Fury Over Mom's Unconventional Breakfast for Toddler, but There's a Twist

Chocolate for breakfast ? Many on social media found the video of a toddler's morning meal outrageous.

The TikTok clip shared by mom Heidi (@ihateveg.com) shows her making her one-year-old breakfast. She begins by unwrapping a chocolate bar and placing it into the tray, then she makes porridge and adds two small yogurts.

The footage has racked up 4.3 million views but judging by the backlash, many didn't watch until the end. As Heidi, from England, replaced the chocolate for a fruit wafer.

"My videos prove that people are quick to judge without watching until the end," she told Newsweek.

Breakfast
Two screenshots of Heidi unwrapping a chocolate bar and adding it to her toddler's breakfast tray. TikTok/@ihateveg.com

She added: "My son's breakfast is a perfectly normal and healthy breakfast, however, people skip straight to the comment section before seeing the replacement."

Proper nutrition in the first two years of life is crucial for healthy growth and development, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Establishing good nutritional habits early on can help children form healthy eating patterns. When a child turns one, they should be encouraged to eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, meats, and yogurt or cheeses. Parents can do this by adding a rainbow of different colored foods on your child's plate.

Heidi, who doesn't wish to share her surname, said: "Most of the time he has some kind of fruit with his breakfast instead of the fruit wafer.

"The videos show that no matter what you show on social media people will always find absolutely anything to complain about."

The content creator explained that she was inspired to make the videos by other parents on TikTok.

While she has received many negative comments, there have also been positive ones.

She told Newsweek: "I deal with backlash by not reading the comments."

So far, the video shared on April, 2, has amassed over 50,000 likes and more than 3,500 comments.

One comment said: "Just sugar nothing good in this breakfast poor parenting."

"The happiness when I seen that bunny leave the plate, fair play," said another.

A third commenter said: "Just a bowl of that porridge would have been enough."

"I mean, chocolate isn't ideal but at least the kids waking up and having a full belly with the porridge! Some kids have nothing," said a fourth user.

Registered dietitian Allie Echeverria, based in Atlanta, Georgia, previously told Newsweek that the best breakfast for kids to fuel brain power is one that contains protein, fiber, and healthy fat, a combination that provides blood-sugar balancing energy that will allow your child to focus.

She said: "Vegetable egg cups with avocado on crispbread or a whole grain English muffin is a satisfying and satiating breakfast. You can also make this using scrambled or poached eggs instead. A large egg contains 6 grams of protein. Avocado is a source of monounsaturated fat and fiber."

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Uncommon Knowledge

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.

About the writer


Lucy Notarantonio is Newsweek's Senior Lifestyle and Trends Reporter, based in Birmingham, UK. Her focus is trending stories and human ... Read more

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