Look No Further Than The Box For A Perfect Cereal Bowl

Back in the day, consumers were encouraged to eat cereal right out of the box. From 1942 to 1975, and then again in 1989, Kellogg's encouraged its customers to convert their single-serve cereal boxes into bowls. The brand made it as easy as possible for customers to do this, providing them with perforated lines to guide them on where exactly to cut.

The lines formed the shape of an "H" on the face of the box, and consumers could cut through the perforation to expose the cereal that they could then douse in milk. The idea was that the inner plastic bag would hold the cereal and the milk, preventing the cardboard from getting all soggy and gross. 

According to the Los Angeles Times, the "bowl-in-the-box" packaging was first introduced in 1942 and phased out in 1975. It made a triumphant return in 1989. Kellogg's eventually did away with the product for a second time, though the exact year is unclear.

The discontinuation of the product hasn't stopped people from letting the serving suggestion of the past inspire how they enjoy individual cereal boxes today. Consumers can still find the single-serving cereal boxes at their local grocery stores, and they are commonly found at hotel breakfast bars. They are just missing those perforated lines. 

For nostalgia's sake, as Kellogg's has since introduced plastic single-serve cereal cups, some people continue to cut their boxes vertically down the middle and horizontally on both the top and bottom to create makeshift bowls. "Kellogg's cereal boxes no longer have perforations to turn them into bowls, but that's not stopping me from reliving my childhood," writes one Redditor who cut through their box of Fruit Loops. 

Nevertheless, Kellogg's is not afraid of phasing out and reintroducing fan-favorite products. After all, the bowl-in-the-box has been discontinued twice now. So, for those with breakfast nostalgia, it's possible they could make a second comeback.