Only one in three Britons eat breakfast daily

Jan. 11, 2011 - PRLog -- Despite breakfast’s reputation as the most important meal of the day, it appears that the majority of Britons are failing to eat a regular morning meal. New research from www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, the UK’s leading discount website, has found that just one in three adults admit to eating breakfast everyday; whilst the majority, 47%, claim to only do so ‘when they have time.’
The research was conducted by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk in order to find out more about the eating habits of Britons, given that the site features discounts from hundreds of food retailers and eating establishments at any one time. 1,891 men and women aged 18 and over subsequently took part in the poll, answering questions about their daily meal routines.
Respondents to the study were asked, ‘Do you eat breakfast every day?’ to which just one in three, 31%, answered “yes.” One in five, 22%, replied ‘no’; whilst the remaining majority, 47%, answered “only when I have time.”
Those who chose the response ‘only when I have time’ were further asked to elaborate on when this may be. Whilst over two thirds, 69%, explained that they regularly skipped breakfast on weekdays; one in ten, 11%, admitted that they often did not have time to eat breakfast on the weekends.  Of those who missed breakfast on weekdays, 76% blamed their lack of breakfast consumption on busy work schedules.
Of those who did not eat breakfast regularly, including those who only ate when they had time; over half, 55%, admitted that they snacked regularly throughout the morning, before eating lunch. Of those who did eat a regular breakfast, just 17% admitted to doing the same.

The respondents who answered a plain ‘no’ when asked if they ate a regular breakfast were also asked to elaborate on why this was the case. Over half, 56%, admitted that they ‘did not have time’ in the mornings; whilst a third, 32%, explained that breakfast made them feel ‘sick’ in the mornings.
Furthermore, when asked ‘What do you usually eat for breakfast?’ one in ten, 9%, stipulated that they consumed ‘a caffeinated hot drink and confectionary snack,’ including muffins, biscuits and breakfast bars. Just 7% admitted to eating fruit for breakfast regularly, whilst the majority, 45%, admitted to eating cereal most often.
Two thirds, 67%, of respondents to the study admitted to feeling ‘more alert’ when they did eat breakfast; despite the fact that the majority did not do so regularly.
Mark Pearson, chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk and former Claridges chef, commented on the findings:
“Breakfast is well known as one of the most important meals of the day, and given that we featured so many food related discounts on the site, we wanted to look deeper into what people’s eating regimes really are. It was surprising to see that just one in three people stick to a regular breakfast given its benefits; however, it seems that time is the biggest factor getting in most people’s way, and many simply do not allow themselves the time to eat a regular morning meal.”
He continued:
“Although it can be tempting to miss out on breakfast to catch a few more minutes of shut-eye in the morning; the benefits of dragging yourself out of bed to eat some toast far outweigh the negatives. You’ll feel better, be more productive and will snack less if you eat a regular morning breakfast; so making the extra effort can do wonders in the long run.”
ENDS
LINK: http://www.MyVoucherCodes.co.uk

For more information please contact Emma Kent on emmak@10yetis.co.uk or 01452348211.
Editor’s Notes
Mark Pearson, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk is a regular media contributor regarding online shopping and the credit crunch. At 30, his personal worth is more than £60 million. Mark was previously a trainee chef working for
Gordon Ramsay at Claridges, London.
MyVoucherCodes has had sales exceeding £481m in the last year
Consumer savings on online shopping via MyVoucherCodes.co.uk up from £28m in 2008 to £52m in 2009.

MyVoucherCodes is the UK’s most popular discount site.