Nutty Gripe: No Grapes or Nuts in Grape-Nuts Cereal

Throughout the years, cereal companies have made many claims. Corn Flakes was branded as a masturbation deterrent when first created. Well, it did not stop eaters from doing the dirty deed. Post’s Grape-Nuts cereal one would think there are either grapes or nuts inside the box. It has only four ingredients: whole-grain wheat flour, malted barley flour, salt, and dried yeast.

So, why is it called Grape-Nuts? As with many great emblems in history, there are two versions of the story. One says that Mr. Post believed glucose, which he called “grape sugar,” formed during the baking process. This, combined with the nutty flavor of the cereal, is said to have inspired its name. Another explanation claims that the cereal got its name from its resemblance to grape seeds, or grape “nuts.”

Fun Fact: In 1933, Post Grape–Nuts sponsored Sir Admiral Byrd’s expedition to Antarctica, where the first two-way radio transmission occurred.