Data has revealed which breakfast cereals are most popular in every U.S. state, and a Newsweek map shows two cereals alone are favorites in almost half the country.
Just 13 brands encompass the preferred cereals of every state, and the two most popular are favorites in 23 states, according to Google Trends data. Results were calculated by using the highest-searched brand in every state.
The findings come as Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who has been critical of some of the top cereal brands, is set to enter government as the Health Secretary in President-elect Donald Trump's new administration, provided he is approved by the Senate.
The most popular brand was Oreo O's, favorite in thirteen states. As the top choice in Texas, Florida and New York, it was also the most popular brand by population. Oreo O's was also the clear favorite in the Midwest in particular, topping the charts for Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.
The second most popular brand was Life, which was the most sought after brand along the west coast, in California, Oregon and Washington.
Other brands that made the top spots in some states included Captain Crunch, Idaho's preferred cereal, Count Chocula, in Montana, and Special K, popular in New England states Maine and Massachusetts.
King Vitamin was more popular in the South, where Louisiana and Arkansas ranked it highest, while South Dakota was the only state where Raisin Bran was ranked top cereal.
Many of these brands rely on preservatives and artificial flavorings to achieve their distinctive flavor, but that could be set to change if Kennedy is successful in his nomination to join Trump's cabinet.
Immediately after the election results, Kennedy railed against the excessive ingredients in many U.S. cereals, and said that he would take aim at regulators who had failed to "protect our kids."
Speaking to reporters the morning after the election, Kennedy said: "In some categories, their entire departments, like the nutrition department in the FDA, they have to go. They're not doing their job. They're not protecting our kids. Why do we have Froot Loops in this country that have 18 or 19 ingredients, and you go to Canada, and it's got two or three?"
Kellogg's Froot Loops have consistently ranked as one of the most popular cereals in the country. While it isn't the favorite of any single state, it was ranked as the 7th most sought-after breakfast cereal brand in 2022.
As Health Secretary, Kennedy would oversee both the Food and Drug Administration and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the two regulatory bodies that oversee food content.
Newsweek contacted Froot Loops producer Kellogg's, as well as Kennedy via the Trump Transition team, for more information on this story through email.
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