General Mills Is Going Mini-Size On All These Fan Favorites

Back in the 1970s and '80s, big was in. Big hair was popular, big cars littered the byways, and video cameras were big enough to be considered two bedroom Manhattan apartments by today's standards. But the future is not big. The future is small. USA Today says more people are buying smaller cars. Technology is also shrinking, according to Pocket-lint. Even food is miniaturizing. BakeryandSnacks says there's a small food trend going on as more people snack rather than have full meals. This is changing how we eat, and how our food is packaged.

Many brands are releasing smaller packs of their products. This is a trick that's become useful for brands like Pepsi and Coke. CNN reports that sales of mini cans are excellent and even says the smaller cans are more profitable for the company than the standard-sized ones. In addition to shrinking packages, many brands are also miniaturizing the products themselves. Mini pizza crusts are ideal for those who don't need a lot of dough. Then there's the Mini M&M's, which are often thought to taste better than standard M&M's.

Seeing this trend, General Mills decided to make tiny versions of some of its most popular cereals. Though it remains to be seen if they'll outshine the originals, these certainly are a new way for cereal fanatics to enjoy their crunchy favorites.

General Mills is a giant in the cereal industry. Cheerios, Lucky Charms, and Cinnamon Toast Crunch are all GM cereals. Part of the reason the brand is so popular is that it never stops innovating. Previously, General Mills devoted itself to becoming more ecologically friendly. It also experimented with mixing its popular cereal flavors in limited batches. Now, it's trying the Lilliputian route with shrunken Trix, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and Reese's Puffs.

One glance at the Trix Minis box shows exactly who might enjoy these fruity bits of goodness. Though the Trix retain their classic ball shape, the smaller size is reminiscent of Fruity Pebbles, which is made by another champion of cereal, Post. This could potentially draw in adherents to that cereal, should it prove as tasty. The Cinnamon Toast Crunch is actually sporting a whole new look, in addition to its new diminutive size. The Minis are round, rather than square, which might be easier on the mouth.

Though a General Mills press release notes that the Reese's Puffs have a "New tiny design," it promises the "same iconic Reese's peanut butter and chocolatey flavor rounding out each bite." Seems wise for the company not to meddle with the traditional taste of chocolate and peanut butter.

Despite the cereals being smaller, they will still come in full-sized boxes (at $3.99 for a mid-size box and $5.25 for family size) and are headed to a number of grocers across the country.