Pass the milk

Before cereal became popular in the mid 1800’s, the American breakfast was not all that different from other meals. Middle- and upper-class Americans ate eggs, pastries, and pancakes, but also oysters, boiled chickens, and beef steaks in the morning. It wasn’t until about 1836 when James Caleb Jackson, who ran a health resort, invented the first cereal, something he called “granula.”

“An American invention, breakfast cereal began as a digestive aid, acquired religious overtones, became a sugary snack and now toggles between health food and sweet indulgence,” according to The New York Times.

Later, there was C.W. Post, who introduced America to Grapenuts. Kellogg’s, the name we generally associate with cereal, became a household name in the early 1900s when the first brand of corn flakes was marketed, and Americans were hooked. Each decade had a new invention for a while as people wanted something different at the breakfast table. Rice and wheat based cereals were introduced and became a mainstay, and in the 1940s, Cheerios made oat a common ingredient.

It wasn’t until the ‘50s that cereal started to enjoy the sweet taste that we associate with it today, becoming more and more popular with children, but as the years progressed, an attitude of health brought back some of the nutritious elements, including a resurgence of granola-type cereals and those sweetened with lighter and more natural flavorings.

In the ‘60s and ‘70s, cereals were highly marketed with toys and games tucked inside the packaging, but in more recent years, the boxes have become the object of entertainment, with puzzles and messages printed on the outside.

The development of cereal as a main meal has been gradual but the ease of it – even a young child can put breakfast together – has proved that cereal is here to stay.

What’s your favorite brand of cereal? Comment below.