Breakfast cereal in some markets, and steady and continued growth throughout its history. The number of different types of breakfast cereals in the U.S. has grown from 160 (1970) to 340 (1998) to 4,945 (2012). In this highly competitive market, breakfast cereal companies have developed cereals in an ever-increasing number of flavors. Although many plain wheat and oat based cereals exist, other flavors are sweet. Some of the most popular brands include freeze-dried fruit and others are flavored like dessert or candy. Cereal, oatmeal and porridge quickly became an important breakfast component in North America. Barley was a common grain used, though
Life (cereal) Life (cereal) Life, stylized as life®, is a breakfast cereal formerly made solely of whole grain oats, but now also containing sugar, corn flour, whole wheat flour, and rice flour. It was introduced in 1961 by the Quaker Oats Company. The cereal is distinguished by its characteristic brown checkered squares, with a finer pattern than Chex cereal. Advertisements for Life cereal sport the slogan ""Life" is full of surprises". , with the advent of numerous specialty varieties, the original cereal is now marketed as "Life Original Multigrain Cereal" with 20 grams of whole grains promoted in a red heart symbol.