Healthy people eat fruit, dairy and cold cereal for breakfast, new study finds

Researchers hoped the results would reveal what breakfast eating habits would benefit those hoping to lose weight.

51 per cent of those studied said they usually had fruit for breakfast (DENIS CHARLET/AFP/Getty Images)

Slim people of a healthy weight are more likely to eat fruit, dairy or cold cereal for breakfast than anything else, researchers have found.

The study, led by Anna-Leena Vuorinen, of the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and presented at Obesity Week 2015 in Los Angeles on Wednesday, analysed the breakfast eating habits of 147 people between September 2014 and January 2015.

It is hoped the results will help shed light on what breakfast eating habits would benefit those trying to lose weight.

“Time and again we’ve been told: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day,” researchers at the Cornell Food & Brand Lab said.

The participants had an average Body Mass Index of 21.7 and an average weight of 134 lbs. The majority of participants were over 41 years old and female. To be eligible they were required to have a healthy weight, no major weight fluctuations and have had no weight counselling.

Responding to the question: “On an average day, what would you have for breakfast?” the most common answer from healthy people was fruit, with 51 per cent saying they would eat fruit on an average morning.

Other popular choices were dairy, with 41 per cent saying they ate this for breakfast; cold cereal or granola at 33 per cent, bread at 32 per cent and hot cereal at 29 per cent.

Eggs were also a popular choice, with researchers saying consumption was “higher than expected” with 31 per cent choosing eggs for their morning meal.

Only 26 per cent of participants said they usually had coffee at breakfast.

"One important take away from this study is that a very high rate of slim people actually eat breakfast instead of skipping, which is consistent with previous research on the importance of breakfast," explains Dr Vuorinen.

"But what stands out is that they not only ate breakfast, but that they ate healthful foods like fruits and vegetables,” she added.

In addition to their breakfast habits, the participants were also quizzed about their general eating and activity habits.

The results revealed chicken was the favourite meat of 61 per cent of people surveyed, while 63 per cent ate vegetables at dinner every day.

Thirty-nine per cent said fruit was their favourite snack, just under half said they do not diet and 38 per cent said they exercised one to three days a week.

“If the Food and Brand Lab has a refrain of its own,” the study’s authors said, “it's: ‘Do what slim people do’.”