Sure, Mom always said you should eat breakfast every day. But do we listen to her? Maybe not.
America’s leading cereal maker, Kellogg’s, reported a 4% decline in its annual U.S. cereal sales Thursday, slashing its long-term growth forecast roughly in half. What’s to blame for the soggy outlook? Kellogg’s and other cereal makers face two big problems: Breakfast-skippers and changing tastes.
Americans’ increasingly hectic mornings mean that about 15% of us skip breakfast entirely, with notable discrepancies between age and gender groups, according to the latest figures from a 2011-2012 National Center for Health Statistics survey:
The chart above shows that school-aged children and young adults are most likely to skip breakfast, while toddlers and the elderly are the most likely to have eaten breakfast. That makes sense — school-aged kids and young professionals are the most likely group to have to rush out the door before getting in a square meal.
On average, men tend to skip breakfast more than women—except, interestingly, during the 12-19 age range. Taken altogether, the data suggest that from your pre-teen years to your mid-50s, you’ll likely be skipping breakfast once a week.
That’s a big problem if you’re Kellogg’s. What’s a cereal company to do to milk profits from time-strapped breakfast-skippers? Many, Kellogg’s included, have been experimenting with cereal in pouches and backpack-ready cereal bars, both marketed as grab-and-go eating options for the ride to work or school.
But even for those who still eat breakfast, there are troubling signs that cereal is falling out of fashion. Sales of other breakfast foods like yogurt have become more popular as Americans look for lower-carb options, according to research by Nielsen. That’s a headache for cereal-focused companies like Kellogg’s, but less of a problem for its more diversified rivals, like General Mills:
Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet?Getty Images (4)Answer: A half cup of ice cream
If you eat what you’re craving, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat.Getty Images (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter?Getty Images; Tara Johnson for TIMEAnswer: Butter
Serving size for spray butters (even low-calorie ones) are around a 1/3 second spray. What on earth does that mean? You're better off using a small amount of real butter as opposed to guessing how much you're using of the mystery melange of up to 20 ingredients.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: A turkey burger or a sirloin burger?Getty Images (2)Answer: Sirloin burger
Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you (and for the record, they aren't low-fat). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Almonds or pretzels?Getty Images (2)Answer: Almonds
Almonds are high in protein, fiber and fat and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Give high-sodium pretzels about an hour and you'll feel hungry again thanks to the high-carb no-fat or protein content.Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Special K or eggs?AP; Getty ImagesAnswer: Eggs
In the morning, you want a meal that will fill you up. Eggs offer protein and fat for satiety, but Special K cereal really only offers carbs and, well, air. If you want carbs to kick off the day, you're better off pairing eggs with a slice of 100% whole grain toast. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing?Tara Johnson for TIMEAnswer: Regular salad dressingTo absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt.Tara Johnson for TIME (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate?Getty Images (2)Answer: Dark chocolate “People believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies tend to be high in carbs, sugar and fake sugar. Try a nice piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate instead.Getty Images (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIMEWhich is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt?Tara Johnson for TIMEAnswer: 2% Greek YogurtA little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein.Tara Johnson for TIME (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
