In the Break(FAST) Lane

Fast. 

The word is built right in to what is known as the first and long-acknowledged most important meal of the day. For some, the best part of waking up is a hearty breakfast accompanied by a cup or two of coffee. For others, preparing a meal early in the day can seem daunting. With that in mind, it is no surprise that now more than ever consumers want a quick and nutritious breakfast. 

In fact, shelf stable, convenient breakfast items are strong performers in supermarkets. In 2015, products in the category experienced significant growth in grocery stores, generating a 40.5 percent increase in sales, according to Nielsen.  

“There’s been a shift in the category away from sugary breakfast products to healthful, hearty breakfast items that support on-the-go lifestyles,” says Kasey Moss, senior brand manager of Enjoy Life Foods, based in Chicago. “We’re finding that convenience, coupled with better-for-you options, are among the leading drivers influencing consumers’ purchases.”  

Convenience has long been key for consumers with busy lifestyles, but more important than easy to prepare meals in the morning are the nutritional benefits a breakfast item offers. More and more, people are beginning to realize that consuming too much sugar or not enough fiber or protein first thing in the morning can effect how they feel for the rest of the day. As a result, they are recognizing the need for better-for-you breakfast options that are chock-full of nutritional benefits. 

“Consumers are becoming smarter about attributes, benefits and ingredients that are in products,” says Tracy Russell, director of marketing for Back to Nature, based in Naples, Fla. “They want to know that what they’re putting into their bodies, especially in the morning, is something that is going to fuel them or give them energy and really jump-start their day.” 

Industry observers say more consumers are gravitating toward convenient, clean label better-for-you breakfast items that are loaded with fiber, protein and superfoods. Free from and non-GMO products are also gaining popularity with consumers, and the market is flush with breakfast items like hot and cold cereals, oatmeal and granola, for example, to meet the demand.

“Breakfast is generally an easier meal to control, in terms of making healthy choices, and manufacturers are providing the healthier-for-you foods they seek to meet that demand,” says Jen Ramstad, director of marketing at Pamela’s Products, based in Ukiah, Calif. 

Pamela’s Products’ items, which include pancake and waffle mix, baking and pancake mix, bread mix and Whenever Bars, have been gluten-free for 27 years. The company is working on developing a gluten-free and non-dairy pancake mix that is also free of nuts, eggs, soy and coconut, Ramstad says. “As an added benefit in line with better-for-you breakfasts, we created the base with a combination of sprouted whole grains to offer the nutritional benefits that both sprouted and whole grain provide,” Ramstad says. 

Enjoy Life Foods also offers the benefits of grains in its allergy friendly line of baking mixes. The baking mixes are made with ancient teff grains that are hand harvested in Ethiopia, as well as plant-based proteins and shelf-stable probiotics that withstand the baking process and add nutritional benefits and immune health, Moss says. The baking mixes come in five flavors, which include breakfast friendly Pancake Waffle and Muffin options. 

Of course, grains and superfoods can be found in items other than baking mixes. Many hot and cold cereals, oatmeal and granolas also feature these added benefits. In fact, hot cereal packed with superfoods is Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods’ bread and butter. “We pack our Superfood Hot Cereal Cups in California and load them with superfoods and thick cut oats,” says Carolyn Vinnicombe, brand manager for the Woodland, Calif.-based company. “Our sugar is separated into a customizable packet that puts consumers in control of the amount of sugar in their breakfasts.” 

Last year, Dr. McDougall’s Right Foods launched six Thick-Cut Old-Fashioned Hot Cereal Carton items and three Superfood Hot Cereal Carton items that are organic, gluten-free and non-GMO. “These cartons are made with superfood ingredients like milled flax, chia, hemp, pumpkin seeds and quinoa,” Vinnicombe says. “We’ve had a fantastic reception at retail and even had our Mega Omega Superfood Hot Cereal Cartons featured in Dr. Oz’s The Good Life magazine.” 

Officials at The Sliver Palate—the Cresskill, N.J.-based manufacturer of Grain Berry branded cereals, pancake and muffin mixes, as well as Silver Palate branded oatmeal—understand the benefits that whole grain oats provide to consumers. The company’s Grain Berry cereals contain whole grains and less sugar than leading brand cereals, says Robert Harris, chairman at The Silver Palate. “We grew a crop called sorghum to add to the whole grain oats and whole grain wheat [in Grain Berry] in order to improve natural fiber and antioxidants,” Harris says. “Sorghum is very high in antioxidants.”  

The company will soon add the Grain Berry Onyx cereal additive to the line, which features high tannins and black sorghum grain to fight free radicals and enhance fiber. It can be added to hot and cold cereals, yogurt, smoothies, and other foods to boost antioxidants and fiber content. “Onyx makes the breakfast choices more exciting, in that it contains the high tannins the brand has now, but it is lower in the glucose load and slows the digestive system significantly so that sugars and fats are not absorbed in the blood stream as they would be,” Harris says. 

While grains are essential in helping consumers jump-start their days, Russell says non-GMO and gluten-free items are other important trends to watch. Back to Nature is taking these trends seriously. “Consumers are looking for non-GMO verification, and that’s something we’re going to obtain for this quarter for all of our products—either non-GMO and/or organic,” she says. “Gluten-free is here to stay. We have gluten-free cereal, and we are transitioning our entire line of loose granola to gluten-free as well.” 

Back to Nature recently introduced five cereals, six loose granolas and five granola clusters. “We want consumers to know that our cereal is batch-cooked, which locks in flavor,” Russell says. “Ancient grains is a big piece of our cereal too, and we offer a lot of super fruits as well.” 

Understanding the trends and benefits of better-for-you breakfast items is just one component for retailers looking to boost sales in the category. It is important for retailers to catch the shoppers’ attention and drive awareness for these items in their stores. “Grocers can boost breakfast sales by investing in wellness products that consumers crave and transitioning shelf space from large, conventional brands to smaller natural brands, who are driving growth in the category,” Vinnicombe says.