Long considered the most important meal of the day, in recent years, breakfast as an eating occasion has hit hard times. Many time-starved consumers have, in fact, all but abandoned the morning respite for a variety of reasons. However, the category has managed to roll with this trend, and many items expand the traditional notions and usages of breakfast foods.
Simply getting adults and children to consume breakfast is a difficult task. Estimates from the NPD Group Inc. indicate the average person skips breakfast at least once a week, and about 25% of Americans skip breakfast on average. Reasons for eschewing breakfast include time constraints, limited availability of ready-to-eat foods and concerns about body weight.