From Cocoa Puffs to Cheerios — When Did Cereal Cease Being Enjoyable?

After I was a child on the grocery retailer, my favourite a part of the journey was when my mother would let my brothers and me run unfastened down the cereal aisle to every select which field we wished. We did not share fairly often, so every of the alternatives was carefully monitored by the opposite two siblings. I’d commerce one bowl of my Cocoa Puffs for one some Fruity Pebbles, however undoubtedly not for a bowl of Sugar Smacks. 

The aisle was an limitless alternative for huge quantities of sugar. Nearly each field of cereal had a cartoon character on it with extensive eyes that adopted me once I walked previous them like a kind of creepy work in a haunted home. There was Cap’n Crunch, luring me like a siren of the ocean to his Common, Crunch Berries, and Peanut Butter Crunch containers, every one assured to destroy the roof of my mouth once I ate it. Subsequent to him was Depend Chocula and Boo-Berry, the leprechaun along with his magically scrumptious Fortunate Charms, and Tony the Tiger and his frosted flakes that have been so nice. The common Kellogg’s Corn Flakes had a rooster as a mascot and its eyes didn’t even have pupils, so no. Selecting my cereal was the largest resolution of my week.

These days, the one cereal I ever purchase is Cheerios. There is not any enjoyable mascot on the field, only a image of complete grain oats and the phrases “coronary heart wholesome.” Probably the most tough half is deciding which measurement to get: regular-size, large-size, family-size, giant-size, or mega-size, every with a unique value per ounce. I do not perceive why a lot math is concerned. It is overwhelming. There I’m with my cheater glasses on, learning the shop labels attempting to decipher which field is one of the best discount. 

However, wait! The mega-size is on sale and despite the fact that I wish to get essentially the most economical deal, the field additionally has to suit into my New York Metropolis kitchen cupboard. Bargains have been left behind due to area limitations. There is no such thing as a room for Costco-size containers of cereal in my kitchen. 

And when did all these new sorts of Cheerios pop up? Lemon Frosted Cheerios. Chocolate Strawberry Cheerios. Cheerios with Protein? If I would like protein, I’ll eat an egg. Doesn’t the two% milk I’m drowning my cereal in have some protein? Should we all the time add extra of it?  And, if I’ll purchase one thing referred to as Fruity Cheerios, I’ll simply purchase Froot Loops like Toucan Sam desires me to, thanks very a lot. Cheerios Oat Crunch? Please, I could as nicely purchase All-Bran or Fiber One or Grape Nuts. I would like my Cheerios plain, in a giant yellow field that I can add a mere sprinkling of sugar onto as a result of, let’s be sincere, it wants it.

These days the closest I ever get to a sugary cereal like Frosted Krispies is when my beloved Cheerios are on sale and on the underside shelf on the grocery retailer. After I bend down to choose up essentially the most ounces per greenback, my knees and shoulders snap, crackle, and pop, reminding me I’m not a child anymore choosing out my favourite cereal on the grocery retailer with my mother. The joys is gone and it’s simply one other grown-up chore.

As an grownup, I don’t even like going to the grocery retailer alone, however my mother did it with three boys underneath the age 10. As soon as, my brothers and I have been all hanging on the perimeters of a really full grocery cart and naturally we tipped it over. Soup cans rolling throughout the tile ground, crushed luggage of potato chips, my little brother wailing. It was mortifying for my mother, however I simply bear in mind it being thrilling and humorous. So long as my Apple Jacks have been all proper, it was a profitable journey to the grocery retailer for me. My large weekly resolution had been made. Now, a rewarding journey to the grocery retailer is when the family-size Cheerios is on sale for $0.32 per ounce, as a result of not solely is it the most affordable, that field is the proper measurement for my cupboard. It simply wants just a little bit extra sugar.