I know that it is important to have a balanced diet with adequate nutrition. This can be really difficult when you have autism because there is a tendency to stick to certain foods, certain textures, certain smells... I recently made an appointment with a nutritionist to check my son’s diet is acceptable (provoked mainly by a period of illness where the eating went downhill). However, we do seem to be overly preoccupied with variety in these food-obsessed times.
Healthy breakfast cereals are a friendly, helpful sort of food. Especially if you are a ‘no surprises’ type of person (like my son). And if you are suddenly really hungry and really need to eat ASAP (again, my son often fits this description). Managing hunger can be a tricky business in my household. Limited options due to wary eating leads to crazy, desperate searching of the fridge and pantry. We mainly eat porridge for breakfast. Homemade bircher muesli is consumed when I get around to preparing it. Oaty hotcakes are a regular thing and a favourite with my children.
Weetbix is a breakfast cereal made from whole grain wheat and I am relieved it is something that my son will eat. I know it is not perfect as a food but I would really like to stress that it is GOOD ENOUGH to be eaten some times outside of breakfast times. Ideally not for every meal! (So don’t try out the points 7 - 10 below in the same day.)
Good enough + food option readily consumed by my son = well, excellent in my world. And so, here is a list of ten ways Weetbix is excellent.
The portions are uniform and tidily packed.
Weetbix can be crushed if desired.
It’s predictable (a great characteristic of breakfast cereals in general).
Fast to make, fast to eat.
Components are the same, always. Bowl + spoon + Weetbix + milk = food. Ideal for independent preparation. We are all for fostering independence.
And compared to lots of other breakfast cereals it doesn’t have loads of sugar…and has whole grains and fibre and some other ingredients that aren’t too bad and it isn’t that processed...
Weetbix is excellent for breakfast.
Weetbix is excellent for lunch.
Weetbix is excellent for dinner (or dessert!).
Weetbix is excellent for snacking.
Weetbix is excellent. The End. Next time…”An Ode to Porridge” (maybe...TBC...depending on how poetic I am feeling.)
P.S. I went to the Nutritionist and Weetbix is fortified with iron which I blithely chose to ignore given I am sceptical of such claims. But it is a useful source of iron, actually, and thank goodness! Meat is not an easy sell (chewy-ness and texture issues).