Morning, noon and night we plan meals and eat. Interestingly, cereal is always appropriate any time. As it turns out, it is a staple in the American diet.
We decided to dive in to what exactly is so appealing about cereal. What makes it so great?
1. It’s easy.
Cereal is deemed the perfect breakfast meal for many reasons. The first reason why many people love it is because it’s an affordable and convenient meal. The majority of Americans have busy lives, so being able to eat quickly is essential. Convenience and price also top the list of how shoppers make buying and eating decisions at other times of the day, too.
2. It’s a treat.
Americans love tasty sweets; cereal is a treat. It’s crunchy and sugary; variety in flavors appeal to many ages to consistently satisfy a sweet tooth. Cereal flavors range from chocolate chip cookies all the way to chicken and waffles, but the most common flavors are chocolatey, fruity, and sweet, according to national sales data.
3. It’s trendy
While cereal is a common breakfast food, Americans also drink a cup of coffee in the morning. It’s no surprise companies decided to mix the two to make it even more convenient for busy commuters.
Coffee Cereal is a crunchy treat made by Dunkin Donuts and Post. The coffee flavored cereal has a base of chocolatey notes with latte swirled marshmallows mixed in. It also contains caffeine, offering not only a treat but also more energy to start the day.
But not all cereals are created equal. The unhealthiest common cereal brands are Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Froot Loops, and Trix, which are also some of the most popular cereals there are. One of the unhealthiest cereals is Froot Loops, according to Fooducate.com, because it has about three teaspoons (12 grams) of added sugar per serving, it contains trans fat, and is highly processed.
The good news is there are healthy and nutritious options available, too.

One of the healthiest cereals is Cheerios because it has less than one-and-a-half teaspoons (2 grams) of added sugar per serving, it’s 100-percent whole grain, and it’s a high fiber cereal at more than 16-percent daily fiber (about 4 grams).
There’s no denying cereal is a staple in the American diet. It’s a meal and a snack (and everything in between). It’s considered to be delicious and– in some cases– nutritious, but also convenient and affordable.
Check our roundup of flavors and brands –as well as variety of cereal styles– from both mainstream and health-food aisles for your pantry.