Almost half of Northern Ireland’s working professionals eat the most important meal of the day at their desk according to a survey commissioned by local cereal producer White’s Oats.

An overwhelming 92% of working professionals surveyed confirmed they do eat breakfast which was welcomed by White’s Oats yet, while tea and toast was the most popular breakfast at home, porridge was the preferred choice of more than one in four at work.

‘Lack of time’ was cited as the primary reason for not eating breakfast at home by around one in four respondents. Other reasons given for skipping breakfast included more than half admitting they didn’t like eating too early in the morning. Weight management was cited by 12% as a reason for missing breakfast, despite endless research having shown that eating breakfast does in fact help manage people’s weight, while 8% preferred longer in bed.

White’s Oats partnered with the global initiative The Work Perk to reward 50,000 working professionals across Northern Ireland and Great Britain with delicious samples of its Toat’ly Oaty Instant Porridge and in doing so surveyed the pool of recipients.  Made with 100% wholegrain jumbo oats and nothing artificial, Toat’ly Oaty comes in handy microwaveable sachets which take just two and half minutes making it ideal for busy professionals who are always on the go.

Local nutritionist, Rachel Wright commented: 

“Evidence suggests it’s not just important to have a breakfast, but to have a healthy one such as porridge. As well as providing a good source of fibre, vitamins and minerals, porridge has a low Glycaemic Index which means it releases energy slowly keeping you fuller for longer.  Research indicates that eating whole grains regularly as part of a healthy diet and lifestyle may reduce the risk of many diseases such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and bowel cancer by up to 30%.”

Porridge is certainly a popular breakfast choice for working professionals with 45% of office workers in Northern Ireland eating porridge at least once a week and 29% eating it either daily or 2-3 times per week.

In GB an even greater proportion of those surveyed, at 61%, eat breakfast at work compared to 54% in Northern Ireland. Once again porridge is the top breakfast at work choice as revealed by 29% of GB respondents, followed by cereal at 22% and tea and toast at 21%.

Commenting on the findings, Danielle McBride, Brander Manager, White’s Oats added:

“We’re delighted to learn that porridge is not just a popular at home breakfast choice but also a popular option among working professionals in Northern Ireland. It’s also interesting to note that for so many of us time is a big factor in the morning. White’s Toat’ly Oaty Instant Porridge ticks all the boxes for a healthy and convenient breakfast offering 100% nutritional goodness in just over 2 minutes. So whether it’s at the desk or at home, we hope everyone makes the time to start the day with a bowl of White’s Porridge.”

The research also revealed:

-Among those who hadn’t eaten porridge before 42% claimed they didn’t like the taste; but after trying Toat’ly Oaty 59% of respondents rated the taste as either really good or good;

-Texture was another reason for not eating porridge according to 29% of respondents but after sampling Toat’ly Oaty, 58% ranked the texture as either good or really good.

White’s Toat’ly Oaty comes in four varieties: Original, Apple and Cinnamon, Wild Fruit and Multi Seed.

With only 115 calories per 30g serving* and packed full of vitamins and other key nutrients, Toat’ly Oaty is the quick and easy way of giving everyone a balanced and nutritional breakfast.

White’s Toat’ly Oaty Instant Porridge has a low GI index helping to release energy slowly throughout the morning and provides a rich source of soluble fibre beta-glucan which has been shown to help reduce cholesterol**. One 30g serving of Toat’ly Oaty* provides 1.3g of beta glucan which is over one third of the recommended daily intake of 3g per day.

Disclaimer

**The inclusion of oats as part of a diet low in saturated fat and a healthy lifestyle can help reduce cholesterol.

*Toat’ly Oaty Original

The findings are based on a survey of 7,695 working professionals- (1,701 in Northern Ireland and 5,994 in Great Britain). The survey was conducted as part of The Work Perk initiative on behalf of White’s Oats.