Yesterday, I was reading this article on the importance of breakfast, considering the meal suggestions that the article suggested, when I noticed something odd. In addition to the recommendations for grains (bread or cereal), fruit (bananas) and protein ("eat a spoonful of peanut butter"), the article suggested that parents "make sure [kids] drink the milk out of the bottom when they're done" if cereal is served. They also suggested trying to serve kids only unsweetened, whole grain cereals and I don't even know a lot of adults who will go for that all the time. But that's a whole 'nother post. The thing that caught my attention was the milk at the bottom of the bowl.
I know that there are some people who love nothing more than slurping up milk from the bottom of a bowl of cereal. Especially sugary or chocolaty cereal. I simply am not one of them. Am I alone in this? I try to match the amount of milk to the amount of cereal so that I don't have a lot leftover in the bowl and, if I want to drink some more milk, I'll have it in a glass on the side.
1-06-2007 @9:06AM David Schloss said... Most cereal, especially kid's cereal has vitamins sprayed on to the surface. The milk at the bottom of the bowl contains all those washed off nutrients.
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1-06-2007 @10:33AM Rachel said... I thought I was the only one who does this too, and my husband thought so as well!
I call it "cereal bowl sewage".
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1-06-2007 @10:45AM Foodie Bride said... When I was younger, I used to tear through my Cocoa Krispies just so I could get to the chocolate milk left in the bowl.
Now, I eat "grown up" cereal and the only thing it leaves behind is plain ol' milk and cereal dust. I'll pass.
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1-06-2007 @6:04PM Kelli said... When I was little my Aunt and her 3 spoiled children came to stay with us for 2 weeks as my parents went out of the country for work. I was too young to remember this but my Aunt used to serve us cereal using the left over milk from her children's cereal bowls. My sister cannot drink milk to this day as she remembers it very well.
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1-06-2007 @11:42AM Esther said... I think the reason they recommend this is because most cereals are vitamin and mineral fortified. Most of the nutrients wash off and are found in the milk, and so in order to get the most nutritional bang for your cereal buck, we are encouraged to drink the cereal milk, now rich with all the fortified goodness of the cereal!
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1-06-2007 @12:09PM Susan said... I would rather go without food than to eat cold cereal with milk. Memories of yucky, mooshy cereal in a bowl of funky looking milk. NO THANKS!
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1-06-2007 @11:58AM Jamie said... I thought the flour of enriched and fortified cereal was the enriched and fortified part- if it's just a vitamin coating I could see drinking the left over milk, but I don't think that's the case. As far as my preference, I almost never drink the milk at the bottom. Not a big cereal eater to begin with (lactose intolerant and not overly fond of the milk alternatives in regards to cereal)and when I do it's either unsweetened of my guilty pleasure captain crunch, which doesn't leave super flavorful milk- just cloyingly sweet.
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1-06-2007 @12:11PM MJ said... Dont like alot of milk in my cereal. I just splash enough on to wet it good. Also have to use half and half instead of whole milk. And forget the lowfat stuff they call milk!
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1-06-2007 @12:41PM Rick said... Hmm... Use less milk so that there is none left? Call me a cynic but I don't think that helps. You're eating all the sugary cereal with no left over milk and then perhaps have more milk if you feel like it. You are still consuming the same amount of sugar and milk, just not at the same time. Disregard this thought if you prefer to side step your guilt over eating sugary cereal. ;)
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1-07-2007 @11:09AM Helen said... YUK!! As "beyond being a senior citizen" by about 10 years, I still can't stand the thought of drinkin' that stuff--no sir, not me!!
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1-06-2007 @1:01PM Mary Johnson said... I gave up sweet cereal when I grew up. I prefer the flavored oatmeal now instead, and you rarely have leftover milk with it since it soaks up the small amount added to begin with. So much SUGAR is adding to the childhood obesity factor.
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1-06-2007 @1:49PM Mooncalf said... Growing up with a milk allergy, I never had milk on my breakfast cereal. Orange juice was what I used, and I got rather fond of it. The juice sweetened the cereal plenty, but with natural sugars instead of the processed stuff.
To this day, I'll take a good bowl of cornflakes with a touch of orange juice rather than an overly sugary cereal doused with milk.
I must admit though, I always tried to use just enough juice to wet the cereal, but not enough to leave any behind when finished. Hate those syrupy leftovers.
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1-06-2007 @3:53PM Kristina said... Milk Syrup leftover from cereal? No, it went into the drain unless we were baking that day. We used to use it for muffins or pancakes. But drink it? Blechhh.
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1-07-2007 @1:38PM Crosius said... Count me as another person who tailors milk-volume so that last bit of cereal uses up the last bit of milk. I do the same with berries.
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1-08-2007 @5:17PM Erin said... I like the milk at the bottom of the bowl. My husband doesn't drink his, and I hate being wasteful, so sometimes I drink mine *and* his. Not always, though, because goodness knows I don't need the extra calories.
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1-08-2007 @5:21PM Liz said... I see I'm in the minority here, but I love the milk at the end of cereal, and I don't eat sugary cereals. But the again, I also love the cereal dust at the end of the box, and the sludge it makes when mixed with milk. Mmm, sludge.
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1-08-2007 @7:27PM christine said... gross!! just the suggestion of drinking the dregs at the bottom of the bowl makes me feel queasy. (i have a lot of hangups about milk to begin with, though...for instance i CANNOT drink milk poured from a plastic container - ugh. first choice = glass, then cardboard, but never plastic. i wonder if i am the only one?)
anyway, i say give that "cereal sewage" to the cat.
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1-10-2007 @4:52PM Kris said... Milk is gross. I mean, really just all milk. How did we get tricked into drinking so much of these cow secretions? I just don't get it. Human breast milk for human babies, yes. But beyond that, it just seems messed up to drink milk in any form, sugared or not.
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