59% Mothers Skip Breakfast To Save Time

Fri Oct 23 2015

Survey says over half (59%) of Irish mothers skip breakfast to save time in the morning.

It’s time to prioritise mums so they are not running on empty!

Flahavan’s and Keelings, two iconic Irish family brands with a rich history in offering consumers healthy nutritious foods, have come together for National Porridge Week (Monday 19^th – Sunday 25^th October) to celebrate sharing a breakfast moment of porridge and fruit together as one for all the family to enjoy.

To mark the launch, Flahavan’s and Keelings commissioned a survey amongst mums, which revealed that most Irish mothers (73%) believe it’s more important to get the family ready for the day rather than have breakfast themselves. Over half (59%) of mums admit to skipping the most important meal of the day to save time in the mornings and over a third of those who do grab something, consider a cup of tea or coffee their breakfast.

Almost all mums (96%) would go without any breakfast if there wasn’t enough food in the house for everyone else.

As for what’s on the breakfast menu for children, Mums acknowledge that nutritional value should be a priority (53%), but the reality in a busy household is that 25% will give their kids whatever they want for breakfast – for a quiet life, because when it comes to feeding their children breakfast, 69% of mums agree that anything is better than nothing.

79% of those surveyed believe it is important to sit down and have breakfast together, but the reality is that only 16% of mothers ensure the family all sit down and enjoy breakfast together every day.

“It’s time to priortise mums so they are not running on empty,” says Dietitian Aveen Bannon. “Skipping breakfast is a hallmark of a hectic life but in the long run this will result in poorer performance in work, unhealthy food choices later in the day and consequently, increased chance of gaining weight. Also, Mums need to lead by example as research shows that children of breakfast skippers are more likely to skip breakfast themselves.

Simple routines will save you time in the mornings. Try to make school lunches the night before, soak porridge oats overnight and set the breakfast table before going to bed. Remember, if time is running out, your breakfast is more important than a tidy kitchen,” advises Aveen.

To encourage the Share a Breakfast Moment Flahavan’s and Keelings are offering a 50c discount coupon on each other’s brands in retail stores nationwide. Consumers who purchase Keelings products (specifically berries, Raspberries, Blueberries and Strawberries) during the month of October will get 50c coupon off the purchase of a Flahavan’s product and vice versa.

The Share a Breakfast Moment campaign is also being supported with The Brekkie Bus – a double decker bus on the road inviting consumers onboard to taste delicious porridge and fruit combinations. An educational initiative is also being rolled out in primary schools nationwide to educate children on the importance of a healthy start to the day. In addition a campaign collaboration with well-known dietician Aveen Bannon has provided some delicious and very nutritious breakfast recipes check them out:

Banana & Berry Oaty Bread