The contribution of breakfast to micronutrient adequacy of the Irish diet

Abstract

A 7‐day diet history was completed by 1213 subjects in Ireland between the ages of 8 and 80 years. Subjects were divided into breakfast skippers, cereal eaters or non‐cereal eaters.Ninety‐seven per cent of the population ate breakfast. Sixty‐eight per cent were breakfast‐cereal consumers and of these 62% ate breakfast six to seven times per week. The contribution which breakfast cereal makes to the total daily nutrient intake was calculated for males and females separately, and also for the two age‐groups 8–18 years and >18 years. Iron intakes were lower than the RNI for all females but cereal consumers appeared more likely to achieve their RNI than breakfast skippers and non‐cereal consumers. Breakfast‐cereal consumers had significantly higher intakes of vitamins B, B12, niacin, folate, B12, vitamin D, calcium and iron. For females not consuming a breakfast cereal, mean nutrient intakes of folate and calcium were lower than the RNI. From this study, it appears that breakfast cereal consumption makes a significant contribution to nutrient intake in the Irish diet.