The standard advertising line used to show even the most sugary breakfast cereal known to man in a healthy context. A "complete breakfast", according to the commercials, usually includes a bowl filled with one cup of cereal, some toast, milk, and orange juice. Of course, to make it complete in the eyes of the FDA, it would be a good idea to have some sort of meat or legume product, as well as some sort of vegetable product (like hash browns). Some commercials instead refer to a "good breakfast," but with much the same ingredients.

This is an excellent point for children to use in their arguments over which cereal to buy. "Cookies for breakfast?" the parent asks, flabbergasted.

"But mom, they're part of this complete breakfast!" the child retorts.

"They are? Holy shit on a stick, you're right! I had never known this fact before," the mother says, as she sweeps an entire shelf-ful of Cookie Crisp into the cart with one swipe of her arm.

Section VIII: Product Specific Requirements
Sections 8.1 - 8.10

8.2.2. Breakfast Cereals
Because of different degrees of milling, cereal products and flours vary greatly in their nutritive value. Some milled or processed whole grain cereals, such as rolled oats and cracked wheat, retain most of their original nutritive value and are described as "whole grain cereals" or "whole (name of the grain) cereal". Others, such as farina, corn meal, white rice, corn flakes and puffed cereals, have been subjected to more extensive milling and heat and are called "refined cereals". The claim "made from (name of the grain)" should not be used to describe a breakfast cereal that does not contain the whole grain and most of the original nutritive value of the whole grain.

Breakfast cereals may contain added thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, pantothenic acid, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and zinc to levels specified (B.13.060, FDR) and are considered to be sources of food energy. An advertisement for a breakfast cereal may make such claims as "30 g of the named cereal with 125 ml of milk is a good source of protein or contributes (a stated amount of) protein", when the combination of these foods has a protein rating of not less than 20 (B.01.305, FDR) (see Claims for Food Combinations, Section 6.1.8 and Protein and Amino Acids, Section 6.2.2).

Advertisers should be careful when producing breakfast cereal advertisements, especially television commercials which are intended for children. Nutritive claims, energy claims and physical actions, exaggerated beyond the limits of credibility, are considered particularly unacceptable when directed at children. Depictions of physical action in games requiring more skill than actual physical energy are not usually considered to be violations, provided there is no suggestion that such actions are the result of consuming the product.

Breakfast cereals are only one part of a good breakfast, and commercials should not give the impression that they constitute the whole meal or that they are the most important part of that meal.