Breakfast Habits in Children

Breakfast is often considered the most important meal of the day and its consumption has been linked with aspects of health, such as nutrient intake and cognitive powers. Aims to review some of the literature on the subject and present new data on breakfast consumption patterns from the authors′ dietary survey of Scottish schoolchildren. Frequency of breakfast consumption and type of breakfast chosen was investigated in boys and girls in low and high socio-economic groups. Few children missed breakfast and the most popular choice was ready-to-eat (RTE) breakfast cereal. Children from the low socio-economic group tended to favour bread or toast. Differences in nutrient intake between RTE cereal eaters and the rest of the group were found and it was concluded that, although the dietary intake of this former group appeared more favourable, further research was required to establish a more definite causative effect.