Author Topic: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)  (Read 5601 times)

powersuitrecall

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/kellogg-s-london-officially-ends-cereal-production-today-1.2867538

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"According to research firm NPD Group Inc., the average person has just 12 minutes a day to eat breakfast, compared with 28 minutes for lunch or 24 minutes for dinner.

Pressed for time, consumers are springing for the cheap breakfast sandwich to go at McDonald's or Tim Hortons. Breakfast now accounts for 12 per cent of America's restaurant industry, adding up to a $42-billion US business every year."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/battle-for-your-breakfast-buck-fast-food-attacks-cereal-s-supremacy-1.2748472

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The invention of cereal more than 100 years ago transformed the average breakfast from a heavy, fat-laden pancakes-and-meat smorgasbord into a lighter, quick meal. However, after decades of dominating the breakfast tables of North Americans, cereal sales are falling and fast-food restaurants are trying to cash in on Canadians’ craving for an even more convenient morning meal.

“Canadians are motivated by convenience,” said Robert Carter, executive director of market research company NPD Group, adding that they visit drive-thrus far more than Americans.

It would be nice to think that cereal consumption is down because people are realizing it's generally overpriced and full of crap, but no ... it's because people are opting for something that is much worse for them.  Why sit around the breakfast table with your family when, instead, you can sit in your car staring at someone else's tail lights while eating your McCarb'n'Fat?  This makes my head want to explode.

infogoon

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2014, 07:28:33 AM »
Want to get depressed? Ask your coworkers what they feed their children for breakfast.

Most of the people I work with have children under five. Answers ranged from "half a pop-tart" to "nothing, that's why I pay for daycare to give her a snack".

netskyblue

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2014, 07:35:45 AM »
12 minutes for breakfast!  This morning I had 7 after my morning ride on the exercise bike.  Who has time to go to McD's?  I ate an apple and an avocado in my 7 minutes, WHILE reading a book!  Apple approx $0.30 (88 cents/pound), avocado $0.39 (fabulous sale!).  That's $0.69 compared to a $2.79 Egg McMuffin, and I didn't have to drive anywhere or wait in line!  I probably got more calories out of it, too, and I count that as a good thing.  I know that they're healthy calories, and the fat & fiber should keep me filled till lunch time.

I don't eat a lot of breakfast cereal mostly because it's so expensive, and not very filling.  I do love me some cornflakes though.  I could eat at least 1/3 of the box at one sitting.  (Which is why I very rarely buy them.)  Plus cereal wastes my precious, expensive (these days!) milk.  I don't like to drink the milk left in the bottom of the bowl (eww) so about a cup worth always gets dumped out.

powersuitrecall

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2014, 07:50:39 AM »
... With Soylent coming out in Canada probably in a few months, you won't be able to go with any faster eating-wise without injecting the nutriments directly through a needle with an automatic machine :)

The part of me that still thinks like a university student loves the idea of Soylent.  It's the ultimate engineer's response to our society's obsession with eating crap.

Want to get depressed? Ask your coworkers what they feed their children for breakfast.

Most of the people I work with have children under five. Answers ranged from "half a pop-tart" to "nothing, that's why I pay for daycare to give her a snack".

That is insane. 

My kids are 1 & 3.  We spend about an hour making/eating breakfast each morning and it's one of my favourite times.

Bob W

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2014, 08:02:02 AM »
It is important to skip breakfast and cereal is pretty evil stuff.  Ask any paleo eater.

Fodder

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2014, 08:15:40 AM »
I confess to skipping breakfast more often than not.

But I love having cereal on hand for the kids - it's so quick!  I usually get Cheerios or mini shredded wheat (whole grain, low sugar).

Days the kids don't have cheerios, we often have whole wheat toast with natural peanut butter, some local honey and fresh fruit.  Weekday breakfasts aren't fancy, but I'd never feed my kids a pop tart.  :p

hunniebun

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2014, 02:10:42 PM »
Want to get depressed? Ask your coworkers what they feed their children for breakfast.

Most of the people I work with have children under five. Answers ranged from "half a pop-tart" to "nothing, that's why I pay for daycare to give her a snack".

I feel like you must be kidding!?!?  I have two kids under 5 and have to be at work by 8:15 and still manage to provide a healthy breakfast.  Nothing fancy, toast with PB and Banana and a yogurt. We don't have a lot of time...I'd say 15 minutes is about average.   Although our daycare does provide breakfast at 9 am as well...so I guess if your kids aren't hungry right when they get up at least they will get something later in the morning and don't have to go hungry until lunch.  I myself like cereal from time to time. I fail to see how cereal takes more time than a drive through however.

MrsPete

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2014, 05:58:28 PM »
I rarely buy cereal; when I do, it's usually for Rice Krispie treats (or their Cheerio equivalent).  Even store brand is quite expensive for what it is.  Like most highly processed foods, it's a poor value. 

I like steel-cut oatmeal, and when I'm on top of my game I make a bunch and spoon it out into little jelly jars so family members can take out just one.  I top each jar with sliced bananas and cinnamon chips (sometimes other fruit, but bananas are our favorite) and a good dollop of buttermilk.  Yes, this costs as much as boxed cereal, but it is actual food. 


robotclown

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2014, 07:48:07 PM »
For years the prices have been going up and the boxes shrinking.  Looks like people actually noticed.

Zikoris

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2014, 08:14:05 PM »
I don't mind the non-sugary, non-neon-colored cold cereal (like plain corn flakes) when I'm in a hurry, but I find having oatmeal, toast with peanut butter, or a homemade multigrain muffin keeps me full a lot longer.

I would imagine breakfast cereal has a lot more nutrition than a lot of things people feed their kids though - I think I remember reading somewhere that given how bad the average diet is, cold breakfast cereal is the only thing preventing vitamin deficiencies in a lot of kids.

desk_jockey

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2014, 08:22:16 PM »
When I feel like cereal I go with Aldi's Millville Brand Flake cereal.   It's about $2 / box and I get 8 to 10 servings.


franklin w. dixon

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2014, 08:53:02 PM »
Want to get depressed? Ask your coworkers what they feed their children for breakfast.

Most of the people I work with have children under five. Answers ranged from "half a pop-tart" to "nothing, that's why I pay for daycare to give her a snack".
My wife makes rice porridge and I'm like "I'm pretty sure this is literally what they were feeding the orphans in Oliver Twist" but I guess babies love it. In fairness Oliver did ask for more...

MoneyCat

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2014, 09:00:26 PM »
I like all this really wasteful spending by other people.  It leads to good dividends.

mm1970

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2014, 08:26:29 AM »
My kids eat bagels or oatmeal for breakfast.

I don't routinely skip breakfast.  I know a lot of paleo eaters do the intermittent fasting thing, but I have a hard time with that.  I consider 7 pm to 7 am to be my fast.

I have a protein smoothie for breakfast.  And coffee.

Amanda

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2014, 09:46:38 AM »
I grew up without eating much cold cereal - it was an occasional treat. And I just don't buy it now as an adult and a mother. My kids have had maybe half a dozen bowls of cheerios in their lives (they're 7 now).

We have to leave the house at 6:50am on weekdays and so I pre-cook a couple pounds of ground sausage into patties on the weekend. In the morning we each have a reheated sausage patty and a slice of toast and butter using Dave's Killer Bread. My boys then sip on a cup of chocolate milk during our 25min drive to school while my husband and I both take coffee with heavy cream for our drives. It's a really simple and fairly inexpensive routine ~$20 for breakfast for four people for five days.

GrayGhost

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Re: Breakfast Cereal Plant Closes in London, Ontario, Canada (declining sales)
« Reply #15 on: December 31, 2014, 03:14:51 PM »
For a while now, my breakfast has been rolled oats and chia seeds soaked in milk with peanut butter and some honey, plus two eggs. It's pretty healthy, extremely convenient, and cheap. You get about 700 quality calories too, so it keeps you filled up for some time.