Whenever I read an article like this one at Vox:
In America, breakfast is often nothing more than disguised dessert, as this tweet from author and researcher Alan Levinovitz reminded us:
Dessert translations of breakfast foods:
muffin = cupcake
smoothie = milkshake
granola = streusel top
yogurt = ice cream
waffle = cookie— Alan Levinovitz 👹 (@AlanLevinovitz) July 8, 2016
it underscores how different my diet is from that of most Americans. For years I’ve eaten the same breakfast, 365 days a year: one soy sausage link, one Egg Beater (or whole egg), oatmeal with almond milk and a handful of berries (fresh or frozen).
No chocolate, no sugar, lots of fiber, lots of protein, fairly low in fat.
Coffee, black.
This reminds me of one of the last issues of Consumer Reports I received that had a lead article describing the importance of breakfast for maintaining a healthy metabolism and preventing bad food choices due to hunger. It went so far as to say it was ok to eat sugary foods for breakfast when the alternative would be no breakfast. And then later in the issue there were reviews of breakfast cereals and breakfast bars that completely ignored the earlier article’s explanations — only low/no sugar, high fiber options were listed as acceptable. I used to keep some breakfast bars in my desk if I got hungry, but the no sugar/no fat variety were like chewing on sand.
I have a cholesterol problem so for the past year I eat a homemade muesli with skim milk for breakfast.
My kids eat low-sugar boxed cereal with whole milk.
One day a week we’ll have a special breakfast with pancakes or waffles plus eggs and bacon – I’ll usually have poached eggs on toast, which was my childhood favorite.
Overall I think we eat pretty well compared to the average American.
Now that I no longer travel much, this is the delicious breakfast I usually have:
A “smoothie” comprised of broccoli, asparagus or Brussel sprouts, spinach or dandelion leaves, red and yellow peppers, green onion, red beets, carrots and celery, black (or red) radish, parsley, blue and/or raspberries. That’s too thick to drink, so I dilute with pomegranate juice.
How does it taste? See Dave’s following piece on dog’s dietary habits. And its not the sweet tooth option…………
2 chia quinoa amaranth waffles with 1 T almond butter mixed with a smidge (1/2 tsp? I really should measure to make sure I’m not overdoing the sugar) of real maple syrup and some cinnamon.
The chia, quinoa, and almond butter boost the protein in that so it’s nutritionally reasonable.
While we’re discussing breakfast habits I would be remiss in not remembering Jack Brondino, a man of my mom’s acquaintance (he was probably in his 50s when she was around 7 so he’d’ve been born in the 1860s or 1870s). His regular breakfast was a bowlful of fresh spinach with vinegar, oil, and garlic and a little grilled squirrel, generally accompanied by a glass of homemade red wine. She said he was the strongest man she ever encountered. He used to mow lawns with a scythe which you’ll understand if you’ve ever handled a scythe.
The chia, quinoa, and almond butter boost the protein in that so it’s nutritionally reasonable.
Yeah I spent a lot of time reading frozen waffle labels to find these and they’re pretty good. Not a huge amount of protein but a couple of grams plus a decent amount of fiber.
I set my alarm for 1:00 or 2:00 A.M., so do the milkmen I work with.
You cannot do hard labor on a full stomach, so, I live on sweetened coffee, lots of it. The other guys are younger, so they sub Red Bull, Or Monster. Caffeine is the key. We only eat after work is done.
These days my breakfasts are mostly cereals with very high fiber contents. But a real breakfast includes a mountain of eggs, bacon, sausage, and some form of starchy goodness, be it potatoes, pancakes, waffles, grits or biscuits. Preferably breakfast has all of those things. And milk, and orange juice, and then any other beverage of your choice.