Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week starts tomorrow

Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week launches on 12th April (ie tomorrow), fronted by Olympic Cyclist Victoria Pendleton, who -as a top athlete and having studied nutrition at University -really understands the importance of breakfast.

Victoria says “A substantial breakfast is a vital part of my training so I make sure I never skip it. I can't perform at my best either physically or mentally without a good start to the day and I would certainly not be able to achieve my long term training goals. It is easy to forget that rushing around after the family can be a workout in itself. The temptation when working to a busy schedule is to neglect yourself, but my advice would be to make the time for a healthy and filling breakfast like 2 slices of Hovis Wholemeal Toast with a light spreading of peanut butter topped with a sliced banana to help you avoid turning to unhealthy snacks before lunch."

Research was conducted ahead of the Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week and revealed that "British mums are on the go for an average of three hours every day before they have even reached work. Cramming in a range of activities such as ironing, making the bed and styling their children’s hair means that working mums are on the go from the moment they get up, with 60% of women admitting that their day is well underway by 7am, and rarely slows until they go to bed just before 11pm. Indeed, the average working mum uses around 500 calories simply undertaking her pre-work chores and getting the family ready, the equivalent to over one hour on a bike!

Alarmingly, despite their action-packed schedules, a quarter of working mums (25%) admit that they regularly forgo breakfast; whilst 59% of those that eat it, spend less than five minutes doing so and 32% don’t even sit down. Despite many missing breakfast themselves, British mums are spending an average of 18 minutes preparing breakfast or lunch for their families before work. It would appear that British mums really don’t have time for themselves, with the average spending just over six minutes on her own make-up in the morning and instead put the family first, spending 28 minutes dressing their children, styling their hair and helping them to clean their teeth."

Sounds just like me - a quick swig of orange juice or an Actimel and I grab a banana or a cereal bar to eat at the bus stop as I head out of the door at 7am, despite telling the girls they can't go to school on an empty stomach. Definitely a case of Do as I say, not as I do, I'm afraid !

"Almost half of mums (48%) cite a lack of time as a reason to skip breakfast, whilst almost one in seven do so to lose weight. Of all the women questioned 86% admitted snacking in the morning in a bid to stave off hunger, with 44% of the snacks they were turning to being unhealthy such as cakes or pastries, crisps , chocolate bars, and biscuits.

Hovis nutritionist Lindsey Ormond, warns against the perils of going to work on an empty stomach, saying “With the average mum on the go for three hours before work, a healthy, filling breakfast is even more important. Skipping breakfast could mean they are more likely to snack on something unhealthy mid morning in order to keep them going. Many mums do have to keep an eye on the clock in the morning, but factoring in an extra five minutes to eat a couple of slices of wholemeal toast would certainly help power their morning. Not only is wholemeal bread low in fat and sugars, but it is also high in fibre which helps you feel fuller for longer so you may be less likely to reach for those unhealthy snacks.” "

For more healthy breakfast ideas and further information about Hovis Wholemeal Breakfast Week, log on to www.hovisbakery.co.uk.