The relationship between breakfast habits and plasma total cholesterol (TC) levels was examined in a sample of 530 US schoolchildren ages 9-19. Based on response to a 124-item food checklist, subjects' usual breakfast habits were classified into one of six discrete categories: 1) Skipper, 2) Ready-to-Eat (RTE) cereal with Fiber, 3) Traditional Breakfast, 4) Chips or Sweets, 5) Other RTE, or 6) Mixed Breakfasts. Breakfast skippers, controlling for age, gender, and body mass index, had significantly (p less than 0.05) higher TC levels, 172 mg/dl, than breakfast consumers, 160 mg/dl. Among breakfast eaters, the mean TC of the "Fiber RTE" group was significantly lower (p less than 0.01) than all other breakfast consumers. Usual skippers were less likely to believe in the importance and benefits of breakfast as well as the need to eat foods high in fiber. These findings suggest that encouraging chronic breakfast skippers to modify their dietary habits may improve their nutritional status and possibly reduce their risk for future heart disease.