Try the Kid's Kitchen cheerio treat.

I have admitted before that I am not a morning person. You will not find me fixing a fresh hot breakfast for my kids in the morning. That may be slightly due to the fact that it took 5 1/2 years for my youngest to finally go to bed at a decent hour and sleep through the night. So when my kids get up in the morning

I rely heavily on ready-to-eat cereal for breakfast. I was so excited when I found out they were starting to add whole grains to ready to eat cereal. Now I just found out that General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

I also just discovered that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children's diets.

You'll Need:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 5 cups Cherrios

Directions:

1. In a large sauce pan, combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat.
2. Allow mixture to boil for one minute and remove from heat.
3. Add peanut butter and vanilla to mixture and mix until smooth.
4. Add Cheerios and mix until all coated.
5. Drop mixture by spoonful onto waxed paper and allow to cool. Enjoy. (I get about 2 dozen from this recipe. It all just depends on how big you make them.)

Here is some other interesting info:
* Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children's diets.
* Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child's diet today.
* More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures.

Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office.

Now cereal doesn't have to just be for breakfast. I like to make treats and snacks with them too. The recipe today is one that comes from a friend of mine. When my boys were younger they had gone over to her house to play and while they were there she made the Cheerio Treats for a snack. When they came home my boys went on and on about how delicious these Cherrio Treats were, so I had to ask her for the recipe. These are a snap to make and as you can tell a kid pleaser. I make them all the time for the kids as an after school snack.

Courtacy of Real Mom Kitchen