A Trip Down the Breakfast Food Aisle
Written by Elyse Ehlert
Edited by Sameeha Salman
February 9th, 2023
Edited by Sameeha Salman
February 9th, 2023
Health & Wellness
If you’re like most young adults today, you’ve probably grown up hearing that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. While some may argue that a specific time to eat isn’t necessarily important as long as you get all your daily nutrients, breakfast has been proven to positively affect one’s cardiovascular health, micronutrient consumption, and diet. With an increasing amount of options however, it’s sometimes hard to tell what are healthy options.
Recently, researchers in Australia decided to tackle the seemingly endless aisle of breakfast foods. Their study, published in 2021, collected data from over 1700 breakfast cereals, ranging from biscuits to granola, over a span of 7 years (2013-2020).
Researchers gathered information from four supermarkets, representing almost 80% of the grocery store market share in Australia. Using smartphones to record and take pictures, as well as a manufacturer and supermarket website search online, they compiled data such as ingredients, health claims, whole grain content, and Health Star Ratings (HSR). The HSR system was an initiative started in 2014 by the Australian government that evaluates packaged foods’ nutritional profiles based on certain positive and risk nutrients. As the study aimed to look at breakfast cereal foods starting from 2013, this meant that samples would be taken from both before and after the HSR system was implemented.
After accumulating thousands of data points, the study found that from 2013 to 2020, the majority of products made several improvements in terms of nutritional value. In general, both carbohydrates and sugars were reduced while protein and dietary fiber remained relatively stable. As for nutritional claims, there was a 941% increase in plant-based claims; for example, vegetarian-diet conforming breakfast foods. Also, all categories of breakfast foods in the study received higher than a 3 star rating in terms of HSR, and therefore, all relatively healthy scores. Finally, the study found that there had been an increase in whole grain products, which tended to be healthier compared to non-whole grain products, and therefore a better overall choice.
As a result of this study, researchers have provided the public with more information about the food they consume. Since a great deal of breakfast consumers are children under the age of 8, a range where there is crucial physical and mental development, such research is important as it informs parents of the best food choices for their children. Though this study was limited to Australia, its research can be expanded and applied to studies worldwide, especially as the world continues to grow and people pursue healthier and more sustainable food options.