General Mills Debuts Sesame Street Cereal, Bringing ABCs and 123s to the Breakfast Bowl

General Mills teams up with beloved nonprofit to promote nutrition and education for growing kids

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Breakfast just got more fun, delicious, and educational with the launch of Sesame Street Cereal, made by General Mills. The new cereal, which will begin to appear on store shelves in January, supports growing bodies with many essential nutrients and engages curious young minds with activities and stories. The cereal features two varieties: berry flavor with number-shaped pieces and cinnamon flavor with letter-shaped pieces, and the back of each box opens like a book, featuring dual-language (English and Spanish) short stories with Elmo.

“We are thrilled to team up with Sesame Street, to launch cereals with key nutrients, delicious flavors, and playful learning opportunities to make breakfast that much more meaningful for parents and kids alike,” said Hillary Balma, Senior Brand Manager, General Mills. “We know that breakfast can be challenging for parents who are struggling to find foods that offer both the nutrition and the fun flavors kids want.”

Cereal is an easy, affordable, and delicious way to deliver the nutrients kids need. As the number one source of whole grain at breakfast and just $0.50 per serving on average when paired with low-fat milk, cereal is hard to beat. Sesame Street Cereal supports the growing bodies of its young fans, delivering many key nutrients, including:

• Good source of fiber, to help support little tummies
• Good Source of Calcium and Vitamin D, to help build strong bones
• Good source of Vitamin E, an essential nutrient

To create meaningful playful learning opportunities at breakfast, Sesame Street Cereal boxes offer games and six dual-language stories with everyone’s favorite 3½ -year-old monster, Elmo. Story themes include Elmo Visits the Farm, Elmo’s Day at School, On the Go with Elmo, and others. Each story follows Elmo and his friends as they play and learn on Sesame Street and prompts questions to help kids stretch their imaginations, engage in counting, recognize shapes and letters, and more.

For over 50 years, Sesame Street, produced by the nonprofit organization Sesame Workshop, has delivered not only school-readiness lessons promoting literacy and numeracy, but also age-appropriate guidance on healthy habits, self-expression and self-regulation, empathy, friendship, and much more.

“Sesame Workshop’s mission is to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder, and that means nourishing the mind and body,” said Gabriela Arenas, Vice President of Licensing, North America, Sesame Workshop. “Breakfast gives kids the boost they need to grow, play, and learn each day. We’re pleased to team up with General Mills to give families a nutritious meal choice and an opportunity to start the morning with their favorite Sesame Street friends.”

Sesame Street Cereal will be available nationwide at most major retailers beginning in January 2021.

About General Mills

General Mills is a leading global food company whose purpose is to make food the world loves. Its brands include Cheerios, Annie's, Yoplait, Nature Valley, Häagen-Dazs, Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Old El Paso, Wanchai Ferry, Yoki, BLUE and more. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA, General Mills generated fiscal 2020 net sales of U.S. $17.6 billion. In addition, General Mills’ share of non-consolidated joint venture net sales totaled U.S. $1.0 billion.

About Sesame Workshop

Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, the pioneering television show that has been reaching and teaching children since 1969. Today, Sesame Workshop is an innovative force for change, with a mission to help kids everywhere grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. We’re present in more than 150 countries, serving vulnerable children through a wide range of media, formal education, and philanthropically funded social impact programs, each grounded in rigorous research and tailored to the needs and cultures of the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.sesameworkshop.org.