Danish breakfast habits not impressive

Over half have their brekky alone

That image of the perfect family sitting together at the breakfast table before taking on the day is not a realistic representation of the typical Danish scenario.

According to a new Userneeds survey on behalf of Statoil, 54 percent of Danes eat breakfast alone and just half of the population eat their first meal of the day at the breakfast table.

“That doesn’t sound like a very good start to the day,” Preben Vestergaard Hansen, a lecturer on diet and health at Metropolitan University College in Copenhagen, told Metroxpress newspaper.

“Food is not just a biological phenomenon to cover nutritional needs, but it’s also social and identity-generating. You’re heading in the wrong direction by not eating meals together.”

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10 percent standing
The survey also showed that 14 percent of Danes ate their meal in front of the TV, 11 percent at work, 10 percent standing up and 6 percent in front of their computer.

The survey also showed what most Danes eat, and again, Hansen was not impressed. Most choose to eat white bread and just 43 percent said they wanted their breakfast to be healthy.

“It’s a problem that so many prefer white bread as it goes against the dietary and health advice that we and the authorities give. This survey shows that things are not looking good in terms of getting the Danes to eat wholemeal,” said Hansen.