Why This Vintage 1910s Boxed Breakfast Still Outshines Grits And Cream Of Wheat

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Nostalgia comes in many forms, and eating vintage foods is one way to capture fond memories; some may taste better than you remember. One of the childhood breakfast foods boomers will remember is Cream of Wheat. And grits (prepared breakfast-style) can taste comfortingly good, but there's another hot cereal brand that's even better: Malt-O-Meal.

Malt-O-Meal is a tasty boxed breakfast food developed in 1919 by John S. Campbell, who wanted to create a hot breakfast cereal that tasted better than the wheat cereals he grew up with, like Cream of Wheat, which is made of farina (finely ground wheat kernels) and tastes somewhat neutral, with any flavor coming from additions like sugar and butter. After some experimenting, Campbell came up with a blend of wheat farina and malted barley, the latter of which adds a sweet, caramelly, nutty taste to the cereal.  The difference gives the cereal grains in Malt-O-Meal their own distinctive sweet flavor, with the sugar and butter acting only to complement them.

Grits are similar in style to boxed breakfast wheat cereals but are made from ground corn. That tends to make them coarser and give them a corn-forward, earthy flavor compared to Malt-O-Meal, though they're largely considered neutral in flavor. Grits are also frequently served for lunch or dinner. With grits, you're usually either Team Sweet or Team Savory, but if you like yours on the sweet side, Malt-O-Meal still has the advantage with its own naturally sweet and nutty taste.

To enhance Malt-O-Meal's natural sweetness, pair it with fruits or berries, nuts, warming spices (like cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, or allspice), cocoa, a bit of sugar to amp up the sweetness, butter, or milk. You can also purchase Malt-O-Meal varieties that are already sweetened with chocolate or maple and brown sugar. 

Despite being sweet, it even works well with some savory mix-ins. Bobby Flay puts a sweet and savory spin on Cream of Wheat by making it with peanut butter and jelly, and that would work really well with Malt-O-Meal. Post Holdings, the company that currently makes Malt-O-Meal, even releases a cold Maple Bacon Donut Cereal that tastes sweet, smoky, and a bit salty. So, if you're feeling adventurous, you can replicate this flavor by preparing Maple Brown Sugar Malt-O-Meal and topping it with crisp, savory bacon. Or you can give it a savory twist and make it similarly to classic Southern-style grits, mixing it with powdered chicken bouillon to cut the sweetness and topping it with cheese. 

Malt-O-Meal is also an inventive ingredient to use in baking. For muffin recipes, combine it with the dry ingredients for a texture similar to corn muffins that complements add-ins like chocolate chips or dried fruits. You can also use it as a substitute in recipes calling for semolina flour. 

In addition to being versatile, Malt-O-Meal is budget-friendly. On Amazon, a 28-ounce box of Malt-O-Meal Original costs about $4.90. The price, combined with its unique flavor as a breakfast food and a baking ingredient, helps Malt-O-Meal rise above the rest.