It has been said many times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and a large part of breakfast culture has to do with cereal. Ever since the invention of cereal in the mid to late eighteenth century, cereal has become a staple of breakfast, especially in the U.S. With commercials, merchandise, celebrity endorsements, and more, cereal is arguably the most popular breakfast item. That’s why I chose to pick out my five essential cereals. In no particular order, here they are:

1. Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Cinnamon Toast Crunch was first produced in 1984 and aimed to provide cereal consumers the taste of cinnamon toast, but in a small, milk-soaked format. Since then, Cinnamon Toast Crunch has become widely popular in pop culture, with the commercials portraying different squares of the cereal eating each other. Cinnamon Toast Crunch has been one of my favorites ever since I was a child. The cinnamon flavor is not too strong (something very common in cinnamon products), and when soaked in milk, Cinnamon Toast Crunch has an immaculate taste.

1. Raisin Bran

A bit of a boring pick, Raisin Bran could be perceived by being consumed only by the elderly. However, Raisin Bran is one of the best cereals ever invented. Don’t let the boring appearance fool you; Raisin Bran’s wonderful little raisin treasures provide the cereal with a taste that is truly worth waking up to. Maybe they don’t have very fun commercials, but they still have one of the best tastes in the cereal market. The raisins, with a very unique (slightly salty) taste, earn Raisin Bran a spot on my essential cereal list.

1. Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch Berries

Much better than just the original Cap’n Crunch, Crunch Berries is arguably one of the best sweet cereals. Crunch Berries has the same delicious sweet taste of Trix or Froot Loops, but incorporates a crunch that is truly unmatched. Crunch Berries preserve their crunchy texture, so that they don’t lose their crunch even when soaked in milk. Crunch Berries also provides cereal consumers with fun, visually pleasing boxes, with Cap’n Crunch himself being portrayed in all his glory on the front.

1. Mini Wheats

Mini Wheats have been a top pick of mine for a long time. When I first consumed one of those little hay bales of sweetness, the cereal game changed significantly for me. The balance of frost to wheat is the perfect ratio, giving Mini Wheats an equal amount of both sweetness and grain. And in milk, Mini Wheats are truly delicious. When the hay bales soak, the resulting texture is a nice, almost-soggy pillow. Mini Wheats, with their exceptional taste and texture, earn a well deserved spot on this list.

1. Reese’s Puffs

My favorite on this list, Reece’s Puffs is a delicious peanut-butter-chocolate cereal. However, what really makes Reece’s Puffs stand out is the commercial from my childhood with the fantastic rap, “R-double-E-S-E-S-yes.” That commercial, along with the fun boxes of Reese’s Puffs, really boosts the product. But beyond that, the taste is absolutely immaculate. It’s very simple; it’s just a peanut butter and chocolate flavored cereal, no marshmallows, no raisins. But that’s what really appeals to me. Reese’s Puffs has an amazing taste without even trying, which embodies the “cool” nature of the product as a whole. They even had a collaboration with rapper Travis Scott, who had his own “Cactus Jack” themed Reese’s Puffs. Reese’s Puffs’ commercials, celebrity endorsements, and impeccable taste land it on my essential cereals list.

All of these cereals are staples in cereal culture, not just in the United States, but across the globe. The delicious taste of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, the amazing raisin nugget treasures in Raisin Bran, the wonderful crunchiness of Crunch Berries, the immaculate frost-to-wheat ratio of Mini Wheats, and the simple, but impeccable taste of Reese’s Puffs land all of these cereals on my five essential cereals list.