Breakfast cereal

A bowl of breakfast cereal with a cup of coffee.

Breakfast cereal is a breakfast food made from cereal grains.It is a common breakfast meal. This is made of grain, and usually eaten with milk in the United States.^[1] It is often sweetened with sugar, syrup, or fruit.^[1] There are many kinds of cereals. Some names of breakfast cereal include Cheerios, Kellogg's, Cocoa Puffs and various other brands. Most breakfast cereals are made for children, but there are many for adults as well. Some adult cereals are made for diets or other health benefits.

History

In the 19th century, Americans ate meat a lot for breakfast and usually did not eat grains and fiber. But after that, people who were interested in eating more healthy foods began a push for healthy breakfasts.^[2]

This brought up the creation of Granula. The name Granula comes from granulates, formed of grain. In 1863 this became the first breakfast cereal and included heavy nuggets made from bran, the outer husk of a grain that is taken out when making flour. The cereal had to be soaked overnight before being eaten. Simply pouring milk over it was not enough to make it eatable.^[2]

The cereals eaten today grew out of a health campaign that began in the 1860s. Thin baked dough served to patients in hospitals inspired two men, C.W. Post and W. K. Kellogg. These two men started their own companies, named them after themselves.^[2]

Breakfast Cereal Media

Additional nutrition is provided to flaked breakfast cereal by serving it in milk, topping it with fresh fruit such as raspberries, and including beverages like tea and orange juice, as "part of a complete breakfast".
A Quaker Oats advertisement circa 1900
1910 Kellogg's Corn Flakes advertisement
Breakfast cereals primarily marketed to children, such as Froot Loops, are commonly brightly colored and high in sugar.
Hot oatmeal porridge with sugar and melted butter
Golden Grahams cereal, with milk
Crispy corn puffs (Kix)
Multigrain cereal (Quaker Life)
Sweetened corn and oat cereal (Cap'n Crunch)
Chocolate cereal with monster marshmallows (Count Chocula)