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Cereal: The Complete Story

Experts worldwide agree that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Breakfast eaters, specifically breakfast cereal eaters – including children – also tend to have lower Body Mass Indices and are less likely to be overweight than those who eat cereal less
frequently.i, ii

Though research supports the importance of breakfast, its consumption is decreasing in many regions of the world. In fact, in the U.S., people today are eating breakfast 10 percent less than their counterparts from 1965.iii

This is significant, as researchers in France and other countries revealed that essential nutrients missed at breakfast are not compensated at other meals during the day.iv

As the world's leading producer of ready-to-eat cereals, Kellogg provides people the world over with nutritious, convenient, and affordable products. Among its many attributes, cereal

  • Is a typically low-fat, nutrient-dense, low-cholesterol food that encourages breakfast consumption.
    • In the U.S., ready-to-eat-cereal with milk is the leading source of a total of 10 nutrients in the diet.v
    • Cereal eaters in Mexico consumer more iron, zinc, folic acid, and vitamins A, C and B2.vi
    • For Canadians, cereal delivers important nutrients such as iron, B vitamins and zinc.vii
    • In the U.K., children who eat cereal have higher intakes of iron, B vitamins, vitamin D, folate and riboflavin.viii
    • And in Australia, cereal is the main dietary source of iron, folate and thiamine.ix
  • Delivers the important benefits of grain and is associated with better digestive health, lower cholesterol for better heart health, and reduced risk of obesity and diabetes.
  • Provides a small portion (for example, 5 to 7 percent in the U.S. and U.K.) of the average child's daily intake of sugar, while supporting positive nutrient intake.x, xi
  • Contains less than half the sodium of many popular breakfast items worldwide, including bagels, toast and margarine, and croissants.xii
  • Provides convenient, affordable nutrition – the average cost of a serving of cereal with milk is 50 cents in the U.S. and equivalent amounts elsewhere in the world.

Cereal: The Complete Story includes the latest research and a four-part video series about the importance of breakfast and the benefits of cereal.

iAlbertson AM, Anderson GH, Crockett SJ, Goebel MT. Ready-to-eat cereal consumption: Its relationship with BMI and nutrient intake of children aged 4 to 12 years. J Am Diet Assoc. 2003;103:1613-1619
iiAlbertson AM, Affenito SG, Bauserman R, et al. The relationship of ready-to-eat cereal consumption to nutrient intake, blood lipids, and body mass index of children as they age through adolescence. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009;109:1557-1565.
NHANES, 2003-2006.
iiiInternational Food Information Council, IFIC Review: Breakfast and Health. 2008;12.
ivPreziosi P, Galan P, Deheeger M, Yacoub N, Drewnowski A, Hercberg S. Breakfast type, daily nutrient intakes and vitamin and mineral status of French children, adolescents and adults. J Am Coll Nutr. 1999;18(2):171-178.
vNHANES, 2003-2006.
viNational Survey of Health and Nutrition, 2006.
viiHealth Canada 2008.
viiiNational Diet and Nutrition Survey, 2003.
ixNational Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey, 2007.
xNHANES, 2003-2006.
xiWilliamson CS. Breakfast cereals - why all the bad press? BNF Nutr Bulletin. 2010;35:30-33.
xiiU.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2009. USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 22. Nutrient Data Laboratory Home Page, http://www.ars.usda.gov/nutrientdata.