Sandwiches are the most popular choice for breakfast, according to a representative survey by Spinter Tyrimai - one in three people in the country choose sandwiches made with black bread, followed by the same number with white bread. Only 15% of respondents forego bread products at breakfast.

According to a survey conducted on behalf of Mantinga, the largest producer of bread, snacks and frozen products in the Baltics, sandwiches made with black bread are the most common breakfast choice for older, more highly educated respondents.
“Black bread has always been one of the staples of the human diet - whereas it used to be the only meal, today we have a much wider variety of white, flat, sandwich, fibre, seed or other types of bread,” says Ramunė Puzinienė, Head of New Product Development at Mantinga.
Sandwiches with white bread are just as popular, with 30% of respondents, mostly men and those on low incomes, choosing them. According to Puzinienė, this is not only due to the fast pace of life, but also to the choice of breakfast, for example, sandwiches and light bread products are the most common in petrol stations and cafés.
“In general, sandwiches are very popular in Lithuania, with production growing by at least 15% every year. This summer, we even set records for sandwiches, producing more than 2 million a month,” she adds.
The popularity of sandwiches is also confirmed by Renatas Alekna, Market Development Director of Circle K petrol station chain.
“Visitors to petrol stations usually choose coffee with milk and freshly squeezed orange juice for breakfast, while the most common sandwich choices are croissants with mozzarella and cured ham, French sandwiches with ham and cheese, and chilli sandwiches with ham, cheese and pickles. In summer, triangular white bread sandwiches take the centre stage,” says Alekna.
Customers also choose locally made oat porridge for breakfast, and yoghurt with Spanish sage (chia) seeds, specially made to order for service stations.

Buns instead of dessert

According to the survey, only 4% of respondents choose sweet pastries for breakfast, while another 4% eat non-sweet pastries. Both men and women tend to have a sweet breakfast, while women prefer non-sweet baked goods.
“Perhaps baked goods are perceived as a dessert rather than a main breakfast food, but our sales data show that croissants, fresh buns and other products are mostly bought during the day,” says Puzinienė.
According to Circle K data, the most popular buns in the petrol station chain are those made with cottage cheese, apples, pecans and maple syrup, as well as croissants with chocolate - around 300,000 of them are sold per month.
15% of respondents forego bread products at breakfast. 12% skip breakfast altogether.
The survey was carried out between 18 and 29 November and involved 1013 respondents aged between 18 and 75.