title: Ready-to-eat cereals improve nutrient, milk and fruit intake at breakfast in European adolescents.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breakfast consumption has been recommended as part of a healthy diet. Recently, ready-to-eat cereals (RTEC) became more popular as a breakfast item. Our aim was to analyse the dietary characteristics of an RTEC breakfast in European adolescents and to compare them with other breakfast options.
  
  
  METHODS
  From the European multi-centre HELENA study, two 24-h dietary recalls of 3137 adolescents were available. Food items (RTEC or bread, milk/yoghurt, fruit) and macro- and micronutrient intakes at breakfast were calculated. Cross-sectional regression analyses were adjusted for gender, age, socio-economic status and city.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to bread breakfasts (39 %) and all other breakfasts (41.5 %), RTEC breakfast (19.5 %) was associated with improved nutrient intake (less fat and less sucrose; more fibre, protein and some micronutrients like vitamin B, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus) at the breakfast occasion. Exceptions were more simple sugars in RTEC breakfast consumers: more lactose and galactose due to increased milk consumption, but also higher glucose and fructose than bread consumers. RTEC consumers had a significantly higher frequency (92.5 vs. 50.4 and 60.2 %) and quantity of milk/yoghurt intake and a slightly higher frequency of fruit intake (13.4 vs. 10.9 and 8.0 %) at breakfast.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among European adolescents, RTEC consumers showed a more favourable nutrient intake than consumers of bread or other breakfasts, except for simple sugars. Therefore, RTEC may be regarded as a good breakfast option as part of a varied and balanced diet. Nevertheless, more research is warranted concerning the role of different RTEC types in nutrient intake, especially for simple sugars.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Hospital, Ghent University, 4K3, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. nathalie.michels@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3069-7254
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Hospital, Ghent University, 4K3, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Department of Health Sciences, Vesalius, Hogeschool Gent, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Stefaan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.affiliation: CIC-9301-Inserm-CH&U and Inserm U995, IFR114, IMPRT, Centre Hospitalier & Universitaire de Lille, Université Nord de France, Lille, France.
authors.forename: Laurent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Beghin
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Physiology, School of Medicine, Granada University, Granada, Spain.
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuenca-García
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Physical Activity and Sport Sciences, University Polytechnic of Madrid, Madrid, Spain.|Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Marcela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Gross
authors.affiliation: School of Health, Care and Social Welfare, Märlardalens University, Västerås, Sweden.|Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hallstrom
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine, Preventive Medicine and Nutrition Clinic, University of Crete School of Medicine, Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kafatos
authors.affiliation: Research Institute of Child Nutrition, Dortmund, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathilde
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kersting
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition-Dietetics, Harokopio University Athens, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food Science and Technology and Nutrition, Spanish National Research Council, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Ascensión
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, Medical Faculty, University of Pecs, Pecs, Hungary.
authors.forename: Denes
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.affiliation: Agricultural Research Council, Food and Nutrition Research Centre (CRA-NUT), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Romana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Roccaldo
authors.affiliation: GENUD (Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Saragossa, Spain.
authors.forename: Alba M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Santaliestra-Pasías
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosciences and Nutrition, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sjostrom
authors.affiliation: Cereal Partners Worldwide S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Béatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Reye
authors.affiliation: Cereal Partners Worldwide S.A., Lausanne, Switzerland.|Nestlé Research Center, Vers chez les Blanc, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Thielecke
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Private Medical University Salzburg, Salzburg, Austria.|Division for Clinical Nutrition, Obesity and Lipoprotein Disorders, Department of Pediatrics, Medical University, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Widhalm
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University Hospital, Ghent University, 4K3, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Claessens
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000818:Animals; D062408:Breakfast; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys; D000072001:Diet, Healthy; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D004043:Dietary Fiber / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D019422:Dietary Sucrose / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D057140:Fast Foods; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011939:Mental Recall; D018977:Micronutrients / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000032:analysis; D008892:Milk; D009753:Nutritive Value; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D044465:White People
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D019422:Dietary Sucrose; D018977:Micronutrients
keywords: Adolescents; Breakfast; Fruit; Milk; Nutrients; Ready-to-eat cereals