A phenomenal breakfast

- As parents and kids fall back into their daily routines, it’s important to be as prepared as possible with new shoes, pencils, notebooks and more. But there’s one more thing that’s just as essential when it comes to achieving a successful day at school: breakfast, the most important meal of the day.

There’s a good chance, however, that even though 89 percent of moms want their kids to eat breakfast every morning, according to the Kellogg’s Breakfast In America Survey, they may not realize that their kids may not always be getting all the essential nutrients that growing bodies need. Enter the breakfast dynamic duo: cereal and one cup of milk. Together, this simple combination is the perfect way to make sure children get a great-tasting and nutritious breakfast they’ll love. A bowl of Kellogg’s cereal plus one cup of milk provides protein and can help close the gap on the four “nutrients of concern” most likely to be lacking in kids’ diets: fiber, calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

The benefits of eating cereal even go beyond its great nutrition and convenience. In fact, research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that children who eat cereal regularly for breakfast tend to weigh less.

“Cereal and milk is a breakfast that parents can feel good about serving their children every morning,” says Dayle Hayes, mom, registered dietitian and member of the Kellogg’s Breakfast Council. “After a good night’s sleep, kids need to refuel their minds and bodies, and a bowl of ready-to-eat cereal plus milk provides the nutrition they need for school, sports and play.”

Aside from being delicious, most cereal is:

* A good way to incorporate milk into kids’ diets

* Low-fat, nutrient-dense and cholesterol-free

* Easy to serve, easy to eat and affordable at an average of 50 cents per serving

“The benefits to eating cereal plus one cup of milk for breakfast are numerous,” says Hayes. “It kick-starts your metabolism and helps support mental performance, while contributing to higher intakes of calcium, vitamins A, D, B and iron. It also helps promote a healthy weight.  All in all, cereal and milk is a combo that is hard to beat.”

To learn more about the surprising power of Kellogg’s cereal plus one cup of milk, visit www.LoveYourCereal.com