Believe it or not, corn flakes weren’t originally created as a breakfast staple—they were part of a health experiment. In the late 1800s, Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, a strict advocate of plain, wholesome foods, was running a sanitarium in Michigan. He believed that bland diets could help cure patients’ ailments, especially in suppressing unhealthy cravings.

One day, Dr. Kellogg and his brother Will Keith Kellogg were experimenting with wheat dough to create a simple, healthy food. But they left the dough sitting out a little too long and it went stale. Instead of throwing it away, the brothers rolled it out and toasted the flakes. To their surprise, the crispy result was a hit with the patients!

Will Kellogg saw a business opportunity and eventually switched the recipe from wheat to corn, creating the corn flakes we know today. He also had the brilliant idea to add sugar, making it more appealing to the general public and transforming breakfast forever.