DAILY DIRT: Cheerios are the Ohio State of cereal

January 2, 2025 | By Steve Eighinger, Muddy River News Minister of Culture and Doctor of Love

Daily Dirt for Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025

Trix and Frosted Flakes also worthy of medal-stand positions … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 1,160 of The Daily Dirt.

1. The bottom line? It has to taste good.

Many of us enjoy a bowl — or even just a handful — of cereal, either for breakfast or simply a satisfying snack. Sure, all the alleged nutrients are important, but …

“At the end of the day, we like things that taste good,” according to a complex.com study on cereals.

Believe it not, cereal (as we currently know it) is more than 160 years old, dating to what is believed to be 1863. Here is The Daily Dirt Committee on Breakfast Nutrition’s top 10 favorite cereals:

1. Cheerios: Round shape, perfect taste. I don’t think I’ve ever combined Cheerios with milk and sugar. I love sitting down and devouring a box — handful by handful — while watching an Ohio State football game. And those Cherrios tasted mighty good while watching the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. Introduced: 1941.

2. Trix: Not only do those little round, colorful balls taste good, they look good, too. Introduced: 1954.

3. Frosted Flakes: For what seemed forever, Frosted Flakes were No. 1 on my personal list, but a few years ago when Kellogg’s cut back on the amount of sugar used on the flakes I became somewhat disenchanted with this brand. Introduced: 1952.

4. Froot Loops: They’re kind of a first cousin to Trix. Introduced: 1954.

5. Life: The sugar crystals and the subtle crunch have always been satisfying, especially as an evening substitution for potato chips. Introduced: 1961.

6. Sugar Smacks (later renamed Honey Smacks): These are great, but they’re just so s-t-i-c-k-y … Introduced: 1953.

7. Frosted Mini Wheats: The more “frosted” the better. Introduced: 1969.

8. Raisin Bran Crunch: I’m mostly a dry cereal eater, but this is No. 1 on my list when it comes to cereals I use milk and sugar with — especially sugar. Introduced: 1999.

9. Fruity Pebbles: Sweetened rainbow rice flakes at their best. Introduced: 1971.

10. Chex (Corn, Wheat or Rice): Will a box blow you away with flavor? No, but it’s always a safe choice when you’re not in the mood for some of its way-too-sugary rivals. Introduced: 1936.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE: Steve’s omissions of Rice Krispies and Special K are duly noted. JRG

2. Did you know (Part 234)

That the new Chips Ahoy cookie will soon be Crunch Chocolate Caramel.
That KitKat will have a new Raspberry Creme candy bar ready for Valentine’s Day.
That Chuck Norris tried to lose weight but could not, because Chuck Norris never loses.
That Chuck Norris does not own an oven. He simply looks at bread and it knows it is toast.
That the new Skinny Pop Popcorn coming to supermarket displays is Avocado Lime.

3. Many boomers were born in the 1950s. Here’s a slice of life from that period:

Only 29 percent of women participated in the workforce, and the most popular jobs for females were: secretary, retail salesperson, teacher, bookkeeper and apparel factory worker.
An average movie theater ticket cost less than 50 cents (46 cents to be exact), which was less than the price for a dozen eggs (60 cents).
Only about 8 percent of U.S. families owned two cars.
Speaking of automobiles, a new Cadillac cost around $3,500. Today’s price tag is around $50,000.

Steve Thought O’ The Day — Back to the cereal thing one more time. General Mills sells roughly 140 million boxes of Cheerios each year, which translates into about $450 million in annual sales.