Cereals have grown for thousands of years. The Romans used to celebrate the harvest of barley and wheat offering these products to the goddess Cerere, the protector of the crops. Cereals are a good source of energy; they play a key role in human nutrition and they are the core of the Mediterranean diet because they are the main source of carbohydrates, fibers, group B vitamins and mineral salts such as potassium, iron, phosphorus and calcium.