Two thirds of adults eat breakfast on most mornings, confirming breakfast’s status as an important way to start the day. Still, the broader blurring of the line between meals and snacks is changing the shape and size of breakfast. Older adults remain committed to a more traditional full breakfast at home and bring a long list of priorities to the table, most notably healthfulness. Younger breakfast eaters, on the other hand, take a more fluid approach, more likely to eat on the go, to prefer snacking during the morning to a full breakfast and to be open to more adventurous flavors.
While breakfast is largely a matter of routine – one that most breakfast eaters enjoy, economic uncertainty and the threat of tariff-driven price increases will compel many breakfast eaters to reconsider their routines. While some may cut back on restaurant breakfasts others will look for ways to save on breakfast at home. Brands and retailers that can offer cost-effective, convenient and tasty options that meet breakfast eaters’ health priorities stand to gain.
This report looks at the following areas:
- Frequency of eating breakfast
- How breakfast is made and where it’s eaten
- Breakfast foods eaten
- Selection criteria for weekday and weekend breakfasts
- Priorities for a healthy breakfast
- Breakfast behaviors
- Attitudes about breakfast
Breakfast may still be the most important meal of the day, but routines and preferences are evolving, with even greater emphasis on convenience, health and cost.
John Owen, Associate Director – Food and Retail
Market Definitions
For the purposes of this Report, Mintel has used the following definitions:
This Report explores a variety of issues related to breakfast including what consumers eat for breakfast and what motivates them to purchase breakfast foods, the importance of convenience and nutrition at breakfast, as well as various attitudes and behaviors related to the breakfast occasion.
Collapse All
-
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- For older breakfast eaters, leverage great taste to sustain healthy breakfast regimens
- Cater to young adults’ more fluid approach to breakfast
- Make the emotional rewards of breakfast portable
-
MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Inflation has cooled for now, but the cost of essentials remains elevated
- Graph 1: headline CPI and core CPI, 2021-25
- Consumer perception of finances not yet recovered from 2022 inflation
- Graph 2: financial health, 2020-25
- Further price increases are likely to impact breakfast routines
- Graph 3: attitudes toward breakfast – inflation concern, by financial status, 2025
- Consumers have been getting by on less, but additional pressure from tariffs will heighten the need for clear price-based communication
- Graph 4: select changes in behaviors in the last two months, by self-described financial situation, 2025
- Egg inflation cools, but prices remain elevated
-
CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Breakfast frequency
- One-third of adults are infrequent breakfast eaters as line between meals and snacks blurs
- Graph 5: breakfast frequency, 2025
- Older adults remain the most committed breakfast eaters
- Graph 6: breakfast frequency, by age, 2025
- Breakfast location and prep
- Breakfast starts at home
- Graph 7: breakfast location and prep, 2025
- Convenience key four younger adults
- Graph 8: breakfast location and prep, 2025
- Make breakfast a little easier for occasional skippers
- Graph 9: breakfast location and prep, by breakfast frequency, 2025
- What’s for breakfast?
- Cold cereal tops eggs as most common breakfast choice
- Graph 10: breakfast selections, 2025
- Older breakfast eaters more likely to opt for traditional breakfast standards
- Graph 11: breakfast selections, by age, 2025
- Breakfast selection priorities, weekdays vs weekends
- Breakfast priorities shift from weekdays to the weekend
- Graph 12: breakfast selection priorities – weekdays vs weekends, 2025
- For older adults, a long list of priorities at breakfast
- Graph 13: weekday breakfast priorities, by age, 2025
- Healthy breakfast priorities
- Protein a top priority
- Graph 14: healthy breakfast priorities, 2025
- Older breakfast eaters have a longer list of health priorities
- Graph 15: healthy breakfast priorities, by age, 2025
- Breakfast behaviors
- An opportunity to break the breakfast routine, or reinforce it
- Graph 16: breakfast behaviors, 2025
- Breakfast consistency among older adults may reflect a greater focus on health
- Graph 17: breakfast behaviors, by age, 2025
- Attitudes toward breakfast
- An opportunity to facilitate breakfast snacking
- Graph 18: attitudes toward breakfast – convenience and time-saving, by age, 2025
- Help breakfast eaters break the breakfast routine
- Graph 19: attitudes toward breakfast – enjoyment, by age, 2025
- Breakfast, in any form, can deliver a strong emotional payoff
- Graph 20: attitudes toward breakfast, by breakfast frequency, 2025
-
INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Opportunity to boost functional claims on breakfast products
- Graph 21: food and drink launches featuring the word “breakfast,” by leading health claims, 2019-25
- Cereal brands focus on nutrients and function
- Focus on protein at breakfast continues
- In the growing space between breakfast and snacking, more room for smaller portions and portability
- New flavors and forms cater to interest in cuisine exploration at breakfast
- Making breakfast a little easier
- Marketing and advertising
- Red’s reframes frozen breakfast around health and versatility
- A new generation of meat snacks extends into breakfast
-
APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
Mintel: Market Intelligence Made Easier
The first Mintel Market Intelligence report was published over 50 years ago. Since then, we have provided our unique insights and understanding of consumers, innovation and global markets to thousands of customers worldwide. Here’s why our customers rely on Mintel:
- Gain a comprehensive, 360-degree view of the market: Mintel reports blend consumer research, market forecasts, product innovation tracking, and competitive analysis, allowing businesses to see every angle of their industry and identify new opportunities quickly.
- Make decisions with confidence, grounded in robust data: Each report draws on up-to-date, reliable information from trusted sources and industry experts, ensuring your strategies are based on solid evidence rather than speculation.
- Benefit from expert analysis and practical recommendations: Mintel’s reports are written by experienced analysts who interpret complex data and provide clear, actionable insights you can trust to guide your next moves.
- Stay ahead with actionable intelligence on market trends and consumer behaviour: By combining fresh research with long-term market monitoring, our reports help businesses anticipate changes and adapt strategically. So you’re prepared to make informed decisions and drive growth.
What goes into a Mintel Market Intelligence Report?
Curious about how a Market Intelligence report comes together? We like to think of it as building a detailed puzzle. We start with individual pieces: data from consumers, market statistics, industry trends, and online conversations. Then our expert analysts add world-class human insight and industry knowledge. The pieces are assembled to reveal a clear, comprehensive picture of a market.
The Four Pillars of Our Research
We use a combination of four main research methods when creating our reports, each adding a valuable perspective:
- Consumer Research: Direct surveys with real people, giving us clear, current insights into what people think and do.
- Desk Research: In-depth review of trusted data sources. We use this rich database, plus powerful internal tools that track new products and market sizes, to detect trends and guide forecasts.
- Trade Research: Insights from conversations with industry experts. Their real-world experience helps us understand what’s happening behind the scenes.
- Brand and Social Media Research: Analysis of online opinions and trends. This lets us spot trends, measure brand sentiment, and capture feedback in real time, adding further depth to our research.
For further information about our research and analysis methods, visit our helpdesk.
Bringing It All Together
Each of these four pillars provides a different piece of the puzzle. Consumer research tells us what customers think, desk research provides the factual framework, trade research offers an insider’s view, and social media analysis reveals public sentiment.
Our expert analysts are skilled in weaving these diverse data streams together. They apply a range of quantitative and qualitative analysis techniques to uncover the deeper story, connecting the dots to deliver clear, actionable insights. This comprehensive, multi-layered process is how we transform raw data into a market intelligence report you can trust to inform your most important business decisions.
For a closer look at a Mintel Market Intelligence Report, take a look at the sample PDF report below:
Please Note: All of the figures, graphs, and tables in this sample report have been redacted.
£ 3,695 (Excl.Tax)
-
Download today with instant access
Pay via credit card or purchase order
-
Multiple formats provided
We send a PDF, Powerpoint and Excel Databook straight to your inbox. An interactive version of the report is also available on our online platform
-
Interactive databook included
Focus on the data that matters most to you with a customisable databook avaliable on our platform
-
Save up to 20% when you purchase multiple reports
Discount is applied directly at checkout
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn moreTrusted by global industry leaders
We use Mintel Reports, mostly for financial services and ecommerce markets, plus a few retail and technology ones.
As a leading payments provider, we value additional insights into consumer behaviour, opinions and trends that are shaping the many different markets we operate in. Mintel is a very good and very quick way for us to obtain those insights.
We use Mintel to get a view on where a particular market is going, which can support us in product development and help us identify opportunities or indeed risks, it is a very useful barometer of a market’s potential.
Andrew Neeson, Market Intelligence Manager, VocaLink
We use Mintel to inform our thinking and reinforce strategy. If you’re presenting new ideas, it’s essential they are underpinned by robust data and evidence, and clearly rooted in fact.
Mintel gives us all that. It’s a great brand and one that is trusted by clients.
Marie Stafford, European Director, The Innovation Group, VML
When I’m investigating specific sectors I tend to use Mintel reports for their forecasting, which I’ve always found to be very accurate.
They also offer really broad and deep coverage in their reports. They are very, very detailed. For example, we were able to gain insight across a wide range of business areas from just one report, proving that Mintel is excellent value for money.
So overall, it’s the level of detail and the quality of forecasting that really stand out for me.
Rebecca Green, Market Insight Manager, Wincanton
We’ve found it so useful working more closely with Mintel. They helped support our recent flagship event for our top suppliers by providing a really unique viewpoint on the future of online retailing.
Nick Carroll from their Retail Team was also an excellent panelist, sharing useful and actionable consumer insights. We definitely look forward to working with Mintel again on future projects.
Zac Steele, E-Commerce Trading Development Manager, Waitrose & Partners
We have such a great working relationship with Mintel on lots of different levels. As an insight partner, they have helped us to develop our business planning in specific categories as well as supporting our creative process but they’ve also been super helpful with facilitating our events in their inspirational offices near St Paul’s.
They’re an innovative company, with a client-focused team that always delivers.
Abby Carvosso, Group Managing Director, Bauer Media Group
Next Starts Here
Whatever your business needs, we have the solution. From market intelligence reports to customised growth strategies.
Learn more
