Cereal is one of my go-to breakfast’s. Not only is it quick, cheap and filling, it also reminds me of the simpler days of elementary school. For anyone else with an obsession for cereal and the 2000s here’s a nostalgic look at the good ol’ days of artificial food coloring and too-much sugar.
Cookie Crisp
When I was a kid this dessert-for-breakfast brand’s mascot was Chip the Dog, an animated pooch who introduced the iconic “Coo-oooooooooookie Crisp!” howl. The mascot has since been replaced by a newer, furrier model but the cereal is just as tasty ever. If these were in your pantry as a kid odds are you had cool parents.
Stuart Conner on Flickr
Cap'n Crunch
One of the few brands to actually keep its formula and mascot the same throughout the years, this cereal has been an American favorite since 1963 — that’s right, your parents probably had Cap’n Crunch as kids, too. The brand has created a variety of flavors from chocolate to cinnamon over the years but Cap'n Crunch's Crunch Berries were the best of the bunch, hands down.
frankieleon on Flickr
Trix
Nowadays Trix is looking more like a cereal for adults than children — it’s not only lost the fun fruit shapes that made it so popular in the 1990s but it’s also lost all of its artificial colors. All that remains of this classic cereal is the tricky bunny rabbit.
Fruity Pebbles
Inspired by the classic cartoon, The Flintstones, this brightly-colored breakfast cereal was far superior to its chocolatey counterpart, Cocoa Pebbles. Loaded with sugar and artificial colors it’s not surprise that you can find Fruity Pebbles in everything from ice cream to pancakes nowadays.
Francis Bourgouin on Flickr
Frosted Mini-Wheats
One of the healthier cereals, this was probably what your parents bought if they were worried about your fiber intake. The brand has introduced various frostings over the years like strawberry and cinnamon, but my personal favorite —which I still eat to this day — was always maple and brown sugar.
Oreo O’s
After nearly a decade of requests from fans, this late 90’s creation finally returned to supermarket shelves earlier this year. The black-and-white cereal made eating cookies for breakfast socially and parentally acceptable and is still a millennial favorite.
Cocoa Puffs
Were you “cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs” as a kid? I definitely was. The best part about this circular cereal was how it made your milk perfectly chocolatey.
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Doused in cinnamon and sugar these “crazy squares” are crazily delicious. Whether you’re an adult or a kid odds are you’ve enjoyed this cereal.
Lucky Charms
My personal favorite, Lucky Charms not only had the best commercials and mascot, but it was also the best-tasting. The only problem? There were never enough marshmallows.
Zawezome on Flickr
Honeycomb
With their signature honeycomb shape this lightly sweet cereal sadly isn’t as popular as others on this list but the people who do enjoy it are lifelong fans. The brand has had multiple revisions to their recipe over the years but it never sticks, proving that you don’t need to change things to get people to like you.
Rice Krispies
Here’s a little known fact: this crisped rice cereal is 90 years old. Yup, it’s a grandparent. Besides having some of the most adorable and iconic mascots (the elves Snap, Crackle and Pop) they’re also the base to Rice Krispies treats which everyone knows is the best simple snack ever.