If your child drinks every last drop of the cereal you pour over his breakfast cereal, giving him a straw may help reduce the mess and allow him to get all the nutrients that milk offers. Cereal straws are one solution that are flavored like popular breakfast cereals and can be eaten after using them to suck up the milk left in a bowl of cereal. While a novel idea, cereal straws offer little in the way of nutrition and should be considered empty calories. As a special treat, cereal straws are unlikely to harm your child's healthy diet, but a regular straw is the way to go most days.
Fat
When you offer your child a treat, it is important to pay attention to the fat content. Allowing your child to consume too much fat can put her at risk for unhealthy weight gain, as well as more long-term problems like heart disease or Type 2 diabetes. Cereal straws are fairly low in fat, which makes them a better treat choice than higher-fat options like ice cream or cake. The saturated fat content is a bit worrisome, considering that a serving of cereal straws is three pieces. Both the Froot Loops and Cocoa Krispies flavors contain 3.5 g of total fat, with 2 g of them, or 10 percent of your child's daily limit, being saturated.
Sugar
You should also pay close attention to how much sugar your child's favorite treats contain. If your child consumes too much sugar, he may be at a higher risk for dental decay. MayoClinic.com adds that sugar-laden diets leave less room in your child's diet for healthier foods that supply essential vitamins and minerals. Both the Froot Loops and Cocoa Krispies flavors of cereal straws contain 12 g of sugar in each three-piece serving.
Vitamins
Many breakfast cereals are fortified with added vitamins that increase their nutritional value and help you ensure that your child gets what she needs from her diet. While cereal straws have a bit of added nutrients, they are in such small doses that you are better off serving your child the cereal with some fruit instead. There is no vitamin A or vitamin C in either the Froot Loops or the Cocoa Krispies flavors, and only a trace amount of vitamin D, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6.
Minerals
Minerals are also added to many brands of breakfast cereal, which can help your child consume more of the ones he needs the most of for good health. Two of the most common minerals added to cereal are calcium and iron. Calcium is important for the growth and development of your child's bones and teeth, and iron helps his body get plenty of oxygen. Cereal straws do not contain any calcium or iron, so cereal is your healthier choice.
References
- Amazon.com; Kellog's Froot Loops Cereal Straws
- Amazon.com; Kellog's Cocoa Krispies Cereal Straws
- Harvard School of Public Health; Vitamins
- KidsHealth; Iron and Your Child
- KidsHealth; Calcium and Your Child
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Guesswork with these Nutrition Guidelines; February 2011
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