Grape-Nuts is the cereal that C. W. Post introduced in 1897 as a wheat-and-malted-barley breakfast food.
Despite its name, Grape-Nuts contains neither grapes nor nuts. The name referred to Post’s belief that the cereal’s toasted flavor suggested grapes and that its hard nuggets resembled nuts. The original product was baked into a dense sheet and then broken into small pieces.
Grape-Nuts became one of the oldest continuously marketed breakfast cereals in the United States. It is commonly eaten with milk, yogurt, or fruit, and it has also been used as a crunchy ingredient in recipes. The cereal is distinct from grape-flavored products and from nut-based granolas.
C. W. Post founded the Postum Cereal Company, which later became associated with a broad range of well-known cereal brands. The 1897 launch places Grape-Nuts among the earliest major packaged breakfast cereals.