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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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APPENDIX
- Market definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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