Unboxed: 17 reasons to love breakfast, aisle by aisle

Good old breakfast. Welcome back.

We called the breakfast trend way back in early 2020, even before the COVID-19 pandemic turned homes into offices and reintroduced folks to the wonders of enjoying a proper weekday breakfast in the comfort of their own kitchens.

Whole Foods came to the same conclusion this past October with the release of its 2021 trend predictions, which pointed to “Epic breakfast every day” as a trend to watch for 2021.

But even without the help of trend hunters, the huge volume of newly launched and launching breakfast options on today’s market would be all the proof anyone needs that this category is booming.

What’s more, it’s booming all over the store. Shelf-stable pantry staples such as cereal and granola are once again hot ticket items. Frozen breakfast treats offer hot and tasty meals in a flash—complete with better-for-you attributes and innovative formats. Or how about a frozen smoothie bowl for a vegetable- and fruit-forward breakfast in an instant? And consumers will always find plenty of breakfast options in the refrigerated cases, ranging from drinks and dairy to plant-based items and more.

These 17 breakfast foods will tempt even the most ardent of breakfast naysayers (not to mention intermittent fasters). Find more of the past year’s best breakfast launches here.