Breakfast Practices in Malaysia, Nutrient Intake and Diet Quality: A Study Based on the Malaysian Food Barometer

Abstract

Background Breakfast is often referred to as the “most important meal of the day” in shaping diet quality. This study evaluated the percentage contribution of breakfast to the energy and nutrient intakes of Malaysian adults. Objective To establish patterns of breakfast consumption in Malaysia and assess its contribution to the overall quality of the diet. Methods This study used the 24-hour recall data from the nationally representative and cross-sectional Malaysian Food Barometer (second data collection, 2018) to assess breakfast intake among Malaysians aged 18 years and above (n = 1604). Diet quality was measured using the Nutrient Rich Food index (NRF) 9.3. The nutritional profile of breakfast was compared across tertiles of NRF9.3. Results According to the breakfast definition set by the authors, overall, 89% of Malaysians consume breakfast. Breakfast was found to provide on average 473 kcal and ~ 26% of the daily energy. Within the Malaysian daily diet rich in fat, saturated fat and total sugar, breakfast appeared to be particularly high in sugar, sodium and saturated fat. Conversely, intakes of fiber, potassium, calcium, vitamins C, D, folate, iron, zinc, and magnesium are low. When breakfast eaters were classified into tertiles of daily dietary quality using the NRF Index, the intakes at breakfast of total sugar, total fat and sodium tended to decrease across the tertiles while the intakes of vitamins and minerals increased. Conclusion This study revealed that the majority of the population are regular breakfast eaters. However, the breakfasts consumed by Malaysian adults were found to be nutritionally unbalanced. This analysis could serve as a basis for nutrient recommendations grounded on the existing social and cultural breakfast patterns.