Breakfast cereal is one of the biggest success stories of modern advertising in America. In the 1950’s it was a low profit industry but grew rapidly as it was marketed towards children as a delicious and easy breakfast. Parents looking for a quick, albeit addictive food to get for their kids in order to get to work on time, scooped the boxes from the shelves.
By the 1990’s companies sold billions of bowls of cereal every year and it continues to grow into the 21st century. Oftentimes, cereal companies will exaggerate the health benefits of their product in order to claim superiority over other brands.
“Bee happy, Bee healthy”
Cheerios were first manufactured in 1941 as “Cheerioats”, and it wasn’t until 1975 until flavor variety was included. They quickly rose to fame as a star baby food and have been selling consistently since.
When ranked by sales in a year, Cheerios took the top two spots with plain Cheerios making $ 435.9 million a year and Honey Nut Cheerios making $421.7 million. It’s incredible that they have managed to remain a constant favorite of America for so long. Cheerios has manufactured over 20 varieties with some of them being strawberry banana, frosted, blueberry, and apple cinnamon.
Some of the varieties are a bit out of the box giving them low sale rates but some children, like myself, grew up on a bowl of plain Cheerios a day and we turned out alright I think.
Cheerios are certified as gluten-free and do not use GMOs. They are also low in sugar and high in fiber. Like many cereals, Cheerios have very little protein (but often milk makes up for this shortage).
Cheerios are one of the best cereals for breakfast, especially with chopped bananas. This is because some cereals (like those below) are too sweet to eat in the morning, but cheerios pair well with fruits and all types of milk. Overall, I support cheerios and would argue that despite unwarranted hate from some children, they deserve 5 stars.
“You’ll love em’ from square one”
Quaker as a brand was founded in 1901 by four oat mills and became one of the most well-known and influential companies of its time. For the last 100 years they have been expanding, creating new products and locations.
The Quaker man was made in 1946 by Jim Nash and continues to thrive today. Quaker also funded the famous film Charlie and The Chocolate Factory and have bought many other companies such as Snapple, Louis Marx, and US games.
They are also the creator of my personal all-time favorite cereal to eat with oat milk: Oatmeal Squares. Oatmeal Squares are the perfect cereal to soak up just the right amount of milk and remain crunchy. They’re not too sweet, not too dull, and they remind me of childhood.
However, it also seems important to consider the company itself. While they seem to uphold and value strength and integrity in their mission statement, there are case accusations of corruption.
They have been in many lawsuits over recalls due to salmonella and misleading labeling. This was mainly targeted at their ingredient usage and a lack of transparency. However, it is mentionable that many companies face backlash and scrutiny and often the public creates false situations.
Oatmeal squares as a cereal are incredible despite the uncertainties of their company. They are easily the best cereal But, I am slightly scared of salmonella poisoning which takes a star away leaving them with 4 stars. So, maybe be careful about buying Quaker products from now on.
“Follow my nose! for the fruity taste that shows”
Fruit loops were introduced in 1963 by Kellogg and have remained a staple of the company since. They are a lovely snack food…but not so much for breakfast. Fruit loops are 40% sugar and provide very little fiber. They are advertised by their mascot Toucan Sam as the perfect breakfast which is “better than ever”.
But, personally, I would go for an omelet over a bowl of rainbow sugar cubes.
Fruit loop sales are currently 7th in the U.S. making $269.1 million dollars a year, which is about 2 million less than cheerios.
For 61 years, Fruit loops have adapted and grown and they remain in the top 10 cereals world wide. While this is impressive, they are the lowest ranking in this group and the least breakfast-like. Five year olds like them, but parents (you know, the ones with the money) do not want their children bouncing off the walls of their playpens. Fruit Loops are bright, sweet, and exciting but most people just want something a bit less blinding to start their day. Because of this, I give Fruit loops a 2.
“Crave those Crazy squares”
The youngest of these cereals is Cinnamon Toast Crunch, having been introduced in 1984. In its beginning, it was made of plain squares but a child on a radio show (hosted by General Mills) titled “give us your best idea for a cereal” came up with the cinnamon aspect. His grand prize was… hotwheels? So yes, general mills paid one hot wheel set for the brains of their million dollar cereal.
At first, Cinnamon Toast Crunch had no slogan and only three animated bakers as their mascots. Then, in 1995 they created the slogan “the taste you can see”. Having a successful marketing tactic, the cereal increased in popularity and is now in 5th place based on sales per year. The cereal makes 344.3 million dollars a year.
Personally, “the taste you can see” is not an appealing slogan to me and makes absolutely no sense. What do you see? The flavor of square? While yes, technically you can see the swirls of cinnamon they don’t exactly taste all that.
In my opinion it is often too strong. When I choose cereal for breakfast I want something that you can eat an entire bowl of. Cinnamon Toast Crunch is just a bit too much after you eat half and you can’t very well put it in the fridge for later.
Despite this, Cinnamon Toast Crunch is loved by many. It’s often a go to (and it’s my mom’s favorite) because of the flavor it gives the milk.
Because of their strange advertising (that only I think is weird apparently) and the odd tangy flavor I will give them 3.5 stars because they are a classic and a staple of the Spartan Scoop snack drawer.
Overall, cereal has been around for quite a while and managed to stay relevant. Not that surprising given how much America likes sugar for breakfast.
Different companies have different marketing strategies which shine through in their success rates and allow us to continue to buy our Cheerios. As a topic, cereal is very interesting and has many stories behind its creation and continuation. Cereal is a good breakfast when you don’t have time to make anything and probably one of the main foods in a highschool kid’s diet.
I give cereal 4 stars for being interesting and a great breakfast for bad hair days.
