The Reason Why Millennials Don't Eat Cereal Is Concerning

Cereal is simple to prepare. All you need to do is literally pour the cereal in and pour something else (probably milk) in. 

The food, which Americans still buy $10 billion of annually, has thrived over the decades, at least in part, because of this very quality: Its convenience.

And yet, for today's youth, cereal isn't easy enough.

Recently the New York Times did a story about cereal and the most concerning part was this: 

"Almost 40 percent of the millennials surveyed by Mintel for its 2015 report said cereal was an inconvenient breakfast choice because they had to clean up after eating it."

Wait, WHAT? Are people only eating things straight out of packets now? People don't want to clean bowls!?

The piece explained that the industry is struggling and sales have dropped by almost 30 percent over the past 15 years. 

The reasons are largely those one would expect: Many people are eating breakfast away from the home, choosing breakfast sandwiches and yogurt instead of more traditional morning staples. Many others, meanwhile, too busy to pay attention to their stomachs, are eating breakfast not at all.

Cereal isn't the only food suffering from a trend toward laziness. Coffee has suffered a similar fate. Despite talk of a third wave of coffee, which values quality above all else, and basks in artisanal rather than effortless methods of preparation, Americans still covet convenience above all else.

"Convenience is the one thing that’s really changing trends these days," Howard Telford, an industry analyst at market research firm Euromonitor, said last year.

Less than 10 percent of the coffee beans Americans buy are fresh whole beans. And ground coffee isn't just outpacing whole bean coffee — it's increasing its lead, each and every year.

The rise of coffee pods, which come pre-ground and produce a cup of brown caffeinated water with the push of a button, is further evidence of the country's desire for convenience. Sales of coffee pods grew by 138,324 percent between 2004 and 2014, according to data from Euromonitor.

Deliveries are also growing in popularity - 'cause why leave your house when you can have it come to you!?

The fact that a lot of people aren't eating food 'cause it requires cleaning a plate is very concerning.

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