Viral Breakfast: 'Milk and Cereal'

Approximately 10 years ago no one could escape this viral video. Part of me wishes I forgot about it altogether because the G. Love & Special Sauce song, "Milk and Cereal", will get stuck in your head for days. It's no surprise that a simple search on YouTube showed tons of imitators of the original, made by two Virginia Tech students, Matt Fielder and Dan Loveless.

Two Cereals, One Box

I, like most people, am a big advocate for two-for-one deals. Going to a bar to discover it's two-for-one beers or well drinks means it's going to be: A) a great - and cheap - night, and B) a long next day.

The childhood equivalent to that great happy hour special - at least for me anyway - had to be NCS, better known as Nintendo Cereal System, which was popular back in the 1980s and early '90s. One side of the cereal featured the Super Mario Brothers and had a fruity taste similar to Trix, while the other side had Zelda cereal with a berry taste. 1 box + 2 cereals = euphoric breakfast experience. I still have no idea how the genius idea never caught on, but it should be revisited. You are sorely missed NCE...sorely sorely missed.

Breakfast of Champs (and Chumps)

I'm not gonna lie, I can't remember the last time I ate Wheaties, but that will soon change since I discovered Wheaties Fuel. It seems General Mills' Breakfast of Champions has finally moved into the 21st Century and is going after the Gatorade crowd (ie. me) with its new name and branding.

According to the Wheaties Fuel's website, it was "co-created with a team of today’s elite champions including Peyton Manning, Albert Pujols, Kevin Garnett, Bryan Clay, and Hunter Kemper. Working with Dr. John Ivy, a performance nutrition expert, the Co-Creation Team designed Wheaties Fuel for the active individual; whether that activity is due to participation in athletics, work related activities or leisure time physical pursuits."

So basically General Mills is saying all I need to do is eat this cereal every day and I'll be able to hit a 98mph fastball or throw a football as far as Peyton...right?

Cocoa Puss and Cereal Killers

Although it has been defunct since March 2008, the blog Cereal Killers is a must visit for any cereal fanatics. It features "terrorfying takes on some of your favorite breakfast cereal's, and some original ones by some of the top animation artists and illustrators from today!" The box covers are apparently suppose to be part of a book also entitled "Cereal Killers".

It is definitely worth browsing through the various unique fictitious cereal boxes. A few of my favorites are: Cocoa Puss, Gloomios (featuring Edgar Allen Poe), and Abominable Frost Bites.

An Issue of Color

A new book, "Food Rules: An Eater's Manual" by Michael Pollen advises breakfast fanatics to avoid cereals that change the color of milk, and for consumers to "steer clear of any foods your grandmother wouldn’t recognize". Talk about a slap in the face to Count Chocula.

It should not come as any surprise that a food that changes the color of milk is not good for you, and their are certainly healthy cereal that also taste amazing (Kellogg's Special K and Honey Nut Cheerios to name a couple), but dammit sometimes you just need some artificial favor in your life, eat those Cocoa Puffs with pride and take a second to appreciate a food took bland everyday 2 percent milk and it chocolate milk.