A growing number of time-pressed Britons say they can no longer find the time to start every day with a proper breakfast. As a result, many have revealed that going hungry leaves them tired, moody and affects the quality of their work, according to a nationwide survey by leading oat producer, Flahavan’s.
While the national average shows people are spending just nine minutes on breakfast, a regional breakdown of the results reveals that Scots are Britain’s most likely to enjoy a leisurely breakfast, enjoying their morning meal for an average of just over ten minutes during the week, and just under 14 minutes at the weekend. On the other hand those in the South West are rushing through Britain’s fastest midweek breakfasts, spending less than nine minutes enjoying their healthy start to the day. Flahavan’s also found Welsh citizens were the least likely to relax at the weekend, spending only ten and half minutes on breakfast, compared to an average of just under 12 minutes for the rest of the UK.
What the nation tucks in to at breakfast time was also found to vary across the UK. 60% of Midlands-based respondentssaid they regularly opt out of a traditional fry-up in favour of a healthier option. On the other hand, 10% of sweet-toothed London-dwellers admitted they chose a sweet pastry or cake at least once a week for breakfast.
And breakfast is no longer a way for the family to catch up before the day, as only one in five people in the UK regularly enjoy breakfast together at the breakfast table. More than one in 10 people in the East of England spend their precious breakfast minutes checking and replying to emails, and over a quarter of those in the North East eat their breakfast in front of the TV. This is narrowly rivalled by Scots, where Flahavan’s revealed that one in ten wait until they get to work to eat the most important meal of the day. The South East was revealed to be one of the least enthusiastic about enjoying a tasty start to the day, with two in five people admitting they would rather have a lie-in and skip breakfast altogether, while 10% of people in the North West never have breakfast.
This limited breakfast time and even skipping breakfast altogether is having a negative impact on people’s wellbeing, as demonstrated by the one in five people in the UK who agreed skipping breakfast makes them feel grumpy for the rest of the day. A similar number complained going without left them feeling tired, while one in seven said it affected the quality of their work.
“Our findings show a shift in the number of people having breakfast – the eating occasion renowned for being the most important meal of the day.” explained John Noonan, Sales and Marketing Director for Flahavan’s.
“It’s no secret that we all need a good breakfast to get the day off to a good start. And while it’s great to see that people are becoming more health-conscious with their breakfast choices – opting for porridge and healthy cereals – the number of people who are regularly going without breakfast is certainly surprising, particularly given that making a nutritious, tasty breakfast takes just a little extra time.
“We know that people are time-pressured, particularly from Monday to Friday, but skipping breakfast only results in people feeling worse in the long-run, as they don’t have enough energy to power them through the day.
“The good news is, it’s a lot easier than you might think to whip up a wholesome and delicious breakfast. It takes just three minutes to make the perfect bowl of filling porridge that’s a tasty source of wholegrain, fibre and protein – so even the most time-pressed can squeeze this in to their daily routine.” concluded Noonan.
