The role of breakfast cereals in the diets of 16–17‐year‐old teenagers in Britain

Abstract

Dietary data was collected from almost 5000 16–17‐year‐old teenagers throughout Britain using 4‐day unweighed dietary diaries. The data was quantitatively coded and analysed to investigate the role of breakfast cereals in the diets of teenagers. The total daily nutrient intakes of consumers and non‐consumers of breakfast cereals have been examined, by both frequency of cereal consumption and type of cereal consumed. Using generalized linear‐modelling techniques, the relationships between nutrient intake, region, social class, frequency of breakfast cereal consumption and type of cereal consumed were investigated. Regular consumption of any type of breakfast cereal was associated with a significantly lower intake of fat when expressed as a percentage of energy intake, having allowed for regional or social‐class differences. Non‐consumers of breakfast cereals had significantly lower intakes of some micronutrients and a significant proportion of those who ate no breakfast cereal failed to achieve the reference nutrient intakes for riboflavin, vitamin B6 and folates. The consumption of breakfast cereals appears to be associated with an increased intake of micronutrients amongst teenagers in Britain, and while these associations may be due to the cereals (and milks consumed with them), they may also be due to the effect that eating cereals has on subsequent feeding during the day. However, this may be important amongst those consuming diets lower in energy or high in foods of low‐micronutrient density.