"What America (Tw)Eats": New Social Media Analysis Sheds Light On U.S. Spanish Speakers Breakfast Habits

Data Suggest U.S. Spanish Speakers May be Missing the Mark When It Comes to Balanced Morning Nutrition

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Jan 16, 2014, 02:15 ET

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- A first-of-its-kind exploration of social data conducted by the National got milk? Milk Mustache Campaign in conjunction with digital analytics tool Crimson Hexagon has found that more than 50% of people who tweet in Spanish attribute missing or skipping breakfast in the morning to a range of reasons from not having enough time or waking up late to not liking the breakfast options and not being hungry. The new study, titled "What America (Tw)Eats", suggests that Spanish speakers include some nutrient-rich choices, like milk, in their AM conversations, but may be too focused on foods that do not offer the nutrients needed to get the day started.

The "What America (Tw)Eats" study was based entirely on the candid tweets Spanish speakers pushed out over the past two years about what they eat (or don't) for breakfast each morning.

The digital study puts a spotlight on the way people in the U.S. currently eat, including the many reasons that many skip breakfast entirely. In fact, there are thousands of tweets every single day about skipping breakfast, mainly due to a lack of time to prepare or consume the morning meal.

"Eating healthy usually tops the list of New Year's resolutions, and eating a breakfast with protein, like the 8 grams of high-quality protein in each 8-oz serving of milk, can help keep you fuller, longer so you're more likely to avoid those mid-morning cravings that tend to derail healthier eating habits," said registered dietitian and nutritionist, Su-Nui Escobar.

The top breakfast foods most tweeted about in Spanish are bread, eggs, chocolate, cereal and pizza -. Spanish conversations also indicate that breakfast may be missing the mark for balanced nutrition as fruits and vegetables don't even make the list of top 25 tweeted about breakfast foods. On the breakfast beverage front, coffee and milk are the top-tweeted-about options.

POWERING UP WITH PROTEIN
While there are approximately 1 in 5 Spanish protein-packed tweets each morning, including top tweeted protein foods milk and eggs, breakfast is the meal people in the U.S. are least likely to seek out this important nutrient, yet, it may be the most important.¹ Experts recommend including 20-30 grams of protein at each meal rather than in one large amount, but the average adult breakfast only includes 10-12 grams of protein.²

"Paying attention to not only the amount of protein consumed, but also when you consume it, can help you stick to your healthy eating resolutions," Escobar said. "Take the first step towards resolution success by starting your day with a breakfast that includes lowfat or fat free milk – 8 grams in each 8-oz. glass of milk – that's more protein than in an egg!"

Milk is a natural source of high-quality protein to build muscle and, as part of a good breakfast, can help keep you fuller, longer. Plus it has calcium and vitamin D to strengthen bones, and B vitamins for energy. It's a breakfast powerhouse, packed with 9 essential nutrients.

FREE MILK EVERY MINUTE
Thousands of tweets in Spanish complain about running out of milk. Many complain of pouring a bowl of cereal only to find they're out of much-needed milk. High density Hispanic states like California, New York and Florida are most likely to run out of milk (most tweets per capita).

The National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign is helping Americans address that with the chance for 2,000 people daily to receive a buy one, get one free milk coupon. The promotion – at proteinadelaleche.com – is designed to encourage people in the U.S. to get into a healthy routine by starting each morning with milk's high-quality protein. You can enter each day to instantly see if you're one of the day's 2,000 winners at proteinadelaleche.com between now and Feb. 17 at 11 am EST.

About the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign
The Milk Processor Education Program (MilkPEP), Washington, D.C., is funded by the nation's milk processors, who are committed to increasing fluid milk consumption. The MilkPEP Board runs the National Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign, a multi-faceted campaign designed to educate consumers about the health benefits of milk. For more information, go to http://ProyectoDesayuno.com or Facebook.com/BigotedeLeche. Lowe Campbell Ewald NY is the creative agency for the National Milk Mustache "got milk?®" Campaign. MGSCOMM is the agency for the Hispanic Milk Mustache "got milk?"® Campaign.

About Crimson Hexagon
Crimson Hexagon, founded in 2007, is the leading provider of analysis software that delivers business intelligence from social media data for global corporations. Fast Company named Crimson Hexagon one of the Top 10 Most Innovative Companies on the Web. Powered by patented technology developed at Harvard University's Institute for Quantitative Social Science, the Crimson Hexagon ForSight™ platform delivers the industry's most comprehensive Big Data analysis capabilities for a variety of large-scale data sources. Clients include leading global organizations such as: Microsoft, Paramount Pictures, Starbucks, Simon & Schuster, Twitter, and many more. For more information, visit www.crimsonhexagon.com.

¹ IFIC Food and Health Survey 2012, 2013.
² Layman DK. Dietary Guidelines should reflect new understandings about adult protein needs. Nutr & Metab. 2009;6:12.

CONTACT:
Janessi Trillas
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SOURCE MilkPEP