What makes a food product worthy of full-out love? We asked some of our Allrecipes Allstars to explain their passion for our 2023 Allrecipes Community Choice Awards winners, from Chobani yogurt and Hellmann’s mayonnaise to Cheerios and Frank’s RedHot sauce. (See all the winners of this year’s awards here.)
What is that one food that you can distinctly remember your baby loved? For me, it’s Cheerios. My firstborn, Rocco, was an extremely picky eater as a baby. He hardly liked anything. I remember the first time we gave him solids — pureed sweet potatoes — he spit it out the moment the spoon entered his mouth. Globs rolled down his chin. And that’s how solid feeding went… until we tried Cheerios.
What a relief! As a new parent, it was so frustrating that my son didn’t like to eat anything; I felt like I was somehow failing him. But as soon as I saw how much Rocco loved the taste and shapes of that classic breakfast cereal, my worries and guilt evaporated. He shoveled giant handfuls into his mouth; he couldn’t get enough. And I never felt better.
How much did Rocco live on Cheerios during his first two years of life? I actually laced his first birthday cake with them because I knew it was the only way he’d eat it. Unlike most one-year-olds, my son didn’t dig into his cake. He delicately removed each of the Cheerios on his cake and ate those.
We come by this love of Cheerios honestly: My parents always kept a box of Honey Nut Cheerios in our home, and now my kids constantly ask for whichever flavor of Cheerios I’ll buy. For a while it was Peanut Butter Cheerios, sadly discontinued. Now, like the rest of America, they want Pumpkin Spice Cheerios.
As a busy mom, I’m so glad my kids continue to love the taste and texture of Cheerios because they make such a convenient breakfast and snack. Plus, I feel good about the choice because of the quality ingredients and affordable price point. Cheerios are also great for creating other snack options, such as trail mix or Cheerios cereal bars.
Although my kids’ tastes continue to change the older they get, the one thing I know they will continue to love is Cheerios. Just ask Rocco! And his still-relieved mom.
