Shredded Wheat Day 2023: Date, History, Facts, Activities

The 31st of July is Shredded Wheat Day, and we plan to celebrate by eating a nutritious breakfast cereal. Shredded wheat is one of the world’s earliest cereals. It is made from whole wheat and baked into pastries in the shape of pillows. Some manufacturers have devised shredded wheat varieties flavoured with blueberry, raspberry, cherry, and cranberry. Did you know that shredded wheat is nutrient-dense and high in fibre, which helps prevent cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes?

The background of Shredded Wheat Day

Shredded wheat has existed for more than a century. Henry D. Perky invented it in Denver, Colorado. In 1892, on the advice of his physician, Perky began to consume whole, simmered wheat and vegetables as a dietary remedy for the diarrhoea he had experienced in 1890. He continued to consume the boiled wheat until 1892, when he observed another diarrhoea patient consuming a mixture of whole wheat and milk. Perky was inspired by the incident to take his boiled wheat product to his machinist friend, William H. Ford, who assisted in the construction of a machine that shredded boiled wheat and wove it into pillow-shaped biscuits.

Perky placed less significance on the biscuits than on the machine. He began selling the biscuits to vegetarian restaurants in order to raise awareness until the biscuits’ popularity surpassed that of the machine. Alongside his Cereal Machine Company, Perky founded The Boston Shredded Cereal Food Company in 1893 to produce shredded wheat. Due to rising energy costs, the corporation relocated to Niagara Falls, New York, where hydroelectric power is less expensive.

Following Perky’s death in the early 20th century, a series of acquisitions transpired. National Biscuit Company acquired the company in 1928, and in 1993, Nabisco sold Kraft-General Foods the shredded wheat trademark. Since then, Post, a subsidiary of Kraft Foods, has been marketing the shredded wheat brand.

The earliest known commemoration of shredded wheat occurred on the cereal’s 100th birthday in 1992. Although no official day was declared to celebrate the whole grain in subsequent years, it is possible that the event conducted in Niagara Falls marked the beginning of Shredded Wheat Day.

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DAY OF SHREDDED WHEAT ACTIVITIES

Prepare your own powdered wheat

Find a recipe and create your own version of shredded wheat from scratch. What a delight!

Dig into a serving of cereal.

What better way to celebrate than with a breakfast of shredded wheat? Why not attempt a different type of shredded wheat if you already consume it frequently?

Promote the advantages of pulverised wheat

Begin by listing the cereal’s nutrient-rich properties. Continue to explain how each of these is beneficial for the body.

5 facts about breakfast cereals that you may find interesting.

In the 1800s, cereals were created to combat unhealthy eating patterns.

Granola was devised in 1863 by Dr. James C. Jackson.

After milk and carbonated beverages, cereals are one of the most commonly sold items in grocery stores.

England and Ireland are major cereal consumers, followed by Australia and the United States.

Annually, the cereal industry consumes over 800 million pounds of sugar.

SHREDDED WHEAT DAY DATES