8 OUT OF 10 ADULTS AGREE IT’S IMPORTANT TO START THE DAY WITH A HEALTHY BREAKFAST

• 86% of adults agree that it’s important to start the day with a healthy breakfast
• 57% of those who eat oats for breakfast rank porridge among their top 3 favourite breakfasts
• High fibre content (62%), keeping you full until lunch (61%), and slow-release energy (50%) are the top benefits associated with eating oats.

To celebrate World Porridge Day [Monday 10 October] a new report has shown that for 8 out of 10 adults across Northern Ireland agree it’s important to start the day with a healthy breakfast.

The research, commissioned by Co Armagh based White’s Oats to coincide with World Porridge Day, placed a spotlight on the breakfast habits of people across Northern Ireland. It looked at their preferences and what influenced their choices as well as examining wider consumer opinions on sustainability.

73% of adults ranked oats in their top three preferred breakfast meals which includes porridge, granola and/or muesli with 57% rating taste the top priority.

The research also explored consumer’s awareness around the benefits of oats with all adults agreeing that the number one benefit of oats is its high fibre properties and a quarter of all adults agreeing that oats help lower cholesterol and support good gut health.

Danielle McBride, Marketing Manager of White’s Oats said ‘’It’s encouraging to see that so many people across Northern Ireland recognise and enjoy the benefits of starting their day with a healthy and nutritious breakfast. Whether you’re a regular porridge eater or have recently joined the growing overnight oat trend; oats are packed with nutritious goodness- 100% wholegrain and high in fibre, they also pack a punch when it comes to supporting our immune system owing to their rich source of vitamins and antioxidants, which is especially important as we come into the colder winter months.’’

The research also looked at wider consumer opinions around the importance of sustainability with 70% of adults agreeing that when shopping for breakfast they would prefer to buy products from local producers.

90% of adults agreed that only when ingredients come from Northern Ireland and the product is made in Northern Ireland should it be labelled as a local product.

“With the research supporting consumer’s conscious efforts to embrace sustainability in their shopping baskets; from supporting local products to preferring to buy products in recyclable packaging, we also remain committed in our approach to providing sustainable products, and not just nutritionally but in everything we do from farm to bowl’’, says Danielle.

“Our conventional oats are grown locally helping to reduce food miles. We work in close partnership with over 100 trusted farmers, of which 40 are located within 60 miles of our mill in Tandragee. We’ve also made great strides in our packaging with all our porridge oats now available in fully recyclable paper bags.”