Overview

Abstract (English)

In recent years, ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) has become a common breakfast option in Canada and worldwide. This study used the nationally representative cross-sectional data from the Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS) 2015 – Nutrition to determine patterns of RTEC consumption in Canada and the contribution to nutrient intake among Canadians who were => 2 years, of whom 22 +/- 0.6% consumed RTEC on any given day. The prevalence of RTEC consumption was highest in children aged two to 12 years (37.6 +/- 1.2%), followed by adolescents aged 13 to 18 years (28.8 +/- 1.4%), and then by adults =>19 years (18.9 +/- 0.6%). RTEC consumers had higher intakes of “nutrients to encourage” compared to the RTEC non-consumers. More than 15% of the daily intake of some nutrients, such as folic acid, iron, thiamin, and vitamin B6, were contributed by RTEC. It was noted that nearly 66% of milk consumption was co-consumed with RTEC among RTEC consumers. The nutrient density of the diet, as defined by Nutrient-Rich Food Index (NRF 9.3), was significantly higher among RTEC consumers compared to non-consumers. RTEC consumption was not associated with overweight/obesity. RTEC consumption considerably contributed to the intake of some key nutrients among all age groups in Canada.

Abstract (French)

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