The Origins of Breakfast Cereal

I've been a connoisseur of breakfast cereal since an early age. So it made me very happy when Rachel recently gave me The Great American Cereal Book for my birthday.

The book is shaped like a cereal box and has glossy color photos of many of the innumerable cereals released over the years.

The first story in this pop-culture landmine discusses the advent of cereals. The unhealthy diet of the Civil War era inspired Granula, the first cereal, which was hard as a rock and required being soaked in milk overnight before it could be eaten. Disgusting sounding, yes, but it went a long way in building a healthier diet for Americans.

Nabisco Shredded Wheat followed in 1892, Kellogg's Granose Flakes in 1896, and Post Grape-Nuts in 1897.