Great American Breakfast - Cheerios!

Who hasn't grown up with at least one box of Cheerios as their cereal choices? I believe we all have had Cheerios sitting side by side with it's sugar laden counterparts.

As a kid, I admit that Cheerios (or any non-sweetened cereal for that matter) wasn't on the top of my list, but my parents kept it stocked in our house. As I've gotten older, there is nothing better for a late night snack then a bowl of cereal and thanks to General Mills, I have the opportunity to eat something that lowers my cholesterol, is good for my heart but tastes GREAT!

When my son was small, he literally lived on Cheerios. At doctor visits, I'd mention that all he ate were cheerios, morning, noon, night, snacks...ALL DAY LONG! And it wasn't just a day, a week or month...it was MONTHS that stretched into over a year. He grew, he was healthy, he just liked Cheerios! We had to always make sure to have a bowl or bag nearby for him. Looking back, it was pretty cute, but at the time, it was PANIC LOL!

When you look at the vitamin information for Cheerios:

Cheerios have 14 vitamins and minerals, are a good source of calcium and fiber, reduce the risks of heart disease, lower cholesterol, and are an excellent source of iron. The American Heart Association even displays their heart check on the box, meaning that Cheerios is a food that meets the criteria for saturated fat and cholesterol for healthy people over the age of two years old.Nutrition Facts:Calories with 1/2 Cup of skim milk - 140Calories from Fat: 20The Nutrition Facts Below are from the box with 1/2 Cup of skim milk:Total Fat 3%Saturated Fat 3% Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5gCholesterol 1% Sodium 10% Potassium 11% Total Carbohydrate 9%Dietary Fiber 11%Soluble Fiber 1gSugars 1gOther Carbohydrate 16gProtein 3gVitamin A 15%Vitamin C 10%Calcium 25%Iron 45%Vitamin D 25%Thiamin 30%Riboflavin 35%Niacin 25%Vitamin B6 25%Folic Acid 50%Vitamin B12 35%Phosphorus 25%Magnesium 25%Zinc 30%Copper 2%

He actually was getting quite a daily dose of the good stuff.

General Mills wants to get the word out to women about having a healthy heart. Now through January 31, 2010, for every code entered at http://www.cheerioshelpinghearts.com/, Cheerios will donate $1, up to $200,000, to raise awareness for heart disease and provide free cholesterol screenings for women in need, through its partnership with Women Heart. Codes will be featured inside specially marked boxes of Cheerios cereal.

I'm grateful to General Mills for showing the public that they care about our health, for not deviating from the original Cheerios recipe and appreciate them for trying new flavors to appeal to the masses. Kudos to General Mills!