Why aren’t millennials eating cereal? It’s far too difficult

Snap, crackle and pop no more.

Cereal producers have seen profits declining for more than a decade and a new report suggests those no account, lazy millennials are to blame.

The New York Times published a story earlier this week about the breakfast staple that found young adults have been turning away from cereal because of the overwhelming hassle of pouring it into a bowl, adding milk, eating it and then cleaning up the dishes.

“Almost 40 per cent of the millennials surveyed by Mintel for its 2015 report said cereal was an inconvenient breakfast choice because they had to clean up after eating it,” the Times reported.

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It also noted the 15 year decline in cereal sales in the United States, from US$13.9 billion in 2000 to $10 billion in 2015.

While the idea of cereal being inconvenient may seem absurd to older generations, it’s part of millennials turning towards more ready-to-go breakfast items, says Tony Chapman, a branding expert, at tonychampmanreactions.com.

“We laugh at it. But they consider it a lot of hassle. They would rather grab oatmeal to go or grab something on the go,” he said, adding that it’s part of a generation that wants quick access.

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Chapman says millennials are also shunning cereal for healthier foods.

“They are really turning off of processed foods,” he said. “In general they are looking for much healthier options. The concept of anything that has fructose in it, anything that is GMO or has too much sugar in it, they are very health conscious that way.”

“They would rather have an avocado in the morning, or Greek yogurt with a handful of nuts.”

Following the report, many took to Twitter to poke fun at a the lazy generation or the survey itself.