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BREAKFAST FOODS OF OLD ["Ottawa Evening Herald," 05 Oct 1903, page 2, column 2] About two years ago the breakfast food habit began to take hold here. Up to that time Ottawa people managed to worry along without any of the luxuries for breakfast which they now enjoy. Rolled oats and grape-nuts have taken the place of the old-fashioned oatmeal. When the Herald reporter made inquiries about oatmeal yesterday, in getting the facts for a breakfast food story, it was found that it has gone entirely out of style and is not to be obtained at the stores. In its place have come numberless names which cover a multitutde of deficiencies. A Main stree merchant said: "they are all nonsense and fraud, but the people want them and they will have them." The popularity of breakfast foods is due largely to the man who writes the ads about them and makes cunning pictures of little bears, colored cooks and the blacksmith at his work. Corn Crisp is the only ready to eat food that is not made of wheat. Malta Vita, Force, Cero-Fruto, Shredded Wheat Biscuits, Cream Crisp and Mapl-Flake sell at fifteen cents, two for twenty-five. Mapl-Flake is said to have maple syrup incorporated into the wheat flakes. Cero-Fruto has fruit in its composition. Vim, Vigor and Egg-O-See sell at ten cents. An Ottawa boy received five dollars for an ad which he wrote for Egg-O-See. These are the ready-to-eat foods. Besides a dozen different brands of rolled oats, there are Cream of Wheat, Pittsburg Vitos, Pettijohn's Breakfast Food, Wheatlet, Wheatine and Wheatling, which requires long cooking in a double boiler. Some few people think they have a meal if they eat a bowl of Force or Malta Vita without cream and sugar or fruit juice on their breakfast food and eat it simply as a fad. When breakfast foods were first put on the market, people thought they were to take the place of all other food for breakfast, but that idea has been given up. Nevertheless the breakfast food habit has such a grip on the people that it has become a fad that is lasting. The Ottawa wholesale grocery company says that regardless of the increase in variety of breakfast foods, Grape-nuts and rolled oats are still prime favorites. They are sold in as great quantities as ever. Also that breakfast foods are more popular among farmers than among town people. The stores with the larger country trade buy more breakfast food than others. Salesmen report the largest sales in the small country towns. The reason for this is not apparent, unless the farmers have found the ads to be true which state that "one pound of this food is more nourishing than ten pounds of meat." Premiums are given for coupons in breakfast foods, as in nearly everything else. Several Ottawa people have received sets of dishes and other premiums by saving coupons. The five-pound packages of rolled oats contain plates, oatmeal bowls and cups and sauces. Malta-Vita contains coupons for which a piano is offered for the letters spelling the word "piano." Samples of all the many varieties are distributed at the residences. Last week three different varieties were passed around in one day and the little children gathered them up and had play-parties. S. E. Lemon has lately reeived a new, uncooked food prepared in Vermont, called "Malt-Oates." It sells at eighteen cents or two for thirty-five. It is more like oatmeal than the rolled oats. Another new kind, handled by Jackson & Palmer, and others, is called "Branettes." These are cakes about half an inch thick and three inches across. They are simply whole grains of wheat, without the overcoat, pressed into cakes. They sell at fifteen cents a dozen. J. D. Chamberlain handles "Granola" which is cooked, ready to serve with cream and sugar. It is claimed that one pound is equal to three pounds of meat. Ralston Purina company, of St. Louis, have put on the market a dozen different varieties of "health foods." A large number of the breakfast foods are made in Buffalo, New York, and thirty-seven different varieties are made in Battle Creek, Michigan. |
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