Kellogg's CEO says cash-strapped families should eat cereal for dinner to save money

• Kellogg CEO Gary Pilnick suggested people struggling financially should eat cereal for dinner.
• Some people responding to the millionaire's comments said people should "eat the rich" instead.

Cereal for dinner is usually a last resort — when the fridge is empty and money is tight. A cereal executive, however, thinks eating cereal for dinner is a fine way for those struggling to save money.

Gary Pilnick, the Chairman and CEO of Kellogg, made the comment on CNBC this week after a Wall Street Journal report found that Americans spend 10% or more of their income on food.

"If you think about the cost of cereal for a family versus what they might otherwise do, that's going to be much more affordable," Pilnick said, claiming that it could help a "consumer under pressure" because the price of a bowl of cereal with milk and fruit "is less than a dollar."

When pressed on CNBC whether the messaging of struggling people eating cereal for dinner might seem distasteful, Pilnick doubled down, citing company statistics that found a quarter of cereal consumption was outside breakfast time.

"In fact, it's landing really well right now," Pilnick said. "Cereal for dinner is something that is probably more on trend now, and we would expect to continue as that consumer is under pressure."

It didn't land particularly well, however, with viewers of the segment. Social media users widely panned Pilnick after the clip made the rounds. One viewer suggested that perhaps they "eat the rich" instead.

"Hearing wealthy folks put a marketing spin on poverty is wild," another viewer commented under a clip of the segment that's now gone viral on social media.

Pilnick's annual compensation includes a $1 million base salary and over $4 million in incentive compensation, according to a September 2023 SEC filing.

Kellogg did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.