A 'children's' breakfast cereal might seem an ideal start to the day, but those eye-catching packets contain high levels of sugar and salt. Mary Whiting gives some healthy choices
The packets look terrific: imaginative and brightly coloured, with pictures of funny faces, cartoon and story-book characters, and with all kinds of giveaways and pictures to cut out and collect. Unsurprisingly, children want them. Fine - children's food should look appealing (although packets that offer a 'free' toy with 'six more to collect' could give parents a problem).
But what's inside these seductively designed boxes? I did a mini survey of the sugar content of a few cereals aimed at children and the results (see box) are staggering. Most were a third to nearly half sugar! Only one, Rice Krispies, was much lower, with 10 per cent sugar, although that is plenty, especially as more may be added at home.
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