Seven Sundays’ Post

Another interesting read about the snack food market (look for the post shoot Kellogg spinning out the cereal business to focus on snacking). Follow the link below to view the article. The Breakfast of Champions Is Losing the Fight https://lnkd.in/eMHE_JGY

From WDIV Detroit: Good morning and happy Thursday! Today is National Cereal Day, a day for Michigan to be proud of, as the birthplace of the popular breakfast food. It all happened back in Battle Creek in 1877, when John Harvey Kellogg and Will Keith Kellogg were experimenting with boiled wheat. They left a batch out overnight and returned to find it stale. They tried the same process with corn, and created what we know today as Kellogg’s Corn Flakes. Since then, countless types of cereals have invaded our grocery store aisles, from healthy to sugar-filled, but one cereal is bigger than the others -- Cheerios. In 2022, Cheerios led the U.S. market with a sales of $435.9 million and 139.1 million boxes sold. In total, Americans eat roughly 2.7 billion boxes of cereal every year. As of 2022, the U.S. cereal industry has a market size of $20.59 billion, and it’s forecasted to grow. Frosted Flakes, Honey Nut Cheerios, Honey Bunches of Oats and Cinnamon Toast Crunch rounded out the top five most-sold brands in the U.S. Some data compiled by Google last year showed the most searched cereals since 2004, and Cheerios was not on top of the list -- it was actually Rice Krispies. Don’t worry, Cheerios was No. 2, followed by Chex, Special K and Lucky Charms. If you’re planning to enjoy a bowl of cereal today, cheers to you. And try adding the milk first, just to shake things up.

My fail of the week and what I learned from it: I've been replacing sugar with Stevia. Stevia is a natural plant-based sweetener (in case you don't know). It's an acquired taste (If you drink Diet Coke, try Zevia Cola). I only Stevia with my morning cold brew. I use nearly 2 grams (that's packets) daily. Thanks to a giant "Stevia In The Raw" box I purchased from Costco, I've been doing this for months. Then it happened. My heart sank. I felt like a complete moron. Because...despite saying "Stevia In The Raw," which I assumed meant it was just Stevia, it's actually a blend of Stevia and sugar! What? Yes, instead of 1 gram of sugar per packet, it's .8 grams of sugar per packet. And that's my fail of the week. Lesson learned: Read the ingredients better. What did you learn this week?

What is the secret behind America's extreme peanut butter craze? Did you know that peanut butter, now a $2 billion industry, had its commercial debut in 1920 with Peter Pan? The creamy vs. crunchy dilemma is just the tip of the iceberg in this culinary journey that's captured the hearts and palates of millions. 📌 The journey begins with southern US farmers grinding peanuts into paste in the 1800s. Fast forward to the 1900s, and technological breakthroughs, especially hydrogenation, made peanut butter transportable. 📌 In 1920, Peter Pan entered the scene, followed by Skippy in 1933 and Jif in 1958. Jif, now the market leader with a 39.4% share, reigns supreme. With a 90% household penetration rate, peanut butter is a kitchen essential, standing alongside breakfast cereal and sandwich bread. 📌 J.M. Smucker Co.'s Uncrustables, frozen pre-made PB&J sandwiches, has been a game-changer, propelling sales from $126 million to over $600 million in the last decade. Despite challenges like allergies and a 2022 salmonella outbreak, the peanut butter craze persists. Companies like Smucker's and Hormel Foods drive innovation, expanding product lines and venturing into international markets to keep the peanut butter frenzy alive. So, the next time you spread that peanut butter on your toast, remember – you're part of a legacy that goes beyond a simple condiment. #peanutbutter #foodindustry #innovationsuccess #foodbusiness #peanuts #export #nuts #importexport #peanut

‘Ultra-Processed’ is the highest-growth trend in our US #snacking data 🍪 ⬇️ It’s a relatively new topic, and right now, consumers are still working out what they know and think about ultra-processed foods. The trend has grown by 63% over a two year period and is becoming more and more relevant to snacking brands. In ‘The Future of Snacking’ we analyze how it's reshaping 3 key sub-categories - Nuts & Seeds, Chips and Cereal. Download the report here ➡️ https://bit.ly/3tI3cIt 

The cereal aisle has gotten CRAZY — and it’s because of a very interesting business problem. Cereal sales started declining decades ago, as consumers shifted to yogurts and healthier foods. At first, cereal makers chased the trend with low-carb and low-sugar cereals. But nobody wanted Half-Frosted Flakes from Anthony the Responsible Tiger. 🐯 👎 So the industry reversed course. It stopped competing for breakfast and went after snackers — adding more sugar with more crazy flavors. But it’s still not working. Despite a nostalgia-fueled sales bump in 2020, sales keep falling. This is why I love looking at the cereal aisle — it's like watching an industry test its relevance in real time. There are billions of dollars at stake. Look closely! In the meantime, here's the real question: Would YOU eat Wendy’s Frosty cereal!?! 👉 YOU CAN DO BETTER! Don't flail around at work — my newsletter can help you focus. Subscribe for free at jasonfeifer.com/newsletter

I finished up this book over the weekend and yesterday while at Ingles I bought a box of Grape Nuts (which is a Post product). I used to eat Grape Nuts all the time so this was a bit nostalgic. If you try and eat Grape Nuts without any moisture (adding milk or yogurt) it is a little like grinding your teeth on gravel, but if you stir them into some Skyr or Greek yogurt they become a bit softer and just crunchy. Grape Nuts (neither a grape nor a nut) are a nutritionally dense cereal. 1/2 cup has 200 calories; 1 g fat; 6 g of protein & 47 g carbs (no added sugar, 5 g sugar and 7 grams of fiber). I probably had about 1/4 cup with my yogurt and 1/2 of a banana. Do you eat cereal for breakfast? Do you have it as a snack? To you use cereal to top your yogurt? #NotSponsored #NotAnAd - just an observation.

Yes. In this case, it is the nut butter, not the nuts, (or the soft cheese, not the milk), that is on the FTL and covered by the final rule. The commodity on the FTL, regardless of whether a kill step was applied to the ingredients, ranked high in the Risk-Ranking Model for Food Tracing (RRM-FT), which is why it is covered by the final rule. Learn more https://lnkd.in/eQbsv8tC

STOP Making This Mistake With Food👇 There is a key mistake a lot of people make at meals that is causing their weight not to budge! When I started tweaking my meals a bit I lost 15 lbs and feel better then ever! ⬇️ The secret is balanced meals which include a fat, a fiber, a carb, and a protein source at every single meal! This will help balance your blood sugar which will keep you full, reduce cravings, and lead to weight loss! This is super simple to do everyday here are some examples on how to do so: ➡️ Fats: olive oil, cheese, and nuts ➡️ Carbs: rice, pasta, and sweet potatoes ➡️ Protein: chicken, beef, and yogurt ➡️ Fiber: broccoli, carrots, and apples Start incorporating these 4 things at every meal and watch the weight start falling off and your energy improve! ➡️ Follow @Lea_Dombrowski for more weight loss tips 🫶 #weightloss #weightlosstips #weightlosshelp

STOP Making This Mistake With Food👇 There is a key mistake a lot of people make at meals that is causing their weight not to budge! When I started tweaking my meals a bit I lost 15 lbs and feel better then ever! ⬇️ The secret is balanced meals which include a fat, a fiber, a carb, and a protein source at every single meal! This will help balance your blood sugar which will keep you full, reduce cravings, and lead to weight loss! This is super simple to do everyday here are some examples on how to do so: ➡️ Fats: olive oil, cheese, and nuts ➡️ Carbs: rice, pasta, and sweet potatoes ➡️ Protein: chicken, beef, and yogurt ➡️ Fiber: broccoli, carrots, and apples Start incorporating these 4 things at every meal and watch the weight start falling off and your energy improve! ➡️ Follow @Lea_Dombrowski for more weight loss tips 🫶 #weightloss #weightlosstips #weightlosshelp