For years, milk and cereal has remained the quintessential American breakfast food — and it's no surprise why. Cereal, after all, is sweet, simple and satisfying, making it the perfect food to kickstart your early mornings.
Breakfast cereals first gained popularity in 1863, when James Caleb Jackson — a nutritionist and revered "health reformer" — released a dry whole grain cereal called Granula. Unlike most modern-day cereals, Granula was devoid of sugar and instead, made from just graham flour and bran. Because it was both hard and dry, Granula had to be soaked in milk for at least 20 minutes before it could be eaten.
