All the surveys show that breakfast is increasingly neglected, especially among young people. In France, the proportion of adolescents eating breakfast a day fell from 79% in 2003 to 59% in 2010. Among adults, the decline has been slower but very regular since the turn of the century. How to explain this erosion in the face of the meal often described as “the most important of the day”? According to Pascale Hebel, specialist in consumption, breakfast is a meal that suffers from “shortages”:

— Lack of time. Awakenings are more and more late, which leads to skipping breakfast or devoting little time to it. This is mainly due to late falling asleep: young people increasingly delay going to bed. Information and Communication Technologies (LED screens, tablets, laptops) are the main culprits.

— Lack of friendliness. Unlike lunch or dinner, breakfast is often an individual meal: everyone chooses the products they prefer and eats alone. It is the same phenomenon as for the end of meals which are more and more individualized.

— Lack of appetite. Many do not feel the urge to eat in the morning, despite fasting for several hours. This phenomenon is often linked to overeating in the evening, eating too late or a lack of sleep.

— The lack of varieties. Unlike other meals, breakfast can seem monotonous. However, it is possible to vary its composition by planning in advance several alternatives to the classic lunch.