Cereal has been a breakfast staple for well over a century.
Some call it the "Breakfast of Champions" (thanks to Wheaties); others enjoy it as an after-dinner snack or even a meal replacement. The concept dates back to the 1800s, and it wasn’t always rainbow-colored marshmallows and chocolate.
THE HISTORY OF CEREAL
The first cereal was actually served in a sanatorium in upstate New York. According to The Guardian, Dr. James Caleb Jackson mixed water with dried graham flour pieces to create "granula," and softened it with milk. Jackson created granula to support digestion, which he believed was connected to health issues plaguing his patients.
Thirty years later, at a sanitarium in Michigan, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother Will accidentally invented flaky cereal, later calling it "granola." One of their patients, C.W. Post, created Grape-Nuts in 1897, and just like that, the cereal revolution began! Wheaties hit shelves in the 1920s, Cheerios in the ‘40s, and Sugar Frosted Flakes in the ‘50s.
Things got a bit more colorful in the '60s with the first versions of Froot Loops and Lucky Charms, followed by Cocoa Pebbles in the ‘70s, Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the ‘80s, and Reese’s Puffs in the ‘90s.
TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY REBRANDS
Many of these classic cereals rebranded into the new century, with more cartoons and celebrities, brighter colors, and, of course, more sugar. This led to the rise of organic grains in the 2000s from brands like Kashi and Nature’s Path, advertising less sugar and a healthier start to your day.
Depending on the decade you grew up in, you probably remember seeing one of these cereals on a TV commercial and begging your parents for it during the next grocery run.
Frosted Flakes were "gr-r-reat," Lucky Charms were "magically delicious," and Snap! Crackle! and Pop! were running the show… even if you were "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!"
Whether you were more of a Pop-Tart kid or couldn’t wait to sit down with your bowl of cereal at breakfast, one cereal lined the most shelves the year you were born. Chances are, it was even in your parents’ pantry as you were learning to crawl!
Here’s the most beloved cereal from the year you were born, according to Eat This, Not That!.