Some days it’s just fun to be a mom blogger and get to work on campaigns that you would otherwise have no access to. It’s also a treat to be able to bring this information first-hand to you. That’s why I was thrilled when Kellogg’s sent a box with their four new 2013 cereals for my family to try before they hit the shelves this year. Not only that, but Kellogg is also giving one of you the chance to win a package with these four spanking-new cereals and get a chance to boast you were one of the first in the U.S. to try them!

Check them out …

Kellogg’s Scooby-Doo cereal was the first one my girl wanted to try, of course! She loved the fact that the cereal was shaped like dog bones because she’s obsessed with anything canine right now. The taste was right up her alley since she’s used to being served the less sugary kind of simples and we lean towards simple grains. This one packs 50 percent of the recommended amount of whole grain and 6 grams of sugar per serving; all that and a vanilla flavor to boot! I can totally see this one making the rounds in the snack bags.

I was all over Kellogg’s Mini-Wheats Crunch because I’ve been a fan of Mini-Wheats my whole life — it’s actually my mom’s fault because that’s her staple breakfast! The first one that’s not of the shredded variety, it packs the same fiber and whole grain as regular Mini-Wheats but with a delicious crunch that didn’t go soggy while I munched on it. I love to add blueberries and strawberries to my cereal and this one was made for it.

Kellogg’s Special K Chocolatey Strawberry is actually a limited edition cereal. I see this one more as a treat than a regular breakfast cereal in my cupboard because of the chocolate chunks. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the chocolatey goodness of this cereal and the mix of flavors with the strawberries is right up my alley! It actually only packs 150 calories per serving with skim milk.

Kellogg’s Brown Sugar Cinnamon Jacks cereal combines two of my favorite flavors: cinnamon and brown sugar. I tend to stay away from cereals with too many colors, but we had a treat tasting this one and the flavor combination with milk is a real hit.

Now it’s time for one of you to get a first taste at each of these four cereals. Just tell us which one of the four new Kellogg’s cereals you’re the most excited to try by entering using the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Last year a friend sent me a tweet with a picture of some Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes Choco Zucaritas she had found in a Mexican market in her city. She knew I would “get” the feeling of nostalgia and tinge of excitement to be able to buy in the U.S. a cereal we had eaten in Mexico. Then I read a post from Maura of The Other Side of the Tortilla about how excited she was that our very own Tracy – of Latinaish.com fame – had traveled to a conference with a box of Kellogg’s Choco Zucaritas to give to her because she knew how much she loved them. How’s that for bonding over a box of cereal?

It’s that nostalgia for certain foods you might even take for granted when you live in another country that you find yourself missing once you move away. Funny how roles get reversed because when I was growing up in El Salvador we would get crazy excited if my mom brought back a box of Froot Loops from a trip to Houston.

Who would’ve known that almost a year after that tweet and Maura’s blog post I’d be receiving a box full of Choco Zucaritas straight from Kellogg’s with a note saying I had been sent one of the first boxes off the line on their way to markets all over the U.S.? No longer would we have to look for the ones imported from Mexico, these were meant for the U.S. Hispanic audience that wanted them so much that they were heard. Those boxes were so special because to me they mark a symbolic moment of the role of Latinos in America. It says that a slice of who we are is following us here. It says that we continue to transform the American table.

While we don’t eat a bowl of Choco Zucaritas every morning for breakfast, we do savor the special treat and are glad to have the option to do so…and the many boxes I thought would last us a whole year and I’d get to send to friends, never imagining my husband would go through most of them in less than four months!

Oh, and you know what’s even cooler? The text on the Kellogg’s Choco Zucaritas box is all bilingual! I might even dare say it’s the first bilingual (Spanish/English) cereal box in the U.S., but I need to verify that before I state it as fact. Regardless, this is one cereal box my budding bilingual reader can practice her español with while having a special treat!

Have you tried Choco Zucaritas or seen it in a store near you? You can search on Kelloggs.com for a retailer near you that sells it, or you can even order it online. I found them on Amazon!

Disclosure: We are proud to be part of the  Kellogg´s Champions of Great Starts bloggers and grateful to have Kellogg’s as a SpanglishBaby sponsor.

As much as I’d love to believe that my quesadillas rock (they do!), I know I have to move beyond that and also find a way to make dinner fun so that my daughter can be a part of the process. Cue in the cereal boxes!

Yes, cereal for dinner! Honestly, I never even thought of using the Kellogg’s cereal I grew up with as an ingredient in recipes. For me the phrase “Breakfast for dinner” just meant we’d be grabbing a bowl, adding cereal and milk and eating in front of the TV. But that’s not what this is about.

When I received Kellog’s Breakfast for Dinner Recipe Book I was happy to see many nutritious and creative options being offered.  All of the recipes include one of Kellog’s cereals in a mouth-watering recipe that can be served at dinner! Check out my family’s three favorite recipes below and download the book with 13 full recipes for free! Oh, and scroll all the way down to enter to win a year’s supply of Kellogg’s cereal to always have a box at hand for brinnertime!

For a printable version of the full Breakfast for Dinner recipe ebook click here!

The Giveaway!

To help you make these delicious recipes we are giving away a one-year supply of Kellog’s cereals — that’s equal to 26 boxes! Just leave us a comment letting us know which Kellogg’s breakfast for dinner recipe you’d like to try or your own favorite breakfast for dinner recipe. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: We are proud to be part of the  Kellogg´s Champions of Great Starts bloggers and grateful to have Kellogg’s as a SpanglishBaby sponsor.

More and more breakfast is becoming a challenge in my house because of our hectic schedules. My girl is pretty set on her ways and she likes to wake up, chill with a bottle of milk (yes, she still loves her sippy cup at age 5!), watch one cartoon and then get ready for school. In between that routine, I need to make sure she sits down with (or without us, sometimes!) to eat a nutritious breakfast that can get her through the day.

Our options for quickie breakfasts are usually waffles, yogurt with granola and fruit, a toast with almond butter and honey, scrambled eggs or a cereal with milk. Nowadays, cereal is becoming her breakfast of choice and I’ve embraced it because I grew up eating a lot of cereal as well.

Since Kellogg is a SpanglishBaby sponsor, I reached out to them to find out what the benefits of cereal are and found many of them on their LoveYourCereal.com website.

Here are a 5 reasons to #LoveYourCereal:

1. A bowl of Kellogg’s cereal plus one cup milk provides protein and can help close the gap on the four “nutrients of concern” most likely to be lacking in kids’ diets including fiber, calcium, vitamin D and potassium.

2. On average, breakfast cereal provides only 4 percent of the average person’s daily intake of added sugar in the U.S.

3. Research shows that children who eat cereal regularly for breakfast tend to weigh less.

4. Cereal can provide a good source of fiber, which 9 out of 10 adults and children do not get enough of

5. Is affordable and easy to serve at an average of $0.50 per serving

Why do you love your cereal?

{Photo by ralph and jenny on Flickr}