DENVER, CO - It's the original comfort food, and what moms turn to when their children aren't feeling well... it's toast, the best thing since sliced bread. One hundred years since the introduction of the first electric toaster, Americans still love their toast. In fact, a recent survey commissioned by the Grain Foods Foundation and conducted by Harris Interactive ®, indicates that more than 93 percent of adults eat toast any time of day.

A large majority (72%) of U.S. adults who eat toast for breakfast do so at least once per week, and almost half (48%) eat toast on multiple occasions throughout the week. In fact, toast is the third most popular breakfast item for adults (48% say they eat toast for breakfast), after cereal (62%) and eggs (55%) .

"White, whole grain and everything in between, toast is the perfect breakfast food," said Judi Adams, MS, RD, president of the Grain Foods Foundation. "It provides fuel for energy which is necessary for people to start their day. Bread also has essential vitamins and nutrients that help the body stay healthy and fight disease."

In fact, Americans like their toast so much that nearly 10% of adults surveyed indicated that they would rather eat toast in the morning than have sex. More than half (52%) of respondents would choose toast over candy in the morning, and nearly 40% over chocolate.

While more than nine out of ten U.S. adults reported that they eat toast, generational differences are reflected in what Americans choose to have with their toast. Older Americans choose coffee with their toast, and younger consumers like juice with toast.

As for how Americans take their toast - 84% of consumers choose butter or margarine to top their bread. Jam or jelly is enjoyed by 62% of consumers surveyed, and peanut butter is a distant third with 29% of adults choosing to spread it on their toast.

When given a list of 8 different types of bread, traditional white (43%) and wheat (46%) breads are most popular among adults who eat toast, although younger adults (aged 18 to 34) are most likely to prefer white bread (55%). The popularity of enriched white bread also increases with household size: 36% of those who eat toast and are living in one to two person households prefer white bread as compared to 48% of those in three to four member households and 55% of those in households of 5 or more.

Respondents were given a list of 12 common breakfast items and asked to select the items that they eat for breakfast.

Harris Interactive ® fielded the study on behalf of Grain Foods Foundation from October 19-21, 2005, via its QuickQuery SM online omnibus, interviewing a nationwide sample of 2,095 U.S. adults age 18 and over. Data were weighted to be representative of the total U.S. adult population on the basis of region, age within gender, education, household income, race/ethnicity, and propensity to be online.

In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95 percent certainty that the overall results have a sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire population of U.S. adults had been polled with complete accuracy. Sampling error for the various sub-samples is higher and varies. This online sample is not a probability sample.

Harris Interactive Inc., based in Rochester, New York, is the 13 th largest and the fastest-growing market research firm in the world, most widely known for The Harris Poll ® and for its pioneering leadership in the online market research industry. Long recognized by its clients for delivering insights that enable confident business decisions, the Company blends the science of innovative research with the art of strategic consulting to deliver knowledge that leads to measurable and enduring value.

Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its United States, Europe and Asia offices, its wholly-owned subsidiary Novatris in Paris, France, and through an independent global network of affiliate market research companies.

The Grain Foods Foundation, a joint venture of members of the milling and baking industries formed in 2004, is dedicated to advancing the public's understanding of the beneficial role grain-based foods play in the human diet. Directed by a board of trustees, funding for the Foundation is provided through voluntary donations from private grain-based food companies and is supplemented by industry associations. For more information about the Grain Foods Foundation, visit www.grainpower.org