Although almost any foods can be eaten for breakfast, and although several traditional breakfast foods are popular for consumption throughout the day, several categories of retail products are traditionally formulated and marketed as breakfast foods:
- Cereal and breakfast bars, including cold cereal, oatmeal and other hot cereals such as cream of wheat or grits, and breakfast or cereal food bars.All of these products are shelf-stable.
- Breakfast meats such as bacon (including turkey bacon), breakfast sausage or ham, or breakfast entrees (such as sausage biscuits) based on these products. These products are usually merchandised refrigerated or frozen.
- Eggs and egg substitutes are predominantly refrigerated for freshness, though egg substitutes in frozen or shelf-stable form make up small niche product segments.
- Dairy and beverage products such as yogurt or yogurt drinks positioned for breakfast consumptions, along with “instant breakfast” beverage mixes.
- Breakfast breads such as biscuits, bagels, or English muffins in fresh, frozen, or refrigerated forms.
- Other breakfast baked goods such as waffles or pancakes (including instant mix products), French toast, toaster pastries and tarts, and related condiments such as maple or pancake syrup.
The overriding trend in breakfast food products is toward healthier fare. This trend encompasses foods that offer higher nutritional value (whole gain, protein, vitamins, and minerals), foods with purer ingredients (natural, organic, real fruit), foods to help people lose weight or maintain a healthy weight (low-carb, low-sugar, low-calorie), and foods formulated to inhibit the development of heart disease or certain kinds of cancer (e.g., with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, whole grains, fiber, and/or low/no fat or cholesterol). Nonetheless, because time is often most pressing at the start of the day, convenience in preparation and portability remain especially important selling chips in the breakfast foods market.
