Maybe that would work for mine, but if I ever took a picture of their dishes, you'd laugh.  I separate mine out, just as I would with my own plate (corn here, peas there...) so except for the pre-packaged meals that I fix, everything is separate.  In a way, I know just who's eating what.  Of course Shannon's food dish always looks like a crime scene when he's finished eating.  I'll have to try the cheerios, but I'm afraid I'll either find these huge soggy donuts in water dishes or be crunching on them underfoot (along with peas, carrots, corn....pom arils...eeesshhh)

Someday when I have the energy to clean up the birdroom, I'll take a pic of my setup. I have newspapers spread out in front of every cage, stacks of them, and I lift the top couple of sheets a couple of times each day. Of course, I do have a separate room for the birds and don't have to worry about appearance or carpeting being ruined by aril goo. We have a bigger mess from them crushing Nutriberries than with soft foods. I hate stepping on a piece of Nutriberry and hearing it crunch under my feet.

When Diana lived in the living room, I bought a whole bunch of white beauty shop towels, spread a few around her cage and changed them at least daily. They got bleached so always looked tidy and white. She isn't as messy as some birds I have had but does sling a little bit, especially the soft cooked mixes.

Annie 

I've still got carpeting on the birdroom floor, and I've found that those plastic picnic tablecloths with the fuzzy undersides work well for wiping up messes and making it easier to keep things tidy.  Also nice because I give showers while they're still inside their cages, so it keeps the carpet from getting soaked.  Showers for the birdies, and a quick wipe of the cage with a towel to dry and get the gunk off.