Ontario Grain Farmer March 2021

Good in Every Grain 38 www.GoodinEveryGrain.ca START THE DAY RIGHT We have all heard the saying “breakfast is the most important meal of the day”, but as more Canadians skip breakfast, does this saying still hold true? According to dietitians and nutrition experts, a healthy and well-balanced breakfast is the key to starting your day off on the right foot. But are consumers heeding this advice? Studies have shown a healthy breakfast provides you with the energy to propel you through your busy day, it can increase your focus, it will kickstart your metabolism, and balances internal sugar levels. Ontario grains are commonly found in a lot of favourite breakfast foods such as cereals and oatmeal. Good in Every Grain has been working to promote the benefits of a healthy breakfast. We created and shared easy-to-make nutritious recipes that can be made using Ontario grains and targeted them to consumers that are skipping out on this important meal. A 2017 study by researchers at Dalhousie University found that women are three times more likely to skip breakfast than men, that people earning less than $40,000 are also three times more likely to skip breakfast, and that Ontarians are more likely to eat breakfast on-the-go or at a restaurant more so than any other Canadian. Knowing the specific demographics of those who do skip breakfast, has allowed us to focus our promotion of breakfast grains more accurately. Our promotion is designed to increase the overall consumption of the grains that are produced by Ontario grain farmers. We have released a blog post that emphasises the importance of not only eating breakfast but eating a nutritious and well- balanced breakfast. “Is breakfast still the most important meal of the day?” highlights the suggestions from dietitians on eating breakfast, lists the health risks associated with skipping breakfast, and identifies many easy to make, grain-based breakfast ideas. In another blog post we have outlined five breakfast ideas that feature the goodness of Ontario grains. Breakfasts, such as overnight oats and cornmeal breakfast muffins, can be easily prepared in advance making them a quick option in the morning. The goal of these blog posts and on-going content on our website is to emphasise the benefits of eating breakfast and to demonstrate that Ontario grains are nutritious and can be a part of a healthy, balanced meal. Sharing information from health and nutrition experts also furthers our goal of promoting grains as part of a healthy lifestyle to encourage more Ontarians to choose grains. Visit GoodinEveryGrain.ca/GoodinEveryMeal to see more of our efforts in promoting the importance of eating a well- balanced breakfast.