Ready-to-eat cereal consumption is associated with improved nutrient intakes and diet quality in Canadian adults and children across income levels

Lisa M Sanders; Yong Zhu; Neha Jain; James Normington; Norton Holschuh; Megan Nechanicky; Michelle Tucker; Bibiana Garcia-Bailo

doi:10.3389/fnut.2023.1282252

Ready-to-eat cereal consumption is associated with improved nutrient intakes and diet quality in Canadian adults and children across income levels

Front Nutr. 2024 Jan 8:10:1282252. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1282252. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Lisa M Sanders¹, Yong Zhu², Neha Jain³, James Normington⁴, Norton Holschuh⁴, Megan Nechanicky², Michelle Tucker², Bibiana Garcia-Bailo²

Affiliations

¹ Cornerstone Nutrition, LLC, Battle Creek, MI, United States.
² Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, General Mills, Golden Valley, MN, United States.
³ Statistics and Data Science, General Mills, Mississauga, ON, Canada.
⁴ Statistics and Data Science, General Mills, Golden Valley, MN, United States.

Abstract

Background: Results from observational studies suggest ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) consumption is associated with higher diet quality. In the United States, studies have shown that RTEC is an important contributor to nutrient intakes across income levels. However, it is unknown if this association varies by income level in the Canadian population. Given its affordability, RTEC may represent an important source of nutrients for lower-income individuals.

Objective: This study evaluated the association of RTEC consumption with nutrient intakes and diet quality across household income levels in Canadian adults and children.

Methods: Income and dietary data from 24 h dietary recalls were obtained from the 2015 Canadian Community Health Survey (CCHS)-Nutrition in 6,181 children (2-18 years) and 13,908 adults (19+ years). Diet quality was assessed with a modified Nutrient Rich Food Index (NRF) 9.3. Income levels were stratified into low, middle, and high based on family size, and data were analyzed by RTEC consumption and income level using multivariate linear regression adjusted for energy, age, and sex.

Results: Diet quality was greater in adult and child RTEC consumers across all household income levels. Children and adults consuming RTEC also had higher nutrient intakes, including shortfall nutrients such as calcium, dietary fiber, iron, magnesium, and vitamin D. RTEC provided <10% of energy intake, <4% of saturated fat intake, and <9% of total sugar intake across all ages and income levels, while also providing one-third of daily iron intake and at least 10% of daily intake of dietary fiber, thiamin, folate, and vitamin B6.

Conclusion: RTEC consumption was associated with improved nutrient intakes and diet quality in adults and children across household income levels. Nutrient dense and affordable food choices, such as RTEC, may be a helpful strategy to improve the diet quality of Canadians, particularly those with a lower household income.

Keywords: Canadian Community Health Survey; diet quality; nutrient intake; ready-to-eat cereal; socioeconomic status.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. Funding provided by the Bell Institute of Health and Nutrition, General Mills, Inc.