Would You Pay $13 for a Box of Cereal?

Isadora Baum
Isadora Baum
Isadora Baum is a freelance writer, content marketer, and author of 5-Minute Energy. She can't resist a good sample, a margarita, a new HIIT class, or an easy laugh. She writes for various magazines, such as Men's Health, Women's Health, Well+Good, LIVESTRONG, POPSUGAR, SELF, Health, Cooking Light, Eating Well, and more.
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updated Feb 20, 2020
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Credit: Joe Lingeman

There’s no denying that cereal has taken a beating in the past few years as more people flock to protein-packed breakfast and snack options, like eggs, Greek yogurt, chia seed pudding, breakfast sandwiches, and nut butter or avocado on toast. Whereas cereal is seen as having more sugar, without that added protein and fiber to fill you up faster (and for longer).

Cereal is delicious, don’t get me wrong — it’s just not always the “healthier” option first thing in the morning. But that soon might change.

After several years of declining cereal sales, the $8 billion U.S. cereal market’s sales were flat in 2019. In response to this, the cereal industry – namely General Mills — is trying change their image and get cereal back in your bowl. “Our strategy to drive continued cereals growth is centered on launching compelling innovation that offers taste, convenience and health benefits, while investing in brand building,” said CEO Jeff Harmening at the annual Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) investor conference on Tuesday. They want to “engage consumers and gives them another reason to walk down the aisle.”

Their solution to the problem? A $13 box of cereal. Called “Morning Summit,” this fancy breakfast buy is a lightly sweetened maple berry blend cereal with almonds, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and cherries. The cereal launched in late 2019, but is now getting a bit more recognition down the aisle (and in the news!). 

So yes, it’s pretty pricey compared with your average box of Cheerios (which costs about $3.27 according to USA Today), but you’re getting a lot more of the healthy add-ins that you might be looking for in a breakfast. Is it worth it? I’ll let you decide that one. But I’ll say this much: If avocado toast is to blame for millennials now owning homes, I’m not sure this cereal will help the cause.

If you haven’t seen Morning Summit at your grocery store, you can also buy it online at Walmart for $26 and Amazon for $25 — a steep mark up from $13, but maybe worth trying to see if the cereal lives up to the added expense.