The Most Popular Cereal From the Year You Were Born

Cereal has been a breakfast staple for well over a century.Some call it the "Breakfast of Champions" (thanks to Wheaties); others enjoy it as an after-dinner snack or even a meal replacement. The concept dates back to the 1800s, and it wasn’t always rainbow-colored marshmallows and chocolate.THE HISTORY OF CEREAL Kellogg's Sanitarium Scene | Underwood Archives/GettyImagesThe first cereal was actually served in a sanatorium in upstate New York. According to The Guardian, Dr. James Caleb Jackson mixed water with dried graham flour pieces to create "granula," and softened it with milk. Jackson created granula to support digestion, which he believed was connected to health issues plaguing his patients. Thirty years later, at a sanitarium in Michigan, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg and his brother Will accidentally invented flaky cereal, later calling it "granola." One of their patients, C.W. Post, created Grape-Nuts in 1897, and just like that, the cereal revolution began! Wheaties hit shelves in the 1920s, Cheerios in the ‘40s, and Sugar Frosted Flakes in the ‘50s.Things got a bit more colorful in the '60s with the first versions of Froot Loops and Lucky Charms, followed by Cocoa Pebbles in the ‘70s, Cinnamon Toast Crunch in the ‘80s, and Reese’s Puffs in the ‘90s.TURN-OF-THE-CENTURY REBRANDSTiger Woods On The Cover Of The New Wheaties Box | Getty Images/GettyImagesMany of these classic cereals rebranded into the new century, with more cartoons and celebrities, brighter colors, and, of course, more sugar. This led to the rise of organic grains in the 2000s from brands like Kashi and Nature’s Path, advertising less sugar and a healthier start to your day. Depending on the decade you grew up in, you probably remember seeing one of these cereals on a TV commercial and begging your parents for it during the next grocery run.Frosted Flakes were "gr-r-reat," Lucky Charms were "magically delicious," and Snap! Crackle! and Pop! were running the show… even if you were "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs!"Whether you were more of a Pop-Tart kid or couldn’t wait to sit down with your bowl of cereal at breakfast, one cereal lined the most shelves the year you were born. Chances are, it was even in your parents’ pantry as you were learning to crawl!Here’s the most beloved cereal from the year you were born, according to Eat This, Not That!.THE MOST POPULAR CEREAL EACH YEAR FROM 1970 TO 19991970Honeycomb1971Fruity Pebbles1972Count Chocula1973Pink Panther Flakes1974Magic Puffs1975Golden Grahams1976Kellogg’s Concentrate Cereal1977Crazy Cow Cereal1978Cookie Crisp1979Waffelos1980Powdered Donutz1981Banana Frosted Flakes1982Marshmallow Krispies1983Smurf Berry Crunch1984Cinnamon Toast Crunch1985C-3POs Cereal1986Circus Fun1987Ice Cream Cones Cereal1988Cröonchy Stars Cereal1989Nintendo Cereal System1990Honey Bunches of Oats1991Cinnamon Mini Buns1992Berry Berry Kix1993Sprinkle Spangles1994Pop-Tarts Crunch1995Reese’s Puffs1996Waffle Crisp1997Oreo O’s1998French Toast Crunch1999Reptar CrunchRead More: