Perceived Healthiness of Breakfasts in Women with Overweight or Obesity Match Expert Recommendations

Abstract The aim of the present study was to examine the perceived healthiness of breakfasts and the underlying beliefs influencing that perception against expert nutritional evaluation. Women with overweight or obesity (N = 120) were asked to recall the food items they consumed during a recent “healthy” or “unhealthy” breakfast. They also reported why the breakfast was healthy or unhealthy and rated its healthiness. Two nutritionists categorised the beliefs about why the breakfasts were “healthy” or “unhealthy” and evaluated the healthiness of each breakfast following nutrition guidelines. Generally, the meals considered as healthy versus unhealthy breakfasts and related beliefs about why the breakfasts were healthy or unhealthy matched food-based nutrition guidelines. Participants were found to perceive healthy breakfasts as more healthy and unhealthy breakfasts as less healthy than nutritionists did. Participants frequently mentioned the belief that their breakfast was healthy because “it contained fruit” or that their breakfast was unhealthy because “it contained fat.” Such salient healthy or unhealthy food items may guide the perception of breakfast healthiness and could be a target for nutrition counselling.