March 24, 2025 – When looking at breakfast trends globally, it’s important to consider consumer trends that drive innovation and breakfast trends around new product launches. Global breakfast trends also involve predicting opportunities in the future. These might include breakfast foods that are more like convenient snacks, breakfast choices that include healthier foods, functional breakfast foods, new and exciting flavors in breakfast foods, and opportunities for innovation of breakfast foods. Also, consumer social patterns affect breakfast.
This article is based on Innova’s Breakfast Foods & Occasions – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
Consumers Eat Breakfast at Home
About half of consumers participating in global consumer trends research report eating breakfast at home more often. Breakfast is the #2 meal eaten at home, following the evening meal. Latin America leads other regions in at-home breakfast consumption, with three in five consumers in Mexico and Brazil saying they eat breakfast at home. Also, older consumers have breakfast at home more than younger consumers do.
Consumer Spending and Breakfast
In consumer trends research, consumers name finances as the main reason that they eat at home more often. In fact, about half of consumers studied globally say that eating at home is cheaper or it saves money. Some consumers globally also say that eating at home is convenient and that they prefer to cook homemade food. Consumers also say that they expect to spend more on food and beverage products in the coming 12-month period, and this could affect breakfast meal patterns.
Seeking Convenience at Breakfast
Global breakfast trends reveal that snacks are convenient, and a percentage of consumers globally, led by those in Latin America and Asia, typically consume snacks for breakfast. The types of snacks consumed for breakfast vary. Consumers surveyed in consumer research say that they prefer sweet flavors and fruity flavors in breakfast snack foods. Their favorite types of breakfast snacks include bread and bread snacks, fruit snacks, and vegetable snacks. Innova Market Insights sees differences with age. Younger consumers lead older consumers in preferring the top choices for breakfast snacking; again, demands vary by age, with younger consumers showing higher response rates for cereal and energy bars, meat snacks and plant alternative meat snacks as snack foods for breakfast. About one-third of consumers in research say that they want healthy breakfast snacks in the global breakfast market.
Trends in Healthy Breakfasts
Consumers look for health in their overall food and beverage choices. Consumer research trends show that their health priorities include hydration, gut and digestive health, better sleep, and improved immunity. Gut health is especially important to consumers when selecting breakfast foods. Consumers often seek gut health benefits from breakfast superfoods. Protein innovation from manufacturers is widely seen in the global breakfast market.
Plant-based at Breakfast
Consumer trends research shows that when looking for plant-based products, consumers first turn to breakfast cereals. Manufacturers are responding to this demand. Between 2020 and 2024, plant-based claims on breakfast cereal packaging showed compound annual growth of +22%. In contrast, the more prevalent vegan claim fell by -1%. Looking at plant-based foods, plant-based breakfast food meat substitutes did not perform well. Plant-based dairy alternative drinks are popular for breakfast; dairy alternative drinks and non-dairy yogurt have opportunities to grow as breakfast items.
Breakfast Flavors and Fusions Appeal
When asked in consumer trends research, over half of consumers globally say that they are interested in trying flavor fusions and combinations. Concepts that interest consumers, especially younger consumers, are mash-ups of breakfast and dinner foods. Innova Market Insights is monitoring innovation and new product development around novel flavors in the global breakfast market.
What’s Next in Breakfast Trends?
Finances may be motivating over half of consumers globally to eat breakfast at home more often. Manufacturers can reach these consumers with value-added innovation in breakfast foods. In future years, increases in prices and cost of living will change consumer eating habits to include more meals eaten at home. Innova expects companies and brands to create restaurant-type food options to enhance cooking and eating in the home.
Innovation in breakfast snack foods can appeal to the proportion of consumers globally who eat snacks for breakfast. These consumers seek convenient breakfast solutions with breakfast snacks that can fit into their busy lives. Other opportunities for innovation in convenience in breakfast products include packaging solutions and products with cutlery included. In the health arena, products that are reduced fat, reduced sugar, and or enhanced with functional ingredients can meet the needs of consumers looking for healthy and nutritious breakfast snacks.
Health is essential, as is adding health benefits and claims to breakfast products. Companies can follow the lead of breakfast cereals, where innovators are adding healthy ingredients in areas such as gut and digestive health and protein. Ingredients positioned for other health concerns could have breakfast opportunities also.
Another area of potential growth is plant-based. Brands can promote plant-based breakfast options that appeal to consumers, since plant-based is a major food trend globally. Products with bold plant-based declarations on the label, along with innovation in breakfast-oriented flavors in dairy alternatives and meat substitutes, could attract consumers.
Global breakfast trends show that consumers are looking for indulgence and novelty, including breakfast foods. Companies can promote the new ingredients and flavors of their breakfast products. Premium ingredients, flavors, and textures may appeal to breakfast consumers, as could cross-category mash-ups, global flavors, and inspired recipes.
Finally, consider the value to consumers in spending more time with family and friends. Breakfast can be part of this socialization trend, allowing consumer to share breakfast with those who are close to them.
This article is based on Innova’s Breakfast Foods & Occasions – Global report. This report is available to purchase or with an Innova Reports subscription. Reach out to find out more
