Innovating Breakfast with Rob from Kellogg
As a food developer on the Special K® team and father of three young, active kids, Rob understands the positive impact a good breakfast can make on the day. Here, he talks about what goes into making a Kellogg’s breakfast the best it can be.
What are you doing to make cereal better for breakfast?
ROB: Our commitment will always be delivering a very high standard of nutrition. We work to make sure our foods are designed to meet the needs of the people who eat them.
Can you give a specific example?
ROB: Wheat is a great example because whole wheat berries need to be cooked so your body can digest the nutrition in them. Along the way, some of the vitamins and minerals could be lost, so we both enrich and fortify – adding both nutrients that were lost and nutrients that weren’t present in the raw ingredients but that are still important in the diet. This way, we’re making sure people are getting the important nutrients they desire.
Do you feed your kids cereal for breakfast?
ROB: Yeah, it’s something they actually have permission to make themselves because it doesn’t need a microwave, doesn’t need an oven – they can just grab the milk, grab juice and grab a box of cereal from our pantry.
But what about the sugar?
ROB: As a parent and a Kellogg product developer, sugar is something I think about a lot. We make sure our foods are meeting the needs of the people who eat them. There’s an extensive list of things we consider very carefully before we start developing a new product.
We also have many cereals to choose from, like Crispix®, Rice Krispies® and others, where there isn’t as much sugar and might be a better balance for your family.
What’s next for you and Kellogg?
ROB: Long term, I think we’re moving toward more of a holistic look at how people eat and how breakfast is such a big part of the day. Part of the fun of my job is turning an idea on paper into reality and making products that not only taste great but also will keep people on track to better health.
