Her Gone Life

Did you know that September is National Better Breakfast month? I sure didn't. But like many families, having a bowl of cereal is one of the ways my family starts our day before heading out.

Note: I received product sample for review purpose. Any personal views expressed are always 100% my own.

After receiving a few of Barbara’s, maker of wholesome snacks & cereals, products, we made sure to add them to our breakfast routine.

My son enjoyed a bowl of peanut butter-puffins cereal, which was a nice mix of sweet from the peanut butter and healthy from the corn and whole grain oats.

On the back of the box kids can enjoy Puffin trivia, project ideas and ways kids can earn rewards while learning. As a parent I liked that little extra.

As for me, I'm looking forward to a bowl of Barbara’s multigrain-spoonfuls cereal, which will help me get in some fiber along with multigrain (wheat, corn and oats).

Having breakfast should be a part of more families routines but based on a nationwide survey done by Barbara’s, 95% of parents say their children eat cereal for breakfast on school days and one in five children go without breakfast at least once per week.

To help more families be more consistent, Barbara’s has partnered with Frances Largeman-Roth - RDN, nutrition expert, mom of 3 and author of Eating in Color - to created 5 better breakfast tips:

1. Breakfast Time over Screen Time – Mornings are hectic, especially at the beginning of the school year, before everyone has settled into their schedules. Make it clear to your kids that breakfast time needs to come before they turn on the TV or play with their phone.
2. Better Breakfasts – Barbara’s Breakfast Survey revealed that juice and cereal are the most common breakfast foods on school days: 71% of children drink fruit juice and 95% of children eat cereal. Clearly, kids love juice and cereal but you can still help them make better choices. For example, 100% fruit juice rather than “drinks” or “blends” and lower sugar cereals like Barbara’s Puffins, which are also packed with whole grains.
3. Add Color! – Studies show that kids like food that’s colorful, so take the opportunity to fit in an extra serving of antioxidant and vitamin C-rich fruit--and tempt their taste buds--by offering brightly colored berries, diced apple and melon, or sliced grapes and kiwi fruit on the breakfast table.
4. Streamline Set Up – Having a sit-down breakfast is much more doable if you do a little prep in advance. Set up the breakfast table the night before: Clear clutter, and set out bowls, spoons, and napkins. Then all you need to do in the morning is serve the food!
5. Always Have Backup! – There are some days when you just have to grab and go! Being prepared with a healthy back up option is smart. I like to make extra whole grain pancakes on the weekend and freeze them for a rainy day.