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See also: Breakfast of Champions
BREAKFAST CEREALS
Cereals are processed grains that are generally 75 to 80 percent carbohydrates, a ready source of fuel for our brains and bodies. Cereals can be commercially processed or homemade.
In the U.S., on the average, of two new breakfast cereals are introduced to market shelves each week. The ready-to-eat cereal industry was $6.84 billion in retail sales in 2003, and the average American consumes about 15 pounds of this type of cereal each year.
‘Post Grape Nuts’ were first made in 1897
General Foods 'Post Toasties' cereal (1904) was originally called ‘Elijah's Manna’.
Hello-Billo, Korn Kure, Malt-Ho, Tryabita, Tryachewa, Oatsina and Orange Meat were all brand names of breakfast cereals available in the early 1900s.
Battle Creek, Michigan is the Cereal Capital of the World. It is home to Kellogg, Post and Ralston Purina cereal plants.
James C. Jackson, a follower of Sylvester Graham (who praised the virtues of whole grain flour, which was soon to be called Graham flour) developed what he called 'Granula' in 1863. Granula was Graham flour dough baked into dry loaves, broken into chunks and baked again, and then ground into still smaller chunks. This was the first ready-to-eat breakfast cereal. (C.W. Post used basically the same recipe for Post's Grape Nuts in 1898).
By the way, 'Granola' (baked wheat, oats and corn nuggets) was developed in 1877 by Dr. John Harvey Kellogg (before he formed the cereal company with his brother). He originally called his cereal 'Granula', but was sued by Jackson, and they compromised on the name 'Granola'. See also article on Granola.
The first ‘Wheaties’ commercial (live) aired when host Red Barbar promoted it during a Brooklyn Dodgers game (Variety, August 30, 1939). Later the Dodgers did a promotion dressed in street clothes saying 'Yum, Yum Stuff!' (Variety, April 24, 1940). (Thanks to Peter Emery at Food TV for this info www.foodnetwork.com)
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