Classic Full English breakfast is under threat

More than a quarter of people aged between 18-24 say they no longer include bacon in the traditional fry-up.

The move away from bacon comes after the World Health Organisation linked the consumption of processed meat such as sausages and bacon to cancer.

Sales of bacon have fallen by four per cent since the report late last year.

A poll of the breakfast eating habits of 2,000 people suggests that Brits are looking for healthier options when it comes to the most important meal of the day.

The survey also found that while nearly a quarter of Brits (22.6%) still “go to work on an egg”, trends in egg cooking show scrambled slowly overtaking fried as the egg of choice in a full English among the more health-conscious.

Ursula Philpot, dietitian and senior lecturer at Leeds Beckett University said: “There is a link between packaged meats like bacon which are cured and wrapped and bowel cancer which is why we ask people to avoid and reduce their consumption when possible.

“We wouldn’t tell people to never eat bacon or sausages but to look at their consumption.

“If they’re eating it three or four times a week it might be worth reducing your intake but if it’s once a fortnight then it’s nothing to worry about.”

The survey for kitchen appliance retailer and repairer Glotechrepairs.co.uk also asked what time people are having their breakfast.

It found that women are much more likely to pick it up on their way to work rather than eating before leaving home and as a result over a quarter of women admit to snacking throughout the morning.

However, even though women claimed to buy their breakfast during their commute more often than men, they manage to spend 55p less on breakfast foods than men do each week.

Anna Daniels of the British Dietetic Association said: “With the growing emergence of social media teens and adolescents are becoming increasingly aware of their eating habits.

“There is a worry that this can be taken to the extreme as a little bacon in a full English occasionally as part of a balanced diet would be perfectly harmless.

“I think a slightly more concerning finding from the study is that more and more people are eating on the go. Picking up breakfast en route to work and not eating it at home.

“This leaves the consumer more likely to eat pre-packaged and processed breakfasts that may be higher in sugar and salt.

“A good breakfast will set you up for the day and ensures that you don’t reach for the biscuit tin mid-morning.”

The survey found that the average Brit spends £6.88 a week on breakfast - comparatively low when it is supposed to be the most important meal of the day.

It also discovered that a bowl of cereal is still the most common breakfast with 59% of people regularly choosing it, followed by toast (51%), porridge (34.8%) and an egg (22.6%).