It’s the most important meal of the day and my favorite meal of the day. Yet, children are still going to school without breakfast. I know how difficult it is to get two kids dressed, fed, and out the door in the mornings. But I do whatever it takes, including waking up early or being late, to ensure my son has breakfast every single day.
For the last few months, I’ve been dialoguing with Kellogg’s about what’s important to moms like me when it comes to breakfast, nutrition, and morning routines. Last week I flew to Battle Creek, Michigan to learn more about their new Love Your Cereal campaign, the company’s commitment to nutrition, and what’s to come. Stay tuned for a complete post about what I learned in the coming weeks.
Earlier this week, I hosted a Mom’s Breakfast Club in Los Angeles with a local mom’s group. I cooked and baked several recipes using Kellogg’s cereals, which were a hit among the moms. The favorite? The Kellogg’s Corn Pops Frittata, created by Shiraz Catering and Events exclusively for the Kellogg’s Mom’s Breakfast Club Breakfast in New York City.
Kelloggs Corn Pops Frittata
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients
8 large eggs
1 cup Kelloggs Corn Pops
1 teaspoon salt, plus ¼ teaspoon salt for seasoning vegetables
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper, plus ¼ teaspoon pepper for seasoning vegetables
2 tablespoons green part of scallions, sliced in rings
1 ear of fresh corn
1 poblano pepper (or 2 small jalapenos)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons blended olive and canola oil
Directions
1. Preheat grill or broiler. Crack eggs into large bowl, whisk well to incorporate. Add pepper and salt. Add Kelloggs Corn Pops. Set aside.
2. Coat corn and poblano pepper with 1 Tablespoon of the blended oil, toss with salt and pepper. If using grill; place corn and pepper on grill and allow corn to get lightly grilled. Remove and with a knife, remove corn kernels from cob and discard cob. The poblano can stay longer on grill until ALL surfaces are black and look burnt. Remove and place in a small bowl covered with plastic wrap or a clean paper bag. This will help the blackened skins loosen. When cool enough to handle, remove blackened skin from pepper with a paper towel or your hands. Lay pepper on cutting board and make a slit from top to bottom. Remove seeds. Cut pepper into a small dice and add corn kernels, peppers, scallions, and ¾ of the cheese to the egg mixture.
3. Heat an oven-proof 10-inch (non-stick) saute pan on the stove at medium high heat. Add blended oil to pan and heat until almost smoking. Pour egg mixture into pan and stir with rubber spatula. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the egg mixture has set on the bottom and begins to set up on top. Sprinkle with remaining cheddar cheese.
4. Place pan into oven and broil for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly browned and fluffy. Remove from pan and cut into 6 or 8 servings. Serve immediately.
Over Granola Parfaits, Blueberry Muffins, and cereal, we had an open dialogue about the realities of our morning routines. Most moms have about 15 minutes to get it all done and cereal was stated as a food most of the moms feed their kids on a regular basis. What I personally like about cereal is that when you add a little fruit and milk, it’s a complete meal. Fortified cereals provide essential vitamins and minerals, and when they contain whole grains, are a good source of fiber.
The resounding concern among the moms in attendance was the amount of sugar believed to be present in kids’ cereals such as Corn Pops and Apple Jacks. When asked by a representative from Kellogg’s how much of a child’s daily intake of sugar comes from kids’ cereals, the answers given ranged from 10-25%. We were all surprised to learn that it’s actually only 5%. Most of the moms stated that they steer clear of kids’ cereals because they mistakenly assume that they’re high in sugar. The dialogue continued as the moms discussed the need for a cereal that “provides it all” (vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, etc.). As a mom, I agree that I want to feel good about the meals I’m feeding my son.
Kellogg’s spent much of the time addressing the moms’ questions and concerns.
First, the moms had several questions regarding serving size including who decides what a serving size is, how it’s regulated, and how it’s marketed on packaging and commercials. Several of the moms noted that their families often exceed the recommended serving size which in turn affects the amount of calories and sugar consumed. Kellogg’s responded with the fact that serving size is government regulated but that they recognized the importance of depicting accurate serving sizes and were working to ensure accuracy on packaging, television, and print advertising.
One of the facts that surprised the moms in attendance was the fact that many of Kellogg’s cereals, including children’s cereals, are a good source of fiber. Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Fruit Loops, Special K, FiberPlus, and All-Bran provide at least 3 grams (many of them provide more) of fiber per serving.
Because I live in California, I anticipated questions about organics. I, along with the moms in attendance, were surprised to learn that Kashi is owned by Kellogg’s and offers organic cereals for families. One interesting point to note was that one of the moms described using Kashi to create a spin-off of Rice Krispie Treats. While I’m waiting for the recipe, check out this version I found on the Kashi website.
The discussion continued with a discussion about marketing to children. We were all surprised to learn that Kellogg’s does not advertise to children under the age of 6, and so parents would not see ads on channels like Sprout. I highly encourage you to check out Kellogg’s marketing practices as you may be pleasantly surprise by what you read (I know I was!).
Our dialogue with Kellogg’s ended with a question who’s answer is yet to be determined. The moms inquired about product sourcing (US v. overseas) and stated that the information would be very valuable to them in future purchases.
Overall, there was lively dialogue between the moms and Kellogg’s . Many stated that they learned a lot from the discussion and had a new perspective on the company (I agree!).
I’d like to thank Kellogg’s for being so open and available to dialogue with the moms about the most important meal of the day. If you had the opportunity to speak with Kellogg’s, what would you ask them?
No compensation was received for this post. While this is part of a compensated campaign with Kellogg’s and The Motherhood, the opinions stated above are strictly those of the author.
{Photo Credit: Rockin’ Mama. All rights reserved. Photos may not be used without the express written permission of the site owner}
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looks like you guys had a great time
Aw….thank you!!!