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Part of this balanced breakfast

created by Electricsound

(idea) by barbie (5.5 y) (print)   ?   (I like it!) Fri Jul 14 2000 at 20:01:04

A commmon claim made by breakfast cereal advertisements. The breakfast they show in the commercials invariably has lots more stuff than just the cereal. Usually some toast, OJ, and milk. probably some other stuff too, although I can't remember since its been a long time since I saw a commercial for cereal. Basically the point is that cereal on its own is not a balanced breakfast. You have to add lots more stuff to your breakfast before it is balanced, and in fact, the cereal is not a significant part of the breakfast at all by the time it is balanced. This is an example of a misleading claim.

(idea) by Filthy Ike (4.1 y) (print)   ?   (I like it!) Sun Mar 04 2001 at 23:35:33

The lowest rung on the breakfast cereal nutritive claim ladder. Conspicuous for its almost total lack of meaning.

During the wild, unregulated 70's and 80's, the USDA allowed even Cookie Crisp to market themselves as part of a "complete" or "balanced" breakfast (the insulin and defibrillator must have been concealed behind a milk carton).

In these grim days of litigation, the USDA now requires that breakfast cereals reach a certain threshold of nutritive value before they can make claims about being good for you.

Less-nutritious cereals are now forced to bottom feed for respectibility with the unforgivable adjective "good".


(idea) by stylee (1.4 y) (print)   ?   (I like it!) Mon Mar 05 2001 at 0:07:29

Usually this claim is made about a cereal during the brief moment where the bowl of cereal is shown on a table surrounded by orange juice, toast, fruit and milk. I think I've even seen a plate of pancakes on the table once, subtly faded out behind the bowl of featured cereal. Using that kind of weasel claim, the napkin could even be considered 'part of that good breakfast.'

printable version
chaos

Canada's Food Guide Batteries not included Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary proof Croonchy Stars
Some assembly required The back of the cereal box isn't what it used to be Gandhi's breakfast Cookie Crisp
weetos If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister? hot grits Breakfast cereal
Easter brunch with my funky midwestern dad Google Part of this complete breakfast mmm
grits
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