Breakfast Consumption and Nutritional Impacts in Youth

Breakfast consumption in children and adolescents has been consistently linked to improved dietary quality, enhanced micronutrient intake and favourable weight status. Regular morning meals provide an opportunity to deliver key nutrients such as dietary fibre, calcium, iron, B vitamins and vitamin D and can reduce the likelihood of nutrient shortfalls. Skipping breakfast, by contrast, is associated with poorer diet profiles, higher adiposity and diminished cognitive performance throughout the school day. Socio-economic factors, family structure and regional cultural norms strongly influence habitual breakfast patterns, with evidence showing that children from lower-income or single-parent households are more likely to omit the meal. Quality of breakfast—defined by inclusion of whole grains, fruit, vegetables, dairy or protein sources—further modulates academic motivation and behaviour as well as long-term health trajectories. Public health interventions, including school breakfast programmes and parental education, have demonstrated potential to increase consumption rates, enhance nutritional adequacy and support equity in health outcomes across diverse youth populations.

Research from Nature Portfolio

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Breakfast Consumption and Nutritional Impacts in Youth publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in breakfast consumption and nutritional impacts in youth across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC): A pre-processed breakfast grain product consumed without additional cooking, often fortified with vitamins and minerals.

Estimated Average Requirement (EAR): The daily nutrient intake level estimated to satisfy the requirements of half the healthy individuals in a specific age and gender group.

Socio-economic status (SES): A composite measure of an individual’s or family’s economic and social position relative to others, based on income, education and occupation.

Nutrient adequacy: The extent to which dietary intake meets established recommendations for essential vitamins and minerals necessary for health maintenance and development.

References

1. Ready-to-eat cereal is an affordable breakfast option associated with better nutrient intake and diet quality in the US population. Frontiers in Nutrition (2023).
2. The Correlation between Adolescent Daily Breakfast Consumption and Socio-Demographic: Trends in 23 European Countries Participating in the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children Study (2002–2018). Nutrients (2023).
3. Breakfast consumption trends among young Australian children aged up to 5 years: results from InFANT program. Frontiers in Endocrinology (2023).