Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the breakfast (BF) of the Brazilian low-income population, analyzing cultural aspects, such as the habit of consuming regional foods and the BF food identity markers. This cross-sectional study used a sample of 1872 low-income Brazilians. For the food consumption analysis, three 24–hour dietary recalls were used. For the qualitative analysis of the BF, we used three classifications: standard, full, partial, and without BF. Also, BF was considered as regional when at least one regional food (contained in a predefined list of regional foods) was consumed. For the analysis of BF's food identity markers, we evaluated all food groups and their frequencies. Of the 5616 possible BF meals available for the three days of consumption, 17.3% were skipped, a low percentage. A total of 4642 BF examples were analyzed. Standard type BF was prevalent in all regions, and full BF was rarely consumed by participants. Women during the weekend skipped BF less often. Out of all five Brazilian regions, the ones with the highest consumption of regional foods were the Midwest (46.6%) and the South (45.9%). The highest frequency of consumed foods in BF were coffee with cow’s milk (or milk with coffee), added sugar, bread, and margarine, indicating that these are the identity markers of BF in the studied sample. Considering that the percentage of standard type BF was very high and that the consumption of added sugar and margarine was accentuated, actions to stimulate the intake of fresh fruits and foods in all meals are necessary, especially in the first meal of the day. There is a need for new proposals for actions and programs with the purpose of expanding access to healthy and adequate regional foods, especially to low-income families.
Highlights
Despite positive changes such as the access to food, availability of different products away from their origin, the availability of products to specific groups with food allergies, intolerance, or different eating behaviors, the lifestyle in industrialized societies has promoted unfavorable changes in eating behavior [1]
There was a predominance of stable unions (37.7%, n = 765), with the predominant average per capita income ranging from 0.5 to one minimum wage (MW) (41.5%, n = 706)
The results showed a predominance of the standard meal in all Brazilian regions and a low percentage of full BF
Summary
Despite positive changes such as the access to food, availability of different products away from their origin, the availability of products to specific groups with food allergies, intolerance, or different eating behaviors, the lifestyle in industrialized societies has promoted unfavorable changes in eating behavior [1]. One of the main modifications concerns the disruption of meals, with breakfast (BF) being the most important meal. BF is considered as one of the most important meals of the day, as it is generally consumed before going to work/school and provides close to 20% of nutritional recommendations [2]. According to Travé [4], BF should include at least three primary groups: dairy, cereal, and fruit, respecting varying eating habits. Breakfast habits are related to socio-demographic characteristics and regions [3]
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