Manpower

My mom used to tell me breakfast was the most important meal of the day.  A meal in the morning, before heading off to a place where an ADHD child is meant to sit still and learn, is significant.  

Daniel Amen argues that the way Americans eat and feed their children is backward.  He suggests the food kids generally eat early in the day, carbohydrates and sugar, have a tendency to make them feel more relaxed, therefore making it difficult to focus.  Whereas, foods higher in protein, which we typically eat for dinner, can boost our dopamine levels, giving children the energy and brain capacity to focus and get work done (Amen, 249). 

According to Barbara’s 2017 Breakfast Survey, 95 percent of school children eat cereal for breakfast. Cereal is notorious for being high in carbohydrates and sugar.  When cereal was invented in the late 1800’s it was celebrated as being a nutritious option. Even today, cereal is often advertised as being part of a well-balanced meal.  Let’s take a look at how cereal goes from the farm to the table.  

The process of making cereal is actually very similar to when it was invented.  It begins with whole grains such as wheat, oats, rice, barley, and corn. Many grain farmers are self employed, owning their own land.  Grain farming is highly mechanized, making actual manpower relatively small, so most farmers invest in large equipment and building. Because grain farming is seasonal work, many farmers will work more than one job.  While grain farmers work for themselves, they often hire private contractors, such as combine operators to harvest. 

Once the grain is brought to the cereal plant and cleaned, it is crushed between two large metal rollers, removing the outer layer of bran.  Following this process, it is mixed with flavoring agents, vitamins, minerals, sweeteners, salt, and water they are rotated in large pressure cookers creating a dough.  The dough is put on a drying conveyor belt until it is dry enough to shape as desired. At this point, the dough is cooked again and flavorings, salt, sweeteners, vitamins, minerals, and sometimes food coloring are added to the cereal. This process varies slightly depending on if the cereal is flaked, puffed, or shredded.  Once the cereal is shaped, another coating of additives, including sugar, is often added. So, just how much sugar does the average box of cereal contain? According to Business Insider, for every 100g of cereal, there are 19g of sugar. The recommended amount is 10g.  

These statistics don’t bode well for our children struggling with ADHD.  While not easy, it is also not impossible to overcome the tendency of our country to start the day with a bowl of sugary cereal.  If we want our kids to have the best chance of being successful at home and school, let’s get rid of cereal and heed Amen’s advice.  The best breakfast for a child with ADHD includes foods high in lean protein, healthy fats, and carbs that are low on the glycemic index.  

Works Cited 

“Here's how much sugar is hiding in your favorite cereals.” Buisiness Insider,  13 January 2017,

https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-sugar-is-in-cereal-2017-1. Accessed 13 July 2019.

“Cereal.” How Products Are Made, http://www.madehow.com/Volume-3/Cereal.html. Accessed 13 July 2019.

“Barbara’s 2017 Breakfast Survey Reveals Parents Are Sacrificing Nutrition So Kids Will Eat Breakfast.” Business Wire, 

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170919005598/en/Barbara’s-2017-Breakfast-Survey-Reveals-Parents-Sacrificing.  Accessed 13 July 2019.

“Grain Farmer Job Description, Career as a Grain Farmer, Salary, Employment.”

https://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/58/Farmer-Grain.html. Accessed 13 July 2019