Wheaties is having an identity crisis.

In the 1960s, the iconic American cereal dubbed "the breakfast of champions" represented nearly 7% of all cereal sold in the United States. Today the General Mills owned brand has dropped to a mere .5 percent of sales, according to Darren Rovell at CNBC.

So what has changed?

It's pretty simple: Wheaties is too healthy for junk food lovers yet not healthy enough for the health food crowd.

From Rovell's report:

Industry insiders have speculated that Wheaties, like Corn Flakes, wasn’t healthy enough for the Fiber One crowd and wasn’t bad enough for those who wanted to eat Lucky Charms or Frosted Flakes.

“It’s OK to be healthy, but they just haven’t stood out,” Moritz said. “Cheerios has successfully rolled out new flavors and Special K has latched on to fitness consumers and the women’s market.”

Ironically, General Mills is cannibalizing its own product as Wheaties is likely losing business to other General Mills product lines like Cheerios.

Wheaties' current conundrum is evidence that companies have to be nimble and able to change their products with the times if they want to consistently attract consumers.

NOW SEE: Can You Figure Out What These Brands Are Without Seeing Their Names Or Logos? >

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Food is one of society's key sensitivities to climate. A year of not enough or too much rainfall, a hot spell or cold snap at the wrong time, or extremes, like flooding and storms, can have a significant effect on local crop yields and livestock production. While modern farming technologies and techniques have helped to reduce this vulnerability and boost production, the impact of recent droughts in the USA, China and Russia on global cereal production highlight a glaring potential future vulnerability.

There is some evidence that climate change is already having a measurable affect on the quality and quantity of food produced globally. But this is small when compared with the significant increase in global food production that has been achieved over the past few decades. Isolating the influence of climatic change from all the other trends is difficult, but one recent Stanford University study found that increases in global production of maize and wheat since 1980 would have been about 5% higher were it not for climate change.

All else being equal, rising carbon dioxide concentrations – the main driver of climate change – could increase production of some crops, such as rice, soybean and wheat. However, the changing climate would affect the length and quality of the growing season and farmers could experience increasing damage to their crops, caused by a rising intensity of droughts, flooding or fires.

The latest IPCC report predicted improving conditions for food production in the mid to high latitudes over the next few decades, including in the northern USA, Canada, northern Europe and Russia. Conversely, parts of the subtropics, such as the Mediterranean region and parts of Australia, and the low latitudes, could experience declining conditions. For example, across Africa, yields from rain-fed agriculture could decline by as much as 50% by 2020. Beyond this, if global temperatures rise by more than about 1–3°C, declining conditions could be experienced over a much larger area.

The future course of global food production will depend on how well societies can adapt to such climatic changes, as well as the influence of other pressures, such as the competition for land from biofuel production. The IPCC concluded that in the poorer, low-latitude countries, climate change could seriously challenge the capacity to adapt for a warming of more than 3°C. The richer, higher latitude countries are likely to have a greater capacity to adapt and exploit changing climatic conditions.

But we can't ignore the potential for "surprises" down the line. There are many uncertainties in such predictions. The world has not seen such changes in climate for millennia, and so it is impossible to know how our agricultural systems will react in the real world. For example, the complex interlinkages with the impacts of climate change on pests, diseases and pollinators, like bees, are largely unknown. Also, climate models have difficulty in accurately predicting the detailed local environmental changes that are important for food production, particularly weather extremes.

A looming vulnerability is the world's fisheries, which provide an important source of protein for at least half the world's population. Fisheries are already stressed by overexploitation and pollution. Warming surface waters in the oceans, rivers and lakes, as well as sea level rise and melting ice, will adversely affect many fish species. Some marine fish species are already adapting by migrating to the high latitudes, but others, such as Arctic and freshwater species, have nowhere to go. The absorption of carbon dioxide emissions by the oceans also has a direct impact on marine ecosystems through ocean acidification.

But what does this mean for food security – the price and availability of food for the world's seven billion people? A 2011 Foresight report concluded that climate change is a relatively small factor here, at least in the short term, when compared with the rapid increases in global food demand expected in the next decade. On current projections, by 2050 there will be between one and three billion additional mouths to feed. As people become wealthier, they also demand more food and disproportionally more meat, which requires far more land and water resources per calorie consumed. When these factors are combined, it points toward a future of increasing and more volatile food prices.

As was seen during the 2007–08 food price spikes, the poorest countries and communities will be hit first and hardest. The Foresight report concluded that international policy has an important role to play here – today, despite plentiful supplies of food globally, almost one billion people are undernourished.

Finally, food production itself is a significant emitter of greenhouse gases, as well as a cause of environmental degradation in many parts of the world. Agriculture contributes about 15% of all emissions, on a par with transport. When land conversion and the wider food system are taken into account the total contribution of food may be as high as 30%. This means that to limit the long-run impacts of climate change, food production must become not only more resilient to climate but also more sustainable and low-carbon itself.

• This article was written by Nicola Ranger of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE in collaboration with the Guardian

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As a mom, we know you want to stretch your dollar—and your time—as much as possible.

Buying in bulk, from popular wholesale stores like Costco, BJ’s or Sam’s Club, can help you save both money and time by giving you major discounts and cutting down your trips to the grocery or convenience store.

There are, however, right ways and wrong ways to do bulk shopping. (Put down the jumbo-size container of mayonnaise. Seriously.) To make sure you’re shopping smartly, learn how to develop your bulk-shopping strategy. Then, find out which items to buy—and which ones you should avoid.

Questions to Ask Yourself

To help you develop your strategy, first ask yourself these questions:

1. How much pantry and storage space do you have in your home?

If you’re interested in buying non-perishables, canned foods or dry goods, you’ll want to make sure you have enough pantry space to stash your haul. Additionally, check out your other storage and closet spaces to determine how much space you have available for large paper goods, or jumbo laundry containers.

If you don’t have room in your apartment, home or garage to store extra goods, you may want to reconsider buying in bulk. Trust us: The stress of having 32 tuna cans tumble down on you from your overstuffed cabinet will negate the savings.

2. How much freezer space do you have?

Many of the best savings available are either found in the freezer aisle, or will come from freezing foods to make them last longer. Determine how much freezer space you have available, see if you can make more room in your freezer and then keep your space limitations in mind as you shop.

For information on how to freeze food safely, read this.

3. What does your family actually eat?

Remember, a deal is only a deal if it’s something you really need. If your kids won’t touch pork, it may not make sense to buy and freeze ten pounds just because there’s an extreme sale. Take a few minutes to actually sit down and analyze your fridge, freezer, pantry and past grocery purchases to determine what actually flies off your kitchen shelves fastest. This way, you’ll be able to figure out which bulk items will help you cut down on grocery store trips and which ones will just become shelf-clutter.

Items You Should Buy in Bulk

1. Breakfast Items

For feeding kids quickly, easily and healthily before school, you know nothing beats a bowl of cereal. Buy cereal in bulk for 50% off in savings at a wholesale store, and get your gallon of milk at the same time. A gallon of milk can go for as little as $1.99 at a wholesale store, while a regular grocery store might sell it for closer to $3.75.

2. Nonperishable Canned Items

On items like canned soup and tuna, you can save up to 30% by buying in bulk. Not bad!

3. Dried Beans and Pasta

Dried beans and pasta can form the basis of many quick, healthy, tasty and cheap meals. (Check out these $10 and under meals for four: Spicy Sausage and White Bean Stew and Linguine With Braised Escarole.)

In bulk, you can see savings of up to 20% for whole wheat pasta and 32% for dried beans. Plus, you don’t have to worry about eating them too quickly: Dried beans will last for a year, while dried pasta will last for up to two years if sealed when stored.

4. Meat, Fish and Poultry

You can often find great deals on meat at bulk stores, but unless you’re feeding 20, you’ll likely need to freeze raw meat, poultry and fish, or cook larger portions and then freeze them to ensure that nothing spoils before being used. Here’s a guide to safe freezing, and how long the following foods can remain in your freezer:

• Raw beef roast and steaks: 6-12 months
• Raw pork roast and chops: 4-6 months
• Cooked meat: 2-3 months
• Raw chicken: 9 months
• Raw fatty fish (salmon, tuna, etc.): 2-3 months
• Raw lean fish (cod, flounder, etc.): 6 months
• Cooked fish: 4-6 months
• Raw ground meat: 3-4 months

To make your food last as long as possible, separate into perfect portion sizes for your family before freezing, as defrosting and refreezing will spoil food more quickly.

5. Party Appetizers

Hosting a sleepover night, birthday party or holiday meal at your home? Consider buying your party appetizers at a wholesale store for significant savings.

6. Toothbrushes

It may seem like a small expense, but buying toothbrushes in bulk can save you up to 50%. Plus, while dentists recommend switching toothbrushes every three months, most people wait three times as long. You and your family will be more likely to practice good dental hygiene if you have your back-up brushes handy at home.

7. Paper Goods

Buy toilet paper and paper towels in bulk for savings of up to 50%. If you don’t have a lot of space, however, these oversized items can be the trickiest to store!

8. Diapers

If you have a little one running around, we don’t need to tell you that diapers are expensive. Save between 25% and 35% by buying in bulk, which can save you around $350 a year!

9. Dog Food

Especially if you have a large dog, the cost of dog food can really add up. Buy dog food in bulk but check the expiration date, so you’re not feeding Fido spoiled goods.

10. Laundry Detergent

If your children are active (or just have a particular knack for knocking bowls of spaghetti), you’re likely doing a fair amount of laundry. Save on the cost of detergent by buying in bulk, which can save you up to 50% off the normal cost.

11. Candy

Halloween is just around the corner, which means trick-or-treaters will soon be knocking on your door. Avoid making a last-minute run to the drugstore for overpriced bags by buying your candy in bulk.

What NOT to Buy in Bulk:

Here’s what you should stay away from:

1. Cooking oil

The fats in cooking oil start turning rancid after six months. Don’t buy cooking oil in bulk (unless you’re frequently deep-frying), because you likely won’t use it all before it goes bad. While olive oil lasts slightly longer, the antioxidants decrease by approximately 40% after six months, leaving you without the health benefits of the heart-healthy oil.

2. Breads

Avoid buying bread in bulk, because it will likely turn moldy before you can finish it. While you can freeze bread, it takes up a lot of space in the freezer, which you can probably put to better use.

3. Nuts

Like with cooking oil, the fats in nuts cause them to spoil relatively quickly, after about one month at room temperature. If you’re not using them immediately in a recipe that requires a lot of chopped nuts, we say pass.

4. Most Fresh Produce

Unless you’ll be freezing your produce (in which case it can last for anywhere from six to eight months), we wouldn’t advise buying fresh produce in bulk, because it will most likely go bad before you can use it all.

5. Bleach

While you should definitely consider buying laundry detergent in bulk, bleach has a short shelf life of three to six months and should probably be avoided.

NOW READ: The 9 Steps I Took To Get My Finances Back On Track >

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There's some Yabba Dabba depressing news for Fred Flintstone fans.

The cartoon favorite is getting ousted from the Fruity Pebbles box in place of WWE star John Cena. While Flintstone isn't banished from the box completely — this promotion is just for 4 million boxes — Ad Age reports that Flintstone's starring role on the cereal box is going to be subdued because kids wanted some variety.

Cena, famous for wearing brightly colored costumes while wrestling, has been promoting Fruity Pebbles ever since Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson started calling him Fruity Pebbles in the ring. In fact, if we are to directly quote him, before a fight Johnson told Cena to "enjoy your fruity pebbles, you Yabba Dabba b---h."

When WWE and Post, the parent company of Fruity Pebbles, made an endorsement deal after Johnson's spontaneous quip in January 2012, @The Rock Dwayne Johnson tweeted"I assume my royalty check for this is in the mail #YoureWelcomeJohn."

The deal also helps WWE cement its new endeavor to make its show TV-PG and family friendly. (In spite of the fact that some wrestlers hate the new, "corny" direction and have left the company because of it.)

But, as Ad Age's EJ Schultz clarifies, "As for the "Fruity Pebbles" moniker itself, the WWE says that merely refers to Mr. Cena's colorful gear, and nothing else."

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NEW YORK (Reuters) - Kellogg Co <K.N.> said 36,000 packages of its Special K Red Berries cereal could contain dangerous glass fragments and have been pulled from the market, the latest in a series of recalls of its popular brands.

Company spokesman Kris Charles said late on Wednesday that three sizes of the product were involved and had been distributed across the United States to a limited number of retailers. No consumer injuries have been reported, she said.

"The company took this precautionary action due to the possible presence of glass fragments from a single batch of one of the ingredients," Charles said. "This is a very small recall...We took the step out of an abundance of caution."

Charles said the voluntary recall is unrelated to big recalls in recent years that involved other well-known Kellogg cereals, cookies and crackers. The company is still in the process of turning itself around after admitting that it had cut too many jobs in prior years that contributed to manufacturing problems.

The latest recall involves 11.2-ounce retail packages of Kellogg's Special K Red Berries cereal identified by UPC Code 38000 59923 with a "Better if Used by" date stamp of DEC 02 2013 KNC 105 00:13 through DEC 02 2013 KNC 105 02:30.

It also includes 37-ounce club-store packages identified by UPC Code 38000 20940, followed by a "Better if Used by" date of NOV 30 2013 KNB 107 17:31 to NOV 30 2013 KNB 107 20:05.

Kellogg said 22.4-ounce twin-packs were also recalled. They are identified by UPC Code 38000 78356, along with "Better if Used by" time stamps of NOV 30 2013 KNA 105 07:00 to NOV 30 2013 KNA 105 08:51, and NOV 30 2013 KNB 105 15:00 to NOV 30 2013 KNB 105 17:05.

Special K is touted by the company as a low-calorie consumer option.

Kellogg in October recalled 2.8 million boxes of its Mini-Wheats cereal after fragments of flexible metal mesh from a faulty manufacturing part were found inside packages.

In June 2010, the company voluntarily recalled millions of packages of Kellogg's Corn Pops, Honey Smacks, Froot Loops and Apple Jacks cereals due to an off-flavor and odor of the products.

In 2009, it voluntarily recalled certain lots of its Austin and Keebler brands of peanut-butter sandwich crackers and Famous Amos and Keebler cookies due to potential contamination with Salmonella.

(Reporting By Ransdell Pierson and Martinne Geller; Editing by Matt Driskill)

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Americans are too busy to eat a bowl of cereal anymore, and food companies are freaking out. 

Kyle Stock at Bloomberg Businessweek points out the change, noting that revenues at companies like General Mills, Post, and Kellogg are down this year. 

Post and Kellogg have even gone as far as to lay off employees and close factories, according to Stock. 

In addition to Americans being busy, they're also increasingly staying clear of carbs, gluten, and sugar. This hurts brands like Froot Loops and Frosted Flakes, according to Stock. 

"Improving cereal sales will be 'an uphill battle,'" Stock writes, citing a report by Credit Suisse analysts. 

While Americans eschew cereal, sales of portable breakfast offerings are on the rise. 

Kellogg is responding by offering more healthy cereal bars and snacks. 

"We recognize that sometimes consumers don’t have time for a bowl of cereal and milk,” Kellogg vice president Paul Norman said in an earnings call this week.

SEE ALSO: 19 Fast Food Hacks That Will Change The Way You Order

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Without much ado, Dominique Ansel released his latest holiday offering: Christmas Morning Cereal packed with crunchy Valrhona Caramelia chocolate puffed rice, spiced hazelnuts, sugar brittle and topped with cinnamon-flavored Mini-Me meringues.

First spotted by the lovely folks over at Serious Eats, the seasonal item is the bakery’s first venture into the cold cereal game and comes packaged in a box for you can only pick up at Ansel’s NYC bakery. The curious concoction will run you $15 an is described as “meringue kisses in your breakfast.” This alone sounds absolutely delightful and like something we need in our lonely cereal bowls right this second.

Anyone in New York willing to make a delivery? We’ll love you forever. Promise!

H/T Serious Eats + Picthx Dominque Ansel Bakery

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After seeing a 4% decline in sales in its flagship U.S. breakfast unit, Kellogg CEO John Bryant said in a call with analysts earlier this month that the company is moving away from cereal toward other options like eggs, toast, peanut butter, and yogurt.

It's sad news for cereal lovers everywhere, but these 10 nostalgic cereal boxes from the '70s and earlier will remind us what we love about our favorite childhood breakfast.

Like Cocoa Pebbles, Cocoa Krispies also used a caveman spokesperson to champion its chocolate milk-making cereal.

Lucky Charms used to come with only four types of marshmallows — hearts, moons, stars, and clovers — but Lucky the Leprechaun was still the magical mascot.

Before it was known as Honey Smacks, Sugar Smacks cereal went through a number of major changes, from the name to sugar content to the mascot. This creepy-looking clown was found on boxes in the '50s...

...and the Smackin' Brothers in the '60s, before finally being replaced by Dig'em the Honey Smacks frog in the '70s.

Toucan Sam was a little two-dimensional back in the day, and there was less variety in the colors of loops in your bowl.

You probably know Sugar Pops as Corn Pops today, but the ingredients are basically the same as they are now.

Similar to Froot Loops, Trix was also limited in the colors it originally introduced before adding its beloved grape, lime, wildberry, and watermelon flavors. From round spheres to fun shapes, the cereal went back to spheres in 2006.

Kix is probably the most consistent cereal around, keeping the distinctive ear of corn on the box and the slogan, "kid tested, mother approved."

Cap'n Crunch has seen over a dozen iterations of his sweet, crunchy cereal. Pamela Low, the cereal's creator, aimed to capture "want-more-ishness" in making the popular breakfast choice.

Frosted Flakes dropped "Sugar" from its name around 1984, but still relies on Tony the Tiger to advocate for a balanced breakfast. The cereal is now available in a reduced-sugar variety as well.

SEE ALSO: 21 Sad Photos Of Dead And Dying Kmart Stores

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While the benefits of eating breakfast are well-known —  it can prevent weight gain, boost short-term memory, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, and even make us happier — most of those health rewards depend on choosing the right foods.

"In general, a healthy breakfast contains protein, fruits, whole grains, or vegetables," says Ruth Frechman, MA, RDN, CPT, nutritionist and author of "The Food is My Friend Diet." Typically, you want to include foods from at least three of these groups, says Frechman.

The portion sizes will depend on your age, activity, and diet goals, but as a general guideline your "plate" should consist of about 25% protein, 25% carbohydrates, and 50% fruits and/or vegetables, says Frechman.

Frechman emphasizes the importance of eating breakfast, but recommends waiting until you're legitimately hungry to break bread. "If you force yourself to eat at 7 a.m. when you're not hungry, chances are you are going to gain weight."

When you are ready to chow down, here are some healthy breakfast options to make sure you start the day off right.

Eggs

"Eggs are your friends again," says Frechman. Although one large egg contains 212 milligrams of cholesterol — a relatively large amount compared to other foods — it's now known that saturated fat increases "bad" blood cholesterol and not the cholesterol in foods.

One egg carries around 70 calories and packs 6 grams of protein. Before you toss the yolk, remember that the yellowish center is where most of the nutrients are found. The yolk is a good source of lutein, a vitamin also found in spinach and kale that helps prevents eye diseases.

Whole-grain bread, cereal, or oatmeal

"Breakfast happens to be the easiest time to get in heart healthy fiber from whole grain cereal and oats which can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol," says Lisa Moskovitz, RD, CDN, owner of Your New York Dietitians. Fiber keeps us full and gives us energy.

"Always look for at least 5 grams of fiber when choosing breakfast cereals," says Moskovitz. She also says to use any milk with 1% fat or less. "No one over the age of 2 should be drinking higher fat cow's milk."

Another warning: If you're watching your weight, you want to stay away from whole-grain cereals with added sugar because those pack a lot of extra calories.

Peanut butter

There are 8 grams of protein in two tablespoons of peanut butter, which is roughly 20% of the daily recommended amount for adult men and women. "It helps to have protein at every meal to regulate your blood sugar level," says Frechman. "If you were to have pancakes, syrup, and juice, your blood sugar would spike and then crash."

Also, peanut butter mostly contains the "good" unsaturated fat. "I always recommend a nut butter like cashew butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter instead of putting real butter, margarine, or cream cheese on a bagel," says Frechman. Yellowish spreads like margarine are much higher in "bad" saturated fats.

Fruit

Berries, bananas, or melon — take your pick. "There's no such things as an unhealthy fruit," says Frechman. However, you should mix and match your fruit choices to take advantage of a variety of different nutrients. Blueberries, for example, are high in antioxidants while oranges are loaded with vitamin C and potassium.

If you're looking for convenience, Frechman recommends bananas since they're easy to transport and eat without making a mess.

Yogurt

"A breakfast parfait would make a great, very convenient breakfast," says Frechman. A 6-ounce serving of yogurt contains as much protein as a serving as meat. Greek yogurt contains even more protein — sometimes double the amount of regular yogurt. If you have diabetes or are watching your calories, plain, non-fat or low-fat yogurt is a healthier choice than fruit-flavored yogurts, which can have a lot of added sugar.

Smoothies

A smoothie makes a complete, on-the-go meal. You can add a base of yogurt for protein and fresh or frozen fruit, like strawberries, for sweetness. If you don't like eating your vegetables with dinner, this blended drink is an easy way to cram greens like spinach or kale into your diet.

Fruit juice

It's completely acceptable to get your fruit in liquid form, but make sure to choose 100% fruit juice, otherwise there could be added sugar. "Punches and fruit drinks have added sugar, which are just extra calories," says Frechman.

Coffee

Coffee has received a bad rap over the years, but long-term medical studies are now tipping in favor of the caffeinated beverage. As long as you're not pushing 4 cups a day, there's nothing wrong with drinking coffee. 

Foods to avoid: Bacon, sausage, hash browns, processed cheese, biscuits with gravy, or granola bars

Most of these foods either contain a lot of saturated fat or are high in sugar. They're alright to eat once in a while, but not on a regular basis.

"People tend to think of granola bars as being healthy," says Frechman. "It's cheaper and more healthy to have just a bowl of cereal with milk and fruit."

NOW WATCH: These Food Hacks Will Make Your Life Much Easier

SEE ALSO: Everything Bad That Happens To Your Body When You Skip Breakfast

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Those cereal packets are placed on shelves at the eye height for a reason.

Researchers have found consumers are 16% more likely to trust a brand of cereal when the characters on the boxes on the supermarket shelves look them straight in the eye.

Brian Wansink, Director of Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab, studied 65 cereals in 10 different grocery stores in New York and Connecticut.

He and researcher Aner Tal also looked at 85 characters on the packets.

“If you are a parent who does not want your kids to go ‘cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs,’ avoid taking them down the cereal aisle,” he says.

“If you are a cereal company looking to market healthy cereals to kids, use spokes-characters that make eye contact with children to create brand loyalty.”

Researcher Aner Tal says there are some cool things happening in grocery stores, many based on psychology, that impact how and what people purchase.

“By studying more than 80 breakfast spokes-characters, we found that kids’ cereals are positioned at the same height as kids (58 cms),” he says. And adult’s cereals are positioned about 122 cms off of the floor.

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General Mills is bringing back a "crunch" iteration people have been clamoring for: French Toast Crunch — according to a company press release. It originally appeared on shelves in 1995 and was pulled in 2006.

The company says it is doing this because customers have been begging for it. And certainly, many have been. But there's a larger story to tell here — the decline of cereal sales.

As the AP reports, cereal sales have been having a rough go of it lately, with Greek yogurt and breakfast sandwiches gaining more favor with consumers. General Mills actually cut its sales and profit outlook for the year recently. The AP says the company blamed it on persistent sales weakness in the food industry.

This isn't the only change General Mills has been making of late. As the AP notes, the company recently boosted the cinnamon taste in Cinnamon Toast Crunch, started making Cheerios without genetically modified ingredients, and released a new added protein version of Cheerios.

This is not to say French Toast Crunch isn't popular, because indeed, it's something consumers love.

This is the Facebook page with nearly 9,000 followers dedicated solely to the purpose of bringing the cereal back. Guess how they feel today?

The company says it'll be back in select stores immediately, with a nationwide release coming in January.

NOW WATCH: 14 Things You Didn't Know About Whole Foods

SEE ALSO: What You Should Buy (And Avoid) At Trader Joe's

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The UK's first cereal cafe opens on Wednesday. Inside are 120 colourful boxes of breakfast — from classics like Cornflakes and Coco Pops, to American favourites such as Lucky Charms. They can be covered in 12 different types of milk, and topped with Malteasers, Oreos, or other things made of sugar and chocolate. 

Cereal Killer Cafe, in Shoreditch, London, is the idea of Gary and Alan Keery. They're twins from Belfast who made waves when they launched a crowdfunding webpage to see their vision realised. Now it has been. And it's much more than a few bowls of Rice Krispies, Gary explains to Business Insider — but an entire brand.

Gary says the cafe is a "breakfast experience" — yes, really. He and Alan have created an interior with vintage cereal paraphernalia and walls adorned with retro milk bottles and pictures of Tony the Tiger. The menu lists American and British products, a few options from further afield, as well as "cereal cocktails" and Poptarts. 

"We've created a whole experience," says Gary. "It's not just about breakfast, but a brand, really. The interest in it all has been amazing — much more than we expected.

"We don't want to create a cereal empire, but we do think there might be options to grow. Places like Brighton or Bristol would probably work." 

Gary and Alan used to work in sales and retail so have experience in selling. They've gone all out, and sourced cereals that aren't always available here in the UK. There's also cereal-themed cake, and pieces of merchandise for people who really love the nostalgia; reliving their childhood breakfasts. 

Right now, the business has about 8 members of staff and is open all day until 10pm. A small bowl (30g) costs £2.50 and a large one (50g) £3.50 — toppings are an extra 20p but milk is included. Typically priced for London, really. 

When Business Insider visited to try out a bowl of General Mills' Vanilla Chex with adequately hipster almond milk and white chocolate buttons, the cafe was buzzing — crews from CNN and ABC were there covering the launch and cameras were everywhere. 

It's because food, in any form, is a hot topic — cereal is no exception. Look how excited people got when the world learned of French Toast Crunch making a comeback. 

Some posed the question of whether a venture as niche as this is sustainable. But given the level of coverage the Cereal Killer Cafe has had, it appears so. The public has really bought in to the poppy, kid-like fun of Sugar Puffs with crumbled Flake and soy milk-covered Cheerios. 

The Cereal Killer Cafe will likely see plenty of visitors when it finally opens to the public on Wednesday morning. But, while it serves "breakfast", it doesn't seem like it'll challenge certain coffee chains that prove so popular fot commuters. 

"We hope to be more of a destination place," Gary mentions, "We might even open 24-hour at the weekend"— a true sign of playing up to the hungover crowd. 

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In January, General Mills will be introducing a new ingredient to its classic Cheerios cereal: ancient grains. Yum.

NPR reports"the new version of Cheerios will contain small amounts of quinoa, Kamut wheat, and spelt along with the traditional oats." A serving of the new "Cheerios + Ancient Grains" cereal will have 5 grams of sugar.

The company is hoping this addition to its cereal line will help rejuvenate the brand.

A sure sign that quinoa, Kamut wheat and spelt have gone mainstream. http://t.co/E5Dazb3DVcpic.twitter.com/femHhAnt2w

— NPR News (@nprnews) December 8, 2014

[via The Week]

NOW WATCH: 14 Things You Didn't Know About Whole Foods

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The UK's first cereal cafe, which started offering bowlfuls of nostalgia in December, already has expansion plans. Owners Gary and Alan Keerytells Marketing Week that a second branch is set to open in Camden in the next few months — and now, the business is also garnering franchise interest from countries around the world.

The New York Magazine's food blog, Grub Street, picked up on the news that Cereal Killer is expanding. And New York could be a good fit for the company.Both cities have "hipster" areas of course, which seems a natural way to describe the cereal concept. It could be huge — there's even talk of a cook book sometime in 2015.

Business Insider paid the Cereal Killer Cafe's Shoreditch space a visit before it launchedin London. Inside are 120 colourful boxes of breakfast — from classics like Cornflakes and Coco Pops, to American favourites such as Lucky Charms. They can be covered in 12 different types of milk, and topped with Malteasers, Oreos, or other things made of sugar and chocolate.

While we were there, munching on some Vanilla Chex with white chocolate buttons and almond milk, Gary explained he and his twin brother weren't just building a cafe, but an "entire brand". Gary said the whole idea is to create a "breakfast experience".

He and Alan have created an interior with vintage cereal paraphernalia and walls adorned with retro milk bottles and pictures of Tony the Tiger. The menu lists American and British products, a few options from further afield,as well as "cereal cocktails" and Poptarts.

The project sparked widespread media attention when it first opened its doors; some called its prices, £3.50 for a large bowl, £2.50 for a small, as a little steep. Others called it "patronising". But the twins say that despite some murmurings of ill feeling from a few pockets of society, business is good and the future looks as colourful as a bowl of Cheerios.

Marketing Week writes that the company claims it has already sold around 20,000 bowls of cereal and has had "amazing customer feedback". With such positivity, Camden, which has a similar social demographic to Shoreditch, is a natural place to launch a second cafe. After, New York's hip Williamsburg neighbourhood, or Brooklyn, would also provide substantial footing for a stateside third.

“Cereal is eaten all over the world. The best selling cereal the café has comes from Korea," Adrian Sington, of representatives Kruger Crowne Rights tells MW.

“The reason why it’s so iconic is it’s often tied with the first time children are independent in the kitchen. It’s a ritual that happens very early on – you pour your own cereal and milk and eat it. This is in the heart of people all over the world," Sington adds.

The brand is also in the process of developing relationships with other companies; the aim is to forge partnerships and see clothing and merchandise made a reality. Alan adds he hopes to see viral marketing and social media play a part in the future too.

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Cereal sales are declining, and some analysts believe they might never recover. 

Kellogg, which owns brands like Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies, Froot Loops, and Special K, saw morning food sales fall 8% this quarter, Devin Leonard at Bloomberg Businessweek reports.

Sales of 19 of the brand's top 25 cereal brands fell last year, according to Bloomberg.

Here are a few reasons Americans are abandoning cereal. 

1.  Too busy. 

In many households, both parents work and do not have time to eat a bowl of cereal, according to Businessweek. 

Kellogg is responding by offering more healthy cereal bars and snacks. 

"We recognize that sometimes consumers don't have time for a bowl of cereal and milk," Kellogg vice president Paul Norman said in an earnings call.

2. Fewer children. 

People are having fewer children, meaning there are fewer mouths to consume sugary cereal. 

"The company flourished in the Baby Boom era, when fathers went off to work and mothers stayed behind to tend to three or four children," Businessweek writes. 

The US fertility rate fell to a record low last year, The Washington Examiner reports, citing the National Center for Health Statistics.

Today the average family has two children. 

3. Health-conscious attitudes.

Consumers are increasingly wary of packaged foods and big corporations.

For years people thought sugary cereals were healthy because of their low fat content.

But Americans' dietary guidelines have changed to include fatty foods like eggs. Now people are encouraged to avoid sugar for their health. 

Rather than eating cereal out of a box, many Americans are choosing to make their own bacon and eggs. 

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Kellogg's may no longer be king of the breakfast table.

BusinessWeek reports that sales for the brand's morning-foods department have fallen for seven quarters in a row, with cereal receiving an especially bad beating. 

It's not cereal's fault — Americans are changing the way they eat breakfast.

Here are four of the major shifts:

Cereal isn't convenience food anymore. 

Kellogg's went bonkers in the 1960s and '70s, a time when more women were staying at home with the kids, BusinessWeek reports. Bowls of cereal were a handy option for filling hungry mouths.

But today, both members of married couples with kids tend to work. In the US, it's the case 59% of the time.

As a result, people want something they can run out with, like yogurt or a breakfast bar. 

"For a while, breakfast cereal was convenience food,"cultural historian Abigail Carroll tells BusinessWeek.  

"But convenience is relative," she says. "It's more convenient to grab a breakfast bar, yogurt, a piece of fruit, or a breakfast sandwich at some fast-food place than to eat a bowl of breakfast cereal."

Advertisers are emphasizing that difference, like in the below Yoplait ad where parents, teens, and tweens pluck yogurt from the refrigerator in a joyful race against time: 

Trying doing that with a bowl of cereal.

If you're eating breakfast at home, it'll probably be hot. 

BusinessWeek reports that people taking the time to eat breakfast at home are doing more than pouring milk into a bowl.

They're using toasters. According to a 2014 Nielson survey, frozen waffles, pancakes and French toast sales have increased by 4.5% over the last five years. 

And they're at the stove: Oatmeal sales went "3.5% in the first half of 2014," BusinessWeek reports.

People hate carbohydrates.

Thanks to the Paleo craze, a host of other fad diets, and a general increase in food consciousness, folks are fleeing from carbohydrates — especially the processed varieties that Kellogg's offers. 

"They basically have a carb-heavy portfolio," packaged-food analyst Robert Dickerson tells BusinessWeek.

It's not the sort of thing LeBron James would eat.

And they want protein.

A recent poll suggested that over half of Americans want to be eating more protein.

It's taking their loyalty from cereal. 

"At home, [people are] gobbling up Greek yogurt,"Quartz reports."Away, they're now finding an array of egg-and-cheese wraps, sandwiches, and scrambles at full- and quick-serve restaurants."

That's part of why eggs are coming back: over 2 billion dozens of eggs were sold in the US in 2014, a 1.6% increase from 2013.

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People are serious about their cereal. Everyone has a favorite. Of course, there are a host of awesome cereals — like Sprinkle Spangles, Choco Donuts, and Pop-Tarts Crunch, to name a few — that, unfortunately, didn't stand the test of time. For some, like Special K Blueberry and Oreo O's, there are active petitions to bring them back to store shelves.

For other, there is hope and its name is Amazon. Not too long ago, a late-night Google search for "Rice Krispies Treats Cereal" yielded surprising results for this editor. As it turns out, you can still buy boxes of it on Amazon. And, it's not the only one. Below, we're sharing five favorite, childhood cereals you can scoop up now — this is not a drill.

1. Kellogg's Rice Krispies Treats Cereal

3. Post Waffle Crisp Cereal

Every once in a while you'll find Waffle Crisp in stores. If you live in certain areas of the country, though, tough luck. One Amazon commenter sums up our feelings on the topic perfectly, saying, "Awesome cereal and hard to find in my area! In a word...addicting!!!!!" The good news is you can stock up on it here.

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Post Waffle Crisp Cereal, $5.99, available at Amazon.

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4.Quaker King Vitaman Cereal

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Miss your childhood? This cereal will fuel your nostalgia, in a good way. It's been around since 1970, and is one of the "healthier" sweetened cereals out there. Of course, it, too, is tough to track down since Quaker is only producing it for limited distribution.

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Quaker King Vitaman Cereal, $17.99, available at Amazon.

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5.Quaker Cap'n Crunch's Sprinkled Donut Crunch Cereal

Okay, this cereal isn't technically a throwback, but Amazon commenters are pretty sure it's the best thing since Sprinkled Spangles was discontinued in 1998. One review asserts, "this is a perfect recreation of Sprinkle Spangles, only in a different shape." Another quips that "if Sprinkle Spangles and Oreo O's had a baby..."

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Quaker Cap'n Crunch's Sprinkled Donut Crunch Cereal (Pack of 2), $16.98, available at Amazon.

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6. Post Oreo O'S Cereal with Marshmallow Bits

Just kidding. As it turns out, Amazon has a cruel sense of humor about this beloved, but ill-fated cereal. When you click on the link — like any true '90s kid mostly definitely would — you're met with disappointment and the following message: "Sign up to be notified when this item becomes available." 

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There are, however, reports that Oreo O's are still available in South Korea. Of all places. 

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Taco Bell has captured the hearts of junk-food fiends and stoners once again by announcing that Cap’n Crunch doughnut holes are now available at locations across the country.

Originally, these gooey, warm, cereal-flecked doughnut holes covered in “milk icing” were only available as a TB test item at locations in Bakersfield, California.

Today, the rest of the nation can enjoy the combination of childhood favorites—doughnuts, cereal, and milk—right in time for Fourth of July weekend.

Taco Bell is writing history by branching out from signature menu items, such as the hardshell taco or the bean-and-cheese burrito, and introducing unique items such as the chicken and biscuit taco, cinnamon dessert nachos, and now Cap’n Crunch doughnut holes. 

Just last month, the chain announced it would begin selling booze at a Chicago Taco Bell location starting this summer.

The brand that pioneered the “Fourth Meal” is clearly leading the fast-food revolution, proving to us all that there are major benefits to being an American living in a world dominated by junk food.

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Move over peas and guacamole, there's a new culinary combination sweeping the internet: cereal and ice cubes. 

The trend germinated when Twitter user @Vidarrina posted a tweet in June asking if anybody else enjoyed eating cereal served over milk with ice in it, Yahoo News UK reports.

Since then, the message was retweeted over 1,000 times. Many people have replied in support of adding cubes to your daily breakfast bowl.

Here's a look at the tweet. 

Not everyone on Twitter has been supportive of the ice cube phenomenon.

Many users think the combination is ridiculous. 

Intrigued, I decided to try it for myself. I was concerned that the ice cubes would just water down the milk, making the cereal soggy and effectively ruining a perfectly good breakfast. 

I started by adding two ice cubes to my morning bowl of cereal and 1% milk. 

Here's what it looked like.

At first, I didn't notice a difference in the temperature of the milk or cereal.  It tasted like any bowl of cereal served with refrigerated milk.  

So I added five more cubes to my bowl. 

Those extra cubes made all the difference and the milk got noticeably colder. 

It wasn't a totally life-changing experience, but it was nice to eat a bowl of cereal where the milk stayed cold the entire time. Plus, drinking the leftover milk in the bowl was much more enjoyable since it hadn't warmed to room temperature while I ate. 

As for my concern about watered down milk, it wasn't a problem. The cereal didn't get as soggy as I had expected. The ice melted somewhat at first. But much like a glass of ice water, once the milk chilled a bit, the melting slowed. This gave me plenty of time to enjoy my breakfast. 

One of my coworkers keenly observed that you could make your own milk cubes, if you were really concerned about the ice diluting your milk. 

My cereal of choice was not particularly sweet and I used 1% milk.  I imagine a more sugary option, like Lucky Charms or Fruity Pebbles, served with whole milk, might feel a bit like eating ice cream for breakfast. 

While the ice cube trend may have gained gained social-media popularity in recent months, people have been talking about this breakfast hack for years — even famous people like Jennifer Hudson back in 2009.

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Cereal for dinner is comfort food. It’s a go-to for college students, anyone in the midst of a Netflix binge, and it’s a savior on days when it’s too cold to bother going to the store. It’s the easiest meal to make: just add milk. And yet this standard snack has somehow become New York’s latest food trend.

Kith Treats, the newly opened “cereal bar” in Brooklyn, is a spartan, all-white dessert cafe stuck on to the front of the high-end athletic wear and shoe store, Kith. The hip streetwear shop features a glass cabinet of sneakers atop tennis balls, and sells its own apparel line, Kith, alongside brands like Timberland, Nike and Asics.

Kith Treats presents its cereal with the same attention to detail as it does its shoes: with plenty of design flourishes. Cocoa Puffs and Frosted Flakes are sold in little silver packets. They come packaged in a shoebox, with a glass bottle of milk, that you can eat out of with a special spoon-cum-straw.

Kith Treats is the pet project of a cereal enthusiast. Ronnie Fieg, founder of Kith clothing, said he wanted to open a cereal bar because he just loves cereal. “When I was a kid, my parents wouldn’t allow me to eat sugary cereals,” Fieg says, “I would sneak to friends’ houses to have it.”

But as a first-time visitor, I couldn’t immediately work out the appeal of eating such a basic food in such swish surroundings, so I took the cereal home and ate it later that evening in my pyjamas on the couch. 

Kith has two locations, the one in Brooklyn with the attached cereal bar, and another in Manhattan. The Brooklyn location reopened on Tuesday after a $2m renovation.

The white-tiled shopfront sells its breakfast staples between 7am and 8pm on weekdays and til 10pm on weekends.

The menu at Kith has all the classics: Corn Flakes, Cheerios, Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms. Customers have a choice of five milks (whole, skim, hemp, almond, chocolate) and 24 toppings (including marshmallows, coconut flakes and crushed Oreos).

Patrons can make their own box for $6 and choose up to two cereals ($7 for three) and one of the milk options – toppings are an additional 75 cents each. Customers can also try one of the Kith Treats combination specials, named after musicians, artists and pro BMX riders. I got the Bam Bam to go, which was designed by the rapper Action Bronson. And by designed, I mean the combination of Rice Krispies Treats, Cookie Crisp, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Kit Kat, Oreo and Marshmallow Charms was dreamed up and priced at $9.25. I also tried the Cereal Swirl, which is ice cream with crushed-up Lucky Charms and marshmallows in it ($5.50). It was delicious, like a grownup McFlurry. The barista (cerealista?) tells me a lot of the people who come in later in the day opt for the ice cream over the cereal.

Considering Milk Bar, the destination dessert store which is part of the Momofuku family, charges $6.25 for three cookies, and cronut from the Dominique Ansel Bakery will set you back $5, Kith Treats’ pricing isn’t astronomical. Granted it’s a lot more money than buying the cereal in the supermarket, but the same is true for most takeout options.

“We found out about [the restaurant] on Instagram,” said Shanea Washington, who was eating at Kith with her girlfriend Shayna Williams on Thursday evening. “I don’t really like cereal,” Williams said, “but I like it when it comes in a shoebox.”

Both Washington and Williams are fans of the Kith brand and were keen to come check out the fuss over its cereal bar. “I love the straw spoon,” Washington said, adding that she’d probably keep the shoebox after she finished eating her meal of cereal and crushed Oreos.

Even though the store has been open for less than a week, some people are, apparently, already hooked. During my visit, a man in a suit was awarded a prize for having made four purchases at Kith Treats in seven days. He’d already been in the store that morning buying cereal for his girlfriend and came back for more supplies for the next day. It seems Kith Treats’ tactic to get people coming back by offering a loyalty card is working a treat.

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