What is the best cereal?

Tuesday is National Cereal Day.

by Dara Bitler and Jocelina Joiner | Mar. 07, 2023

Story at a glance

Breakfast cereals date back to 1863, when a doctor by the name of James Caleb Jackson, who was also known as a “health reformer,” began experimenting at the health spa he ran with cold cereal as a remedy for illnesses.

In the late 1870s or early 1880s, John Harvey Kellogg, who also operated a health spa, began using wheat flour, oatmeal and cornmeal to make his own version.

Today, the largest cereal brand in the United States is Cheerios, with a revenue of $18.126 billion and 139.1 million boxes sold in 2021.

DENVER (KDVR) — From Froot Loops to Cheerios to Frosted Flakes, people across the country are still filling their bowls with the classics.

Tuesday is National Cereal Day, and whether you put your cereal in the bowl first or your milk in first, there is no wrong answer. It just depends on who you ask.

Breakfast cereals date back to 1863, when a doctor by the name of James Caleb Jackson, who was also known as a “health reformer,” began experimenting at the health spa he ran with cold cereal as a remedy for illnesses, according to the Smithsonian Magazine.

What he came up with was “granula,” which wasn’t an immediate success. Then in the late 1870s or early 1880s, John Harvey Kellogg, who also operated a health spa, began using wheat flour, oatmeal and cornmeal to make his own version of granula. The American physician and businessman later renamed it “Granola,” which was his take on breakfast cereal, according to the magazine.

He became “largely responsible for the creation of the flaked-cereal industry,” according to Britannica.

Today, the largest cereal brand in the United States, according to research by Zippia, is Cheerios, with a revenue of $18.126 billion and 139.1 million boxes sold in 2021.

Largest cereal brands

Here are the 10 largest cereal brands, according to Zippia’s research:

Cheerios: 139.1 million boxes sold
Frosted Flakes: 132.3 million boxes sold
Honey Nut Cheerios: 129.3 million boxes sold
Honey Bunches of Oats: 111.3 million boxes sold
Cinnamon Toast Crunch: 105.2 million boxes sold
Lucky Charms: 86.4 million boxes sold
Froot Loops: 91.7 million boxes sold
Frosted Mini-Wheats: 71.3 million boxes sold
Life: 58.1 million boxes sold
Fruity Pebbles: 54.1 million boxes sold