Some of the most recognizable names in breakfast cereal use wheat as a base, and it's no wonder: the grain has been around for a long time and is one of the most widely grown crops in the world. However, when you pour that bowl of puffed wheat in the morning, id it ever occur to you that there are so many more varieties of wheat in existence?

History of wheat
While we learned yesterday that oats were only discovered about 3,000 years ago, wheat has been around much longer. It was one of the first plants ever to be cultivated and dates back approximately 11,000 years ago to the Middle East. Because of the early discovery of wheat, it became one of the crops that changed lives, as people began to realize they could rely upon themselves to produce food as opposed to searching for pre-existing food. Not only did wheat provide a means for people to feed themselves, it also determined where they settled since staying put and farming meant a steady, consistent food supply.

About seven thousand years after wheat was first discovered, the grain could be found in Asia, Europe and North Africa, and new species were constantly being developed as farmers figured out how to choose their best kernels and use them for the next planting season. 

Wheat Facts
Wheat is typically planted two times a year, in the spring and winter, both of which serves as identifying the classification of the wheat. In the spring, wheat is planted as soon as temperatures allow for it, while in the fall, wheat is typically planted in September or early October. The harvesting of fall wheat usually occurs the following, May and the harvesting of spring wheat usually happens in late July, and is completed by late August.

Wheat is one of the most common crops in the U.S., and is grown in 42 states. Kansas and North Dakota are the country's biggest wheat producers. About half of the wheat produced in the U.S. is used domestically.

Additionally, one bushel of wheat weighs approximately 60 pounds, contains about one million individual kernels, accounts for about 42 pounds of white flour and 60 pounds of whole-wheat flour, and can be used to make approximately 42 loaves of white bread or 90 loaves of whole-wheat bread.

The six main types of wheat include Hard Red Spring, Hard Red Winter, Soft Red Winter, Hard White, Soft White and Durum.

Wheat in cereal
You can enjoy wheat in either hot or cold cereal. Popular cold varieties include Kellogg's Mini-Wheats, Shredded Wheat by Post and General Mills' Wheaties. If something warm in the morning is more your style, Cream of Wheat can be enjoyed by babies, children and adults alike.

Back in 2000, it was speculated that whole-wheat and wheat-bran breakfast cereals could be valuable sources of dietary antioxidants. Indeed, choose a whole-wheat cereal can provide much needed fiber, which will keep you going for longer than that box of sugar-coated O's sitting in your cupboard.

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