In Mintel’s exclusive research, nine in ten respondents say they eat breakfast, and more than half of these do so every day of the week. Cereal is one of the most widely used breakfast foods. However, Americans are increasingly short on time, especially in the mornings. Over 70% of consumers say they spend ten minutes or less preparing breakfast on weekdays--that statistic seems to favor cereal, but there are other foods that require no preparation and can be eaten on the go. Can cereals stay on top when faced with newer breakfast convenience products?

Among the key issues covered in this report are competition from breakfast alternatives, concerns about childhood obesity, and the prominence of cobranding in this market. Original consumer research examines attitudes and behavior by age, gender, ethnicity and income, and a six-year trend analysis predicts future growth.

This report covers the US market for breakfast cereals including cold ready-to-eat cereals and hot cereals for in-home consumption. For the purposes of this report, Mintel defines cold ready-to-eat cereal as comprising any cereals that are served dry, as snacks, or with cold milk, such as corn flakes, Shredded Wheat, or Cheerios. For a clearer picture of the market, cold cereals are further separated into low, medium, and high sugar segments. Hot cereal products are defined by Mintel as cereals that must be cooked (on the stovetop or in the microwave oven) before eating, such as oatmeal, instant oatmeal, and other hot wheat and grain products.

Cereal bars and other breakfast products such as Kellogg's Pop Tarts are excluded from the scope of this report, but their importance to overall demand for breakfast cereals is discussed where appropriate.

This report may contain US IRI InfoScan data. Report contents may be subject to change prior to the date of publication.

A number of U.S. reports covering related sectors have been published, are planned, or are in preparation, including:

Sports and Energy Bars, U.S. Report, July 2003

Yogurt, U.S. Report, June 2003

Milk, U.S. Report, April 2003

The Bread Market, U.S. Report, February 2003

The Breakfast Drinks Market, U.S. Report, November 2002

Breakfast Foods: Volume 1-The Consumer, U.S. Report, October 2002

Breakfast Foods: Volume 2-The Marketplace, U.S. Report, October 2002

The Cereal Bars Market, U.S. Report, September 2002

The Packaged Breakfast and Sandwich Meats Market, U.S. Report, August 2002

Kids and Teens Eating Habits, U.S. Report, May 2002

The Eggs and Egg Substitute Market, U.S. Report, January 2002

The Functional Food Market, U.S. Report, October 2001

The Functional Drinks Market, U.S. Report, September 2001

The Breakfast Cereals Market, U.S. Report, April 2001