How to Convince Your Family to Give Up Cereal

Cereal for breakfast is a bowl full of shit. Have you ever taken a look at the ingredients? I don’t care where you are on your health journey; do yourself and the world a favor and look at the ingredients of 10 random boxes of cereal (just go to a standard grocer). Do you know what that stuff is? Be honest with yourself.

Are there any vitamins and minerals listed in the ingredients list? Why the hell would food manufactures add vitamins and minerals to cereals? Because if they didn’t then even the stupid consumers would understand how worthless the food like product is inside the box.

The skim to 2% milk that folks pour on top is an entirely different issue. Oxidized cholesterol anyone?

Ditch the cereals. I don’t care how whole grain it is; it’s shit to your body. You are much better off eating a few whole eggs.

Let’s say that you have given up cereal and now you want your family to give it up as well. I know your are curious because one of the 200+ questions asked for the very first epic giveaway was the following:

How do I get my family convinced to give up cereals?

My answer

Smile. Be more generous than you have ever been to them in your entire life. This will take practice but if you genuinely care about someone’s health then you will do whatever it takes to help them. Am I right?

Yes Toad.

Good. Now there is no step by step process, but smiling, being kind and showing respect for their choices is a great first step when you are trying to influence other peoples decisions in anything.

Second, and this will depend on the cereal, ask them to take a look at the ingredients label. If you can, get them to read it out loud. This may be all you need. If it’s not, then ask them what I think is the ultimate question when it comes to real food vs fake food…

How did your food get from Earth to your plate?

Ah ha! If they can’t answer this question as they are chowing down on _______, then you will definitely make them think twice about what they are eating!

Perhaps your family or friend still thinks eggs are bad for them because of the cholesterol and saturated fat content. I strongly recommend that you have them read this blog post that compares the egg white to the egg yolk. The yolk dominates the white in vitamins while you can argue for both in the mineral department. Also, show them this article with 3 videos on Dr. Oz’s website on The Great Cholesterol Myth.

If they need to read another book to be convinced that Cholesterol and saturated fat are vital nutrients to proper bodily function then point them to Eat Fat Lose Fat.

If you do this and they follow through with your requests, I would think that they would begin eating more eggs and less cereal. This would peak their curiosity as far as what the truth is about nutrition.

How would you answer the question?

This blog post is my answer. How would you answer the question? Please leave a comment below or shoot me an email. I’ll be creating an ebook out of these questions and answers sometime in 2013. Thus, I’d love your input!

How do I get my family convinced to give up cereals?

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Filed Under: Food

http://www.facebook.com/foustinc David Foust

The hardest thing when learning, going through this paleo/ good eating process is not wanting to ram it down everyones throat. (because it makes so much sense and is awesome). Which can be so hypocritical at times. Like today, I’m getting a sub with everyone in the office.No paleo there! i am learning that pushing onto others only makes that resent what you are doing, and almost becomes a mission to prove you wrong.
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Great point. I think all of us go through that stage of wanting to push this onto everyone. I did and I know many others that I talk to once did too. I have completely backed off but I’ve been living this way for 2 years and 8 months. I’ve learned my lesson through experience. I also got a sub with my brother 2 days ago. This is a rare occasion. I went for the white bread since it’s “healthier” for me…
Sarah

Somehow make sure your family knows what’s in it, and maybe they’ll make that decision themselves… I was that weird kid who, at age 10, announced out of the blue that I was no longer going to eat cold cereal or margarine, because they really didn’t seem like food to me! This was my own decision and people thought it was weird, but looking back, it sure makes sense.
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  That’s crazy and so awesome. Did you begin to eat butter instead then? More eggs instead of the cereal?
  - Sarah
    
    Yep! Butter only. And either eggs, or I would mix up these pseudo gourmet oatmeal breakfasts with irish oats, nuts and loads of fruit. Definitely a step up from processed crappy wheat/corn!
Broseph

You’re skinny fat.
I’d rather not look like you.
Gonna go ahead and say that the “paleo lifestyle” fucking sucks since it’s zealots are all like you.
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Why does it fucking suck? What do you think is a good way of living Broseph?
- http://www.facebook.com/skigirlred Laurie-Avalanche Rosen
  
  Wow, rude. Why waste your time hating. Todd has done a lot helping people to improve their diets & lifestyles. How is Todd a zealot?!
  - http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
    
    Trolls, that’s all. They have mental illnesses themselves.
Kim

I love the paleo pancake in the morning! What could be a substitute for the banana because a friend is allergic?
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Are you talking about a specific recipe? Avocado may be a good substitute – you just want to add less of it and add some kind of sweetener.
http://twitter.com/TheCrunchyMama The Crunchy Mama

I explained to my in-laws who are considering doing the Paleo/Primal diet how seeds have a substance called lectin in them and that those lectins don’t “do a body good”. When you eat grains or legumes, you are eating a lot of lectins. While nuts are seeds and are permitted on the diet if your body handles them well, you should only be eating an ounce or two of nuts a day so your consumption of lectins from nuts would be a LOT less than eating cereal, bread, pancakes, etc.
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  And how did your in-laws respond? All plant foods have lectins in some way, shape or form. All plant foods have toxic substances. But we can handle certain ones better than others because we are better adapted. And, the wheat today is vastly different than the wheat from 50 years ago! I choose to not mess with it
Lisa @ Real Food Kosher

Lucky for me – I’m in charge of food shopping so years ago I simply stopped buying cereal. I didn’t just throw it all out – I let the cereal run out and never replaced them so it was a gradual transition. But they still have access to it at friend’s houses.

As my kids get older I’m trying to get them to read labels and see how ridiculous some of the ingredients are and how they don’t belong in the body. I’m expecting some rebellion at some point but hoping they are getting a good foundation to make good decisions as they outgrow it.
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Being patient and NOT 100% strict is key. Glad to here that you are educating them. It can be quite simple – the basics at least.
http://www.facebook.com/skigirlred Laurie-Avalanche Rosen

Great blog, Todd! I’m trying to convince my ski patrol friend to eat more of a whole foods diet but he’s convinced his doctor is right with “moderation diet & statins” approach
- http://primaltoad.com/ Todd Dosenberry
  
  Ouch. I like Stephen Sinatra, co-author of The Great Cholesterol Myth on how less than 1% of the women in his clinic are on statins who have “high” cholesterol.
  
  The health of society would be better if statins did not exist. Is he experiencing any side effects?

How to Convince Your Family to Give Up Cereal

My answer

How would you answer the question?

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