Cereal is a kind of grain used for making human and animal food. All are forms of edible grasses grown around the world in a variety of climates and soils. The term comes from the Roman Goddess Ceres, who was aligned with the yearly harvest, but it is often more closely associated with breakfast cereals such as cornflakes and puffed rice. These grains are processed into a wide variety of products including breads, cakes, desserts, and other meals.
All cereals are wholegrain and are divided into large-seed cereals, grown in fields or in water paddies, and small-grain millets. Whole grains include maize/corn, wheat, barley, and oats. These grains are divided into three parts. The first part is the bran, which is an outer layer that contains fiber and vitamins. The second layer is the starch-filled center, the endosperm, and the final layer is the small germ, which is filled with vitamin E, phosphorus, and magnesium.
In old and Middle English, the word for all crops was "corn." This word has since come to be used in America as a term for sweet corn, or maize. Maize usually is consumed without milling, so it retains much of its nutrients and remains high in dietary fiber. It usually is turned into food products such as pop corn, corn on the cob, cornflakes, and puffed maize. It is a staple food of many countries, including those in Latin America and North America.