Today's children consume around 3 cubes of sugar before they even get to school! It's the easiest thing to open a box of cereal and hear the tinkle of a bowl filling up nicely, before scrambling around looking for gym shoes and last week's homework. To be fair, mums and dads feel in all good faith that they're offering their children a nutritious and filling start to the day. And who would blame them, with cereal boxes emblazened with 'sugar free', 'lower cholesterol', 'wholegrain', 'excellent source of fibre'...it's enough to confuse even the most dedicated small-print reading parent. Public Health England's research carried out on behalf of the Government gives their results as some of the reasons why the nation's obesity and diabetes rates are high and soaring. It points fingers at frazzled parents who really ought to know better (84% consider their children's breakfast to be healthy, thank you very much), but what about the manufacturers who aim these colourful cartoon-covered boxes at children who are far more easily capable of winning over mum and dad these days with just the threat of a supermarket tantrum. The standard alternative suggestions of porridge, egg, toast and yogurt make their expected appearance, but we reckon the bottom line will always be the lack of time for today's working parents. Well then, isn't it about time the big cereal giants made their life a bit easier and produced a range of healthier boxed goodies that actually are good for today's youngsters?
There's a whole international array of different breakfast ideas here, they're all a far cry from cornflakes! Have a go at them for a weekend brunch (pictured above is a spicy okra & egg dish).