谷物早餐在美国人中已经不受欢迎了？

For generations, cereal has been the *bedrock of the American breakfast, but it now seems to be losing some of its momentum. Sales of breakfast cereals in the US have gone *stale, owing to concerns about the morning food’s lack of nutrition, as well as a rise in demand for more convenient options for those constantly in a hurry.
对于几代人而言，谷物已经成为了美式早餐的基础，然而现在似乎不再如此了。在美国，由于人们担心这种早餐缺乏营养，而且赶时间的人也希望能有更方便的选择，谷物早餐的销量已走向衰落。

There’s nothing new about cereal being labeled less than nutritious and too high in calories. Critics for years have been saying that some cereals are *laced with too much sugar.
谷物被打上“没营养又高热量”的标签，这点并不稀奇。过去这些年来，批评者们一直指出，一些谷物含有太多糖分。

But the consumer’s desire for a healthier way to start the day is now at its highest ever.
但消费者要求以更健康的方式开始新的一天，这样的需求已经高过以往任何时候。

Shoppers are seeking out “high *protein and fiber content and natural ingredients,” the US-based research firm Mintel Group Ltd said in a report. “Consumers today believe cereal is overly processed and doesn’t contain enough nutrients.”
购物者们正在寻找“高蛋白又富含纤维的自然食材，”位于美国的调查公司英敏特集团有限公司在一份报告中指出。“如今的消费者们认为，谷物被过度加工，不够营养。”

That means cereal is facing *stiff competition from fresh fruit, yogurt, breakfast bars and drinks, and even all-day breakfast meals at McDonald’s or other fast-food chains.
这意味着谷物正面临着来自鲜果、酸奶、早餐棒或早餐饮料，甚至是麦当劳或者其他快餐连锁店早餐套餐的激烈竞争。

“Consumers are increasingly seeking products that match their personal definition of real food, and that can mean foods that are less processed and have simple labels with recognizable ingredients,” Kendall Powell, chairman of the US-based food company General Mills, said at an investors’ conference in July.
“越来越多的消费者在寻找符合自身对于真正食物的定义的产品，这意味着食品要减少加工，并贴上可辨认的成分标签，”美国食品公司通用磨坊董事长肯德尔·鲍威尔在七月的一场投资者大会上说道。

Another big challenge for the industry is the ever-changing pattern of breakfast eaters, with an emphasis increasingly being placed on satisfying time-squeezed lifestyles. This desire for convenience seems to be especially evident among millennials – those aged 18 to 34. When Mintel surveyed consumers last year, 39 percent of millennials said that cereal was inconvenient because it involved cleaning a dish afterward.
该行业面临的另一大挑战是人们千变万化的早餐模式，人们越来越关注省时间的早餐形式。这种追求方便的想法似乎在千禧一代（18-34岁的人群）中尤为明显。英敏特去年对消费者进行调查时，39的千禧一代表示，谷物吃起来并不方便，因为过后还要刷碗。

“Millennials want something quick and simple in the morning, and they love variety,” said Craig Bahner, president of US morning foods at Kellogg Co.
“千禧一代希望早上吃点简单快捷的早餐，而他们也喜欢多样性，”美国早餐食品公司家乐氏的董事长克雷格·巴纳说道。

Then there’s the issue of price. Brand-name cereal prices jumped after the financial crisis in 2008, owing largely to the higher prices of grains and other *ingredients. It’s only in the last two years that prices have stabilized.
然后就是价格问题。2008年的金融危机之后，大牌谷物的价格暴涨。这很大程度上源于谷粒和其他食材的价格上涨。而这些食品的价格近两年来才有所稳定。

However, manufacturers and industry analysts say that if breakfast cereal makers can keep on adapting to changing consumer needs, especially among millennials, the business can grow again.
然而，制造商和产业分析师认为，如果谷物早餐的生产商能够适应消费者们，尤其是千禧一代不断变化的需求，业务量依然能再次增长。

“While millennials may look at breakfast differently, they are still eating a lot of cereal, just not always for breakfast,” said Jim Murphy, president of General Mills’ cereal division. “According to Nielsen data, ready-to-eat cereal is in 90 percent of all households and nearly 94 percent of millennial households. For this group, cereal is more than just a breakfast item, it is also a popular snack option.”
“尽管千禧一代或许看待早餐的方式不同了，但他们仍食用不少谷物，只不过不仅仅是作为早餐，”通用磨坊早餐谷物部的负责人吉姆·墨菲表示。“尼尔森公司的数据显示，在所有家庭中，90购买了即食谷物，而将近94的千禧一代家庭中备有谷物。对于这一群体而言，谷物不仅仅是早餐，也是个很受欢迎的零食选择。”