# The Association between the Planetary Health Diet with a Regular Consumption of Breakfast and a Well-Balanced Diet: A Cross-Sectional Analysis Involving Japanese Male Engineering Students at a University in Hyogo Prefecture

## TL;DR

This study explores how eating a planetary health diet and having regular breakfasts can help young Japanese men eat more balanced meals.

## Contribution

The study identifies a link between the planetary health diet, regular breakfast consumption, and improved dietary balance in Japanese male university students.

## Key findings

- Regular breakfast consumption is positively correlated with a well-balanced diet.
- Six planetary health diet items (fish, eggs, soybeans, dairy, vegetables, fruits) are significantly linked to dietary balance.
- Excluding chicken dishes and nuts improved model fit for predicting dietary balance.

## Abstract

Few young Japanese adults regularly consume a well-balanced diet composed of staples, main courses, and sides. We hypothesised that adopting the recommended planetary health diet with regular breakfast consumption would promote well-balanced diets among young Japanese male undergraduates. This study aimed to examine the structural association between the planetary health diet with regular breakfast consumption and a well-balanced diet intake. This cross-sectional study included 142 male engineering undergraduates who completed a 2022 online questionnaire via Google Forms at a public university in Hyogo Prefecture. The planetary health diet comprises the consumption of the recommended eight items. A covariance structure analysis was performed in a hypothetical model with factors (regular breakfast consumption and eight items) potentially associated with the intake of a well-balanced diet at least twice daily. After excluding chicken dishes and nuts from the eight recommended items of the planetary health diet, goodness-of-fit became acceptable. Frequent consumption of the remaining six recommended items (fish, eggs, soybeans/soybean products, dairy foods, vegetables, and fruits) was significantly positively correlated with regular breakfast consumption and a significant positive path to a well-balanced diet. Among male university students, regular breakfast consumption and the planetary health diet may lead to a well-balanced diet.