Uncle Sam Cereal is a ready-to eat breakfast cereal, first introduced in 1908 by U.S. Mills of Omaha, Nebraska. The company relocated to Needham, Massachusetts sometime after the 1970s. Attune Foods out of San Francisco acquired Uncle Sam Cereal in 2009.
In 1908, company founder Lafayette Coltrin of Omaha was instructed by his personal physician to add flaxseed to his diet. Coltrin enjoyed the taste of toasted flaxseed on whole wheat flakes that he ate during breakfast so much, he decided to market the combination. Given his resemblance to Uncle Sam, Coltrin named his new cereal after the mythical patriotic character. The top-hatted silhouette of "Uncle Sam" on the side of the box is actually Coltrin's, or so the story goes.
Uncle Sam Original cereal, since 1908 has consisted of toasted whole wheat berry kernels that are steamed, rolled and toasted into flakes. Whole flaxseed is then mixed with the flakes. This high-fiber, ready-to-eat cereal has a low glycemic index and has an exceptionally high amount of omega-3 per serving because of the flaxseed. It is marketed as a "natural laxative" because of the presence of flaxseed, though clinical support for this assertion is scant.
Because of its nutritional profile, Uncle Sam Original has been recommended by several well-known dietitians and nutritionists, as well as in top-selling diet books such as Rip Esselstyn's The Engine 2 Diet, Belly Fat Cure, Sugar Busters and the South Beach Diet.
Over the years, Uncle Sam has also featured instant oatmeal, and cereal bars that are no longer available. In 2010, Uncle Sam cereal introduced three new flavors: Strawberry, Honey Almond and Multi-Grain.
Read more about Uncle Sam Cereal: Benefits
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—Susan Pecker Fowler (1823–1911)
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—Walon Green, U.S. screenwriter, and Sam Peckinpaugh (b. 1925)
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