this recipe: scramble some eggs, and then put them inside of a tortilla. When you scramble your eggs, add in any vegetables and protein (such as ham) that you’d like in your burrito. Additionally, when making your burrito, you can include things such as cheese, rice, or beans if you’d like. If you’re eating them right away, you can also add salsa and sour cream.

3. French toast

French toast is a bit of work to make, but if your kids don’t like eggs, it may be your best option to get some in them. To cut down on calories in this breakfast, use egg whites instead of full eggs, and don’t add any milk. Egg whites contain less than half the calories of an egg, but still work great for french toast.

To top your french toast, you can use any fruits that you love. If you just can’t go without syrup, give this Walden Farms syrup a try. It’s absolutely delicious for no calories added - that’s right, you still get that syrupy flavor without all of the added calories.

4. Greek yogurt and fruit

This is a simple breakfast that can be pulled out of the fridge about as easy as cereal, but is a far healthier option than cereal. Make sure that your yogurt is non-fat (no sugar added) and that it’s greek yogurt. Greek yogurt packs far more protein than regular yogurt. Most yogurt is also loaded with sugar, so make sure you choose the option that is sugar free - plenty of options for this that still taste great.

Pair your yogurt with any fruit that you see fit. Bananas are popular, but you could include most any fruit that you like. You can either mix it in or just eat it on the side. It’s really up to you.

5. Eggs

Eggs can be made in so many different ways, and they can taste great. If you like to see the egg yolks, then you can do sunny-side up eggs. If you want an omelet, no problem either. And if you want to cut down on calories, egg whites in place of regular eggs are an option as well.

Depending on how you’ve made your eggs, adding a bit of salsa or hot sauce to the top can spice the dish up a little bit. Also, adding some tomatoes or avocados on the side is really tasty as well.

Conclusion

Just because cereal is easy doesn’t mean that you have to let your kids eat it every day. Make healthy foods for your kids for breakfast, and you can enjoy them as well.