Registered Dietitians agree nutritious eating shouldn’t be a challenge, and say ‘Good Is Good Enough’ when feeding your kids a bowl of cereal.

The definition of “perfect eating” has become misinformed over the years. It’s important that people understand nutrient-dense eating can – and should – include food that is accessible and affordable to all. According to new survey results from General Mills Big G Cereals, many parents and caregivers put a lot of pressure on themselves and feel that it is their responsibility to ensure their children eat a balanced diet¹. Nutrition can seem challenging when factoring in cost, time and taste the whole family will enjoy. But sometimes a nutrient-dense option may also be the easiest one for a family – a bowl of cereal.

For many parents, nutritious may mean attempting to provide a homemade breakfast, as those are perceived by nearly eight in 10 (77%) of parents with children under 18 to provide more nutrients than convenience foods¹. In reality, a bowl of cereal is hard to beat when it comes to nutrient density, and few other breakfast foods offer the same mix of essential nutrients found in cereal. In fact, research shows, people who skip breakfast don’t make up these nutrients in other parts of their day, resulting in nutrient gaps and poorer diet quality².

“Good nutrition does not have to be hard and should fit within what one can afford, access and enjoys eating,” said Amy Cohn, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Lead at General Mills. “Many cereals are filled with essential nutrients, like fiber, vitamins, and minerals, along with whole grain, to help support growing kids. Ultimately, it’s important to teach kids to have a positive relationship with all foods so they grow into adults who value their mental and physical health, while still enjoying foods they love – the core of our platform: Good is Good Enough.”

As the world has changed the last eighteen months, families have had to change with it. While they spent more time together during the pandemic and rediscovered the heart of the home is the kitchen, the need for convenience, affordability and accessibility remains. 60% of parents agree that social media puts additional pressure on them to be the “best,” with roughly a third (34%) agreeing that images of “perfect” family meals on social media make them feel guilty about what their family eats¹.

But not every meal needs to be photo-worthy or perfect – many times a bowl of cereal as part of a complete breakfast does the trick. With nutrient-dense options from General Mills Big G Cereals like Cheerios, Fiber One, Chex, and others, prove that it can be easy to give kids a good breakfast.

“The quest for ‘perfect’ eating has made the pendulum swing a bit too far, vilifying certain foods and creating unintended negative consequences. As a Registered Dietitian and new mom, I know how important it is to serve foods that are not only nutritious, but taste great too,” said Tracy Lockwood Beckerman, MS, RD. “Including General Mills Big G Cereals at breakfast is an easy way to help give your kids nutrients they need, while giving yourself a break during hectic mornings. Parenting is hard enough as it is; we shouldn’t make things more challenging!”

For more information on Big G Cereals, head to www.generalmills.com.

About General Mills

General Mills makes food the world loves. The company is guided by its Accelerate strategy to drive shareholder value by boldly building its brands, relentlessly innovating, unleashing its scale and being a force for good. Its portfolio of beloved brands includes household names such as Cheerios, Nature Valley, Blue Buffalo, Häagen-Dazs, Old El Paso, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Yoplait, Annie’s, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2021 net sales of U.S. $18.1 billion. In addition, the company’s share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.1 billion.

¹ YouGov conducted a survey among U.S. adults with children under 18 years of age. A total of 1,015 responses were collected and the survey was fielded between July 1st and July 8th, 2021. Data have been weighted and are representative of US parents with children under 18.

² Marissa Fanelli, S. (2020). Skipping breakfast is associated with nutrient gaps and poorer diet quality among adults in the United States. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/skipping-breakfast-is-associated-with-nutrient-gaps-and-poorer-diet-quality-among-adults-in-the-united-states/C7943690D97E913FA19B936BFBDB0F2A

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