What's wrong with breakfastcereals these days? They've polarised into two types - cereals for adults and cereals for children. And virtually nothing inbetween.
Cereals for adults are dull and boring, as I discovered last Friday morning when I turned up for a corporate residential breakfast in deepest Hertfordshire. There were six desperately bland 'adult' cereals to choose from - Corn Flakes, All Bran, Bran Flakes, Alpen, Weetabix and Shredded Wheat. We were able to liven these up with a few dried apricots and other assorted fruits, but someone in catering had clearly decreed that only tedious inoffensive cereals were appropriate for serious adults over the age of 20. If it didn't protect you from heart attacks or keep you regular, they didn't serve it. Thank goodness there was a traditional cooked fry-up to follow or I'd have starved.
And then there are cereals for children - a completely different kettle of fish altogether. Cereals for children have to be sugary with bits of marshmallow attached, complete with glitzy packaging and free gift promoting the latest Disney character. Anything to inspire the 'nag factor' as mum drags her unwilling kids through the local supermarket. These cereals have virtually no nutritional value whatsoever but are still heavily advertised as providing 'energy' (for which read 'increased waist size' instead). Cereals for children have always been bad for you, particularly my special childhood favourites of Coco Pops and Golden Nuggets, but they've got a lot lot worse of late. Cookie Crisps, Hunny Bs, Coco Shreddies, Minibix With Chocolate, Frosties Turbo - all these seem to be sponsored by private dentists with a long-term career to secure. Sure children these days get better free gifts in their cereals than we ever dreamed of when we were young, but it might be more appropriate to give them dental floss and exercise videos instead.
So, all I ask is for a cereal that's interesting without being really really bad for my teeth and waistline. As it is I have no cereal brand loyalty at all, flitting from box to box, crossing the adult/child divide until my tastebuds tire and I move on to someting completely different. I'm eating some squirrel-promoted chocolate square thing at the moment (mainly because it was on a 2-for-1 offer) but I don't think I'll be buying it again. Maybe you have some ideas for decent alternatives. Please don't suggest healthy mueslis because I'm not a hamster. Please don't suggest any form of cornflake because I can never finish the last mushy spoonfuls. Please don't suggest mini variety packs because they cost a fortune for eight tiny portions. And please don't suggest half a grapefruit because I need feeding of a morning.
In the meantime, why not test your nutritional knowledge of cereals below. Here's a list of some of Kellogg's most well-known products. Can you guess which of them has the most/least sugar, fibre, fat and salt? Bet you can't get them all right. Highlight the blank text after each question to read the answers.
The Kellogg's 7: All Bran, Coco Pops, Corn Flakes, Frosties, Fruit 'n Fibre, Rice Krispies, Special K.
Most sugar? Frosties Least sugar? Corn Flakes
Most fibre? All Bran Least fibre? Rice Krispies
Most fat? All Bran Least fat? Frosties
Most salt? Corn Flakes Least salt? Coco Pops
