Today is National Cereal Day, a March 7 holiday. Did you have your bowl of Wheaties today? Perhaps it was Cheerios, Captain Crunch, Alphabets, or one of the dozens of different varieties to choose from. Maybe you had a bowl of bran cereal, to really get you going. Whatever cereal you chose, you are in good company. About one-half of Americans enjoy a healthy start to the day, with a bowl of their favorite breakfast cereal.

Cereal arrived at the breakfast table in America in the mid-1800s. You might say cereal was the very first health craze. At the time, the American diet was unhealthy, consisting of way too much protein, alcohol, and caffeine. It was believed that this combination was unhealthy, leading to illness, poor overall health, lust, and sloth. It was also believed to cause constipation and gastrointestinal illnesses. And they were correct!

Some of the pioneers of cereal were alive at the time and developed the first cereals, promoting them to improve diets and health. Americans bought into the concept and discovered that not only was it good for their health, but cereal tasted good, too. It was also a quick breakfast with little clean-up, allowing them to quickly get on with their morning chores and work. A bowl of healthy cereal soon became the go-to for breakfast. In 1939, cereal became just a little less healthy, as sugars were added to many varieties. Many saw the added sugars as a boost to their morning energy levels.

Did You Know? Cheerios were originally called “CheeriOats”.

On National Cereal Day, you can begin celebrating bright and early with a morning bowl of cereal. But, don’t stop there. Cereal can be consumed at any time of the day or night.