They're Grrrrreat!

In 1938 he began selling his products in England. Today, Kellogg's products are manufactured in 19 countries and sold to more than 160 countries around the globe.

In addition to being a sound businessman W.K. Kellogg is also famous for his philanthropic endeavors. In 1925 he established the Kellogg Fellowship Corporation which played a role in the building of an agricultural school, a bird sanctuary, and a reforesting project.

In 1930 he created the W.K. Kellogg Child Welfare Foundation. The Foundation donated large sums of money to many youth based causes such as a school for handicapped children, a high school, a civic auditorium, and a youth recreation center. The Foundation continues to this day and supports a large variety of social causes.

Per capita consumption of breakfast cereals has steadily increased over the years, while consumption of all other grain products, with the exception of pasta have shown a decline. There has been some controversy about the actual nutritional value of cereals.

Cereals can be a good source of protein without the added saturated fat that accompanies animal based proteins. Whole wheat cereals certainly provide fiber, which is thought to help prevent colon cancer.

Non whole wheat cereals though, are stripped of the wheat bran's outer layer and principal nutritional value. However, almost all cereals are infused with a variety of vitamins and minerals. This at least makes up for the vitamin loss in non whole wheat cereals but not the roughage.

Many breakfast cereals have been criticized for their high sugar content.Sugar was added to cereals early in the industry's history for a very obvious reason: taste. Humans are inherently drawn to the taste of sweetness.

One can only speculate how many millions in sales this simple additive created, mostly through the eager taste buds of children.

However, Kellogg's and the other major cereal companies all produce varieties based on whole wheat, supplemented by vitamins and minerals, with little or no added sugar.

The cereal can be nutritiously sweetened by adding fresh fruit. When combined with low fat milk, you produce a breakfast high in nutrients and fiber and low in fat and cholesterol.

Interestingly, recent decades have seen a renewed interest in diets low in fat and animal products and high in vegetables and fiber.

There is mounting clinical evidence to demonstrate the benefits of such a diet. In part, America owes the origins of these ideas to the Kellogg brothers.

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