Thanks so much to everyone who took my Eating Breakfast survey. The results were fascinating (I’m into numbers and I like food, go figure).
633 people took the survey! I’m so flattered that so many of you took the time. I bolded the question and the response with the highest percentage:
1. Do you eat three meals a day? (answered question = 604; skipped question = 29)
Yes 80.8% (488)
No 19.2% (116)
*53 people who responded “Other” to this question usually remarked that they eat more than three meals a day, opting to eat 4-5 small meals.
2. Do you eat breakfast every day? (answered question = 620; skipped question = 13)
Yes 79.4% (492)
No 20.6% (128)
*30 people who responded “Other” to the question added that they “usually” eat breakfast every day and many also mentioned eating a “brunch” or a late breakfast sometimes. Some of you get nauseous if you eat before 10-11 am. Curious.
3. Do you ever eat or drink the following at breakfast? (answered question = 622; skipped question = 11)
(Multiple responses allowed)
Cereal 71.4% (444)
Apples 35.5% (221)
Waffles 38.3% (238)
Oatmeal 66.1% (411)
Pancakes 47.3% (294)
Eggs 74.8% (465)
Bacon 46.8% (291)
Toast 70.3% (437)
Bananas 64.3% (400)
Strawberries 52.9% (329)
Blueberries 48.6% (302)
Milk 56.1% (349)
OJ 42.9% (267)
Bar (cereal, nut, fruit, etc) 34.6% (215)
English muffin 42.8% (266)
Sausage 29.7% (185)
Butter 46.8% (291)
Spread 21.2% (132)
Peanut butter 51.8% (322)
Jam/Jelly 45.2% (281)
*Eggs are very popular followed closely by cereal, toast, oatmeal and then bananas to round out the top five breakfast foods. The least popular? The vague “spread” — we’re not margarine people, are we?
3. Do you normally eat at home, on the go, or at a restaurant? (answered question = 571; skipped question = 62)
At home 83.7% (478)
On the go 15.6% (89)
At a restaurant 0.7% (4)
*87 people responded “Other” they told me they eat breakfast “at work.” Wow, of course. Something I hadn’t considered.
5. Do you ever eat breakfast outside of the home? (answered question = 618; skipped question = 15)
Yes 29.1% (180)
No 11.2% (69)
Only weekends 11.7% (72)
Only special occasions 48.1% (297)
*39 people responded and most said they eat breakfast outside of the home when they are on vacation or out of town.
6. Where do you eat breakfast outside of the home? (answered question = 508; skipped question = 125)
(Multiple responses allowed)
Fast food restaurant (McDonald’s, etc) 26.4% (134)
Casual (Panera, etc) 28.5% (145)
Restaurant (Local pancake place, etc) 87.8% (446)
*93 people responded “Other” and said they eat it at work, at the cafeteria at work, or at a coffee shop.
7. What’s your typical breakfast? (answered question = 597; skipped question = 36)
Responses varied — I noticed a lot of “yogurt” answers, which I somehow forgot to include in the list of breakfast food. Duh. In my defense, I’ve never been a yogurt-in-the-morning kinda gal. It strikes me as more of a lunch side. Also many of you mentioned coffee — I did not include it in my list as I have never drunk coffee in my current or previous lives. Responses included what you guys checked in the itemized list: eggs, toast, fruit, etc. MADE ME HUNGRY.
8. What’s your ideal breakfast? (answered question = 556; skipped question = 77)
Again, a wide range of breakfast yummies including French toast, eggs benedict, “breakfast in bed with my hubby” (how nice), green smoothies, coffee by the ocean, “hot oven pretzels” (sounds amazing), “blueberry pancakes made by someone else,” “a sit-down meal with friends,” “my grandma’s biscuits and gravy,” “mom’s homemade caramel rolls (swoon),” and “IHOP” (LOL).
9. If you have children, what’s their typical breakfast? (answered question = 398; skipped question = 235)
Many of you wrote that you don’t have kids. Those that do mentioned cereal, eggs, waffles, peanut butter sandwich, toast, pancakes, fruit, bagels, even kefir.
10. What’s your child’s idea of the perfect breakfast? (answered question = 365; skipped question = 268)
Again most don’t have kids, but those who do shared that their kids like chocolate milk, donuts, croissants and jam, bacon, eggs, pancakes, chocolate cake, grapes, tacos, and IHOP again! 🙂
11. How important is breakfast to you and/or your loved ones? (answered question = 551; skipped question = 82)
Most of you report that breakfast is VERY (your emphasis) important to you and your family. Many of you say it’s your favorite meal. Some of you report non-compliant significant others who don’t recognize the importance of breakfast (made me smile). Yet others of you don’t think breakfast is important.
To summarize my takeaways from the survey, I think we can safely say that food is personal. That was something I learned last year, but I love seeing it reinforced. I think it’s important to note the social role that food takes on in our lives. However, breakfast may be one of the least social meals we eat if we are eating it at work during the week and saving our big breakfast/brunch outings for special occasions.
I enjoyed reading your replies to the survey and I’m working on your suggestions to the design of the blog (the other survey I asked you to complete).
Without further delay, here’s this week’s survey:
***Eating Lunch***
Click above to take it. It will be open for a week! Oh, this is a fun one!
Really like seeing how these numbers break down. It helps add to the image of who the readers are on top of their comments. I’m a member of the can’t eat before 10 crowd, food smells great at 9 but my stomach just can’t take it.
Biscuits and honey are my breakfast meal (and sometimes lunch and dinner). I’m also one of those that doesn’t eat before maybe 10 or so. I’m able to most of the time but I’m generally not that hungry until then.
I could eat breakfast at any time of day or night. It’s my favorite kind of food.
I love coffee although I don’t drink it every day. I used to sneak it when I was a kid while my parents were getting ready for work in the morning. I imagine that thought is a little scary to teachers but I was a pretty mellow kid, I only took maybe 4 oz., and my mom’s coffee was very weak. My dad and I called it dishwater when she wasn’t around. My Italian grandparents used to make espresso after dinner. They served it in demitasse cups and some of us grandkids would have a cup of mostly steamed milk mixed with a dab of muddy espresso but I liked the bitter taste of the espresso with just sugar on the rare occasion they would let me have it that way. My great grandparents emigrated from Italy to Brazil just after they were married and established a coffee plantation there. My grandfather was born and raised on the plantation. He was the driving force behind the after-dinner espresso.
Interesting questions, by the way, Mrs. Q. Seems like a lot of work. Thanks for taking this on.
I was glad to see that when respondents eat breakfast out, 88% of them patronize locally-owned restaurants.
Makes me glad I am not the only oddball that feels icky if I eat before 10 or 11. I almost never eat anything before 10am.
Thanks for posting the numbers I was hoping you would.
Just a comment on the Lunch survey.. I found it to be an overall kind of odd survey. It didn’t seem to take into account people that ate at home, or people that eat veggies that aren’t celery, carrots or cucumbers.
Maybe it’s just your own relationship with food coming through. Maybe it’s the fact that I grew up in a different locale (California). But I just found the choices to not really fit into the idea of what I believe lunch to be.