Breakfast is the first
meal of the day usually eaten in the morning. The word in English refers to breaking the
fasting
Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...
period of the previous night.
[Anderson, Heather Arndt (2013)]
''Breakfast: A History''
AltaMira Press. Various "typical" or "traditional" breakfast menus exist, with food choices varying by regions and traditions worldwide.
History
The English word "dinner" (from
Old French
Old French (, , ; Modern French: ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France from approximately the 8th to the 14th centuries. Rather than a unified language, Old French was a linkage of Romance dialects, mutually intel ...
) also referred originally to breaking a
fast
Fast or FAST may refer to:
* Fast (noun), high speed or velocity
* Fast (noun, verb), to practice fasting, abstaining from food and/or water for a certain period of time
Acronyms and coded Computing and software
* ''Faceted Application of Subje ...
; until its meaning shifted in the mid-13th century it was the name given to the first meal of the day. The tradition of eating a morning meal has existed since ancient times, though it was not until the 15th century that "breakfast" came into use in written English as a
calque
In linguistics, a calque () or loan translation is a word or phrase borrowed from another language by literal word-for-word or root-for-root translation. When used as a verb, "to calque" means to borrow a word or phrase from another language ...
of dinner to describe a morning meal:
literally a breaking of the
fasting
Fasting is the abstention from eating and sometimes drinking. From a purely physiological context, "fasting" may refer to the metabolic status of a person who has not eaten overnight (see " Breakfast"), or to the metabolic state achieved after ...
period of the night just ended. In
Old English
Old English (, ), or Anglo-Saxon, is the earliest recorded form of the English language, spoken in England and southern and eastern Scotland in the early Middle Ages. It was brought to Great Britain by Anglo-Saxon settlers in the mid-5th ...
the term had been , literally "morning food."
Ancient breakfast
Ancient Egypt
In
Ancient Egypt, peasants ate a daily meal, most likely in the morning, consisting of
soup,
beer
Beer is one of the oldest and the most widely consumed type of alcoholic drink in the world, and the third most popular drink overall after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of starches, mainly derived from ce ...
,
bread, and
onion
An onion (''Allium cepa'' L., from Latin ''cepa'' meaning "onion"), also known as the bulb onion or common onion, is a vegetable that is the most widely cultivated species of the genus '' Allium''. The shallot is a botanical variety of the on ...
s before they left for work in the fields or work commanded by the
pharaoh
Pharaoh (, ; Egyptian: '' pr ꜥꜣ''; cop, , Pǝrro; Biblical Hebrew: ''Parʿō'') is the vernacular term often used by modern authors for the kings of ancient Egypt who ruled as monarchs from the First Dynasty (c. 3150 BC) until th ...
s.
The traditional breakfast believed to have been cooked in ancient Egypt was fūl (made from
fava beans, possibly the ancestor of today's
ful medames),
baladi bread, made from
emmer wheat, and
falafel
Falafel (; ar, فلافل, ) is a deep-fried ball or patty-shaped fritter in Middle Eastern cuisine (especially in Levantine and Egyptian cuisines) made from ground chickpeas, broad beans, or both. Nowadays, falafel is often served ...
, and a mixture of fava beans with onions,
garlic,
parsley and
coriander.
Ancient Greece
In Greek literature, there are numerous mentions of , a meal taken not long after sunrise. The ''
Iliad
The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Ody ...
'' notes this meal with regard to a labor-weary woodsman eager for a light repast to start his day, preparing it even as he is aching with exhaustion.
[Anderson, pg 9] The opening prose of the 16th book of the ''
Odyssey
The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Iliad'', ...
'' mentions breakfast as the meal being prepared in the morning before attending to one's chores. Eventually was moved to around noon, and a new morning meal was introduced.
In the post-Homeric classical period of Greece, a meal called was typically consumed immediately after rising in the morning.
(, ) consisted of
barley
Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley p ...
bread dipped in
wine
Wine is an alcoholic drink typically made from Fermentation in winemaking, fermented grapes. Yeast in winemaking, Yeast consumes the sugar in the grapes and converts it to ethanol and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process. Different ...
(, ), sometimes complemented by
figs or
olives. They also made
pancakes called (), (). or (), all words deriving from (), meaning "frying pan". The earliest attested references on are in the works of the 5th century BC poets
Cratinus and
Magnes. Another kind of pancake was (), from (), "of flour or dough of
spelt", derived itself from (), "flour of spelt".
Athenaeus
Athenaeus of Naucratis (; grc, Ἀθήναιος ὁ Nαυκρατίτης or Nαυκράτιος, ''Athēnaios Naukratitēs'' or ''Naukratios''; la, Athenaeus Naucratita) was a Greek rhetorician and grammarian, flourishing about the end of ...
in his
Deipnosophistae mentions topped with
honey
Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...
,
sesame and
cheese.
Ancient Rome
Romans called breakfast . It was usually composed of everyday staples like bread, cheese,
olives,
salad
A salad is a dish consisting of mixed, mostly natural ingredients with at least one raw ingredient. They are typically served at room temperature or chilled, though some can be served warm. Condiments and salad dressings, which exist in a va ...
,
nuts,
raisin
A raisin is a dried grape. Raisins are produced in many regions of the world and may be eaten raw or used in cooking, baking, and brewing. In the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia, the word ''raisin'' is reserved for the ...
s, and cold meat left over from the night before. They also drank wine-based drinks such as , a mixture of wine, honey, and
aromatic spices. 1st century Latin poet Martial said that was eaten at 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, while 16th century scholar Claudius Saumaise wrote that it was typically eaten at 9:00 or 10:00 a.m. It seems unlikely that any fixed time was truly assigned for this meal.
Roman soldiers woke up to a breakfast of ,
porridge similar to the Italian
polenta, made from roasted spelt wheat or barley that was then pounded and cooked in a
cauldron of water.
Middle Ages (500–1500)
Europe
In the European
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, breakfast was not usually considered a necessary and important meal, and was practically nonexistent during the earlier medieval period. Monarchs and their entourages would spend a lot of time around a table for meals. Only two formal meals were eaten per day—one at mid-day and one in the evening. The exact times varied by period and region, but this two-meal system remained consistent throughout the Middle Ages.
Breakfast in some times and places was solely granted to children, the elderly, the sick, and to working men. Anyone else did not speak of or partake in eating in the morning. Eating breakfast meant that one was poor, was a low-status farmer or laborer who truly needed the energy to sustain his morning's labor, or was too weak to make it to the large, midday dinner.
In the 13th century, breakfast when eaten sometimes consisted of a piece of rye bread and a bit of cheese. Morning meals would not include any meat, and would likely include of low alcohol-content beers. Uncertain quantities of bread and ale could have been consumed in between meals.
By the 15th century, breakfast in western Europe often included meat.
By this time, noble men were seen to indulge in breakfast, making it more of a common practice, and by the early 16th century, recorded expenses for breakfast became customary. Breakfast in eastern Europe remained mostly the same as the modern day: a "continental breakfast". The 16th century introduction of caffeinated beverages into the European diet was also an addition to breakfast, believed that
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
Seeds of ...
and
tea aid the body in "evacuation of superfluities".
Modern breakfast (1500–present)
Africa
Traditionally, the various cuisines of
Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
use a combination of locally available
fruit
In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering.
Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in partic ...
s,
cereal grain
A cereal is any grass cultivated for the edible components of its grain (botanically, a type of fruit called a caryopsis), composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran. Cereal grain crops are grown in greater quantities and provide more food ...
s and
vegetables, as well as
milk
Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modulat ...
and
meat products. In some parts of the continent, the traditional diet features milk,
curd
Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as l ...
and
whey products. A type of porridge is most commonly eaten. In the book ''The Bible cyclopædia (et al.)'' published in 1843, it was documented that during this time in the
Arab world
The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western A ...
,
Bedouins often utilized
locusts mixed with
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condim ...
for breakfast, spreading the mixture on unleavened bread.
= Egypt
=
In the book ''The Bible cyclopædia (et al.)'' published in 1843, it was documented that Egyptians were early risers that sometimes had a first meal consisting of coffee along with the smoking of a
pipe, and did not eat breakfast until noon.
[Goodhugh; Cooke Taylor 1843]
p. 843
At this time, it was documented that Egyptian breakfast foods included bread,
cheese,
eggs,
butter
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of churned cream. It is a semi-solid emulsion at room temperature, consisting of approximately 80% butterfat. It is used at room temperature as a spread, melted as a condim ...
,
curd
Curd is obtained by coagulating milk in a sequential process called curdling. It can be a final dairy product or the first stage in cheesemaking. The coagulation can be caused by adding rennet or any edible acidic substance such as l ...
s,
clotted cream
Clotted cream ( kw, dehen molys, sometimes called scalded, clouted, Devonshire or Cornish cream) is a thick cream made by heating full-cream cow's milk using steam or a water bath and then leaving it in shallow pans to cool slowly. During this t ...
and stewed beans.
In addition, fava beans are an established national breakfast dish.
Asia
= Middle East
=
In the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...
region of
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
, refers to the
evening meal when
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
s break their (
fast
Fast or FAST may refer to:
* Fast (noun), high speed or velocity
* Fast (noun, verb), to practice fasting, abstaining from food and/or water for a certain period of time
Acronyms and coded Computing and software
* ''Faceted Application of Subje ...
) during the
Islamic month of
Ramadan. is one of the religious observances of
Ramadan, and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. is done right after (sunset) time. During the month of Ramadan, Muslims replace traditional breakfast with , an
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the ...
ic term referring to the meal consumed early in the morning by Muslims before during daylight hours. The meal is eaten before (dawn).
= Israel
=
= Japan
=
In Japan, it is common to eat
miso soup
is a traditional Japanese soup consisting of a dashi stock into which softened miso paste is mixed. In addition, there are many optional ingredients (various vegetables, tofu, '' abura-age'', etc.) that may be added depending on regional a ...
and rice porridge for breakfast.
= Lebanon
=
In the book ''The Bible cyclopædia (et al.)'' it was documented that c. 1843, poor
Lebanese people would consume raw
leeks with bread for breakfast.
Europe
= Austria
=
The
croissant appears to have originated in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, Austria, in 1683.
= France
=
French breakfasts are often similar to the continental breakfast. French breakfast
pastries
Pastry is baked food made with a dough of flour, water and shortening (solid fats, including butter or lard) that may be savoury or sweetened. Sweetened pastries are often described as '' bakers' confectionery''. The word "pastries" suggest ...
include apple
turnovers,
brioche, croissant
[Clarke, Stephen (2012)]
''1000 Years of Annoying the French''.
Open Road Media. p. (unlisted). and
pain au chocolat. Croissants have been described as becoming a standard fare in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
breakfast cuisine by 1875.
= Netherlands
=
Breakfast usually consists of bread with a wide variety of
cold cuts, cheeses and sweet toppings; such as ''
hagelslag'', ''
vlokken
Vlokken (Dutch for flakes), also chocoladevlokken, is a commonly used sandwich topping in the Netherlands. A ''vlok'' is made of chocolate and is curved, its size is about 0.5 cm x 2 cm x 0.1 cm. (approx. ¼" x ¾" x 40 thous) '', ''
muisjes
(; ) is a traditional Dutch bread topping. While customary on bread, they are traditionally eaten on ''beschuit'', or rusk. Muisjes is a registered trademark of Koninklijke De Ruijter BV. ''Muisjes'' are made of aniseeds with a sugared and co ...
'', ',
chocolate spread,
treacle
Treacle () is any uncrystallised syrup made during the refining of sugar.Oxford Dictionary The most common forms of treacle are golden syrup, a pale variety, and a darker variety known as black treacle, similar to molasses. Black treacle has ...
(a thick, dark brown sugar syrup called ''stroop''),
apple butter and
peanut butter.
The word
waffle derives from the Dutch word , which itself derives from the Middle Dutch , and is likely the origin of the food as it is known today.
= United Kingdom
=
In the early 16th century, some physicians warned against eating breakfast, because they said it was not healthy to eat before a prior meal was digested. By the 1550s, however, there were multiple sources that claimed breakfast was an important meal. For example, in 1551, Thomas Wingfield stated that breakfast was essential. In 1589, Thomas Cogan stated that it was unhealthy to miss breakfast in the morning. He was one of the first to claim that it was healthy for those who were not young, ill or elders to eat breakfast.
The
full breakfast is a staple of
British cuisine, and typically consists of
bacon,
sausages and
eggs, often served with a variety of side dishes and a beverage such as
coffee
Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world.
Seeds of ...
or
tea. Prior to 1600, breakfast in Great Britain typically included bread, cold meat or fish, and
ale
Ale is a type of beer brewed using a warm fermentation method, resulting in a sweet, full-bodied and fruity taste. Historically, the term referred to a drink brewed without hops.
As with most beers, ale typically has a bittering agent to bala ...
.
Tea,
chocolate
Chocolate is a food made from roasted and ground cacao seed kernels that is available as a liquid, solid, or paste, either on its own or as a flavoring agent in other foods. Cacao has been consumed in some form since at least the Olmec ci ...
and coffee were introduced to Great Britain in the mid-1600s, and in the 1700s coffee and chocolate were adopted as breakfast drinks by the fashionable.
[Mason, Laura (2004)]
''Food Culture In Great Britain''
pp. 34–35. Greenwood Publishing Group. Tea eventually became more popular than chocolate as a breakfast drink.
North America
The first groups known to have produced
maple syrup and
maple sugar were
indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are culturally distinct ethnic groups whose members are directly descended from the earliest known inhabitants of a particular geographic region and, to some extent, maintain the language and culture of those original people ...
living in the northeastern part of
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and th ...
. According to aboriginal oral traditions, as well as archaeological evidence, maple tree sap was being processed into syrup long before Europeans arrived in the region.
= Canada
=
While it has been a source of controversy where the lumberjack breakfast came from, the most cited source is that the lumberjack breakfast was first served in a Vancouver hotel, in 1870. The breakfast consisted of eggs, assorted fried pork strips, and
flapjacks. It is said by
Anita Stewart that the tradition of hearty cooking developed because of men needing the energy for manual labor.
= Mexico
=
A typical Aztec breakfast often included corn
porridge with honey and chillies, or tortillas with beans and
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
A ...
.
Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles () are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish consisting of corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried.
Ingredients and variations
Typically, corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried or baked for a lighter version ...
are a staple breakfast dish that dates back to the times of the Aztecs; they consist of
tortilla chips
A tortilla chip is a snack food made from corn tortillas, which are cut into triangles and then fried or baked (alternatively they may be discs pressed out of corn masa then fried or baked). Corn tortillas are made of nixtamalized corn, vege ...
(locally known as "totopos") slathered in
salsa
Salsa most often refers to:
* Salsa (Mexican cuisine), a variety of sauces used as condiments
* Salsa music, a popular style of Latin American music
* Salsa (dance), a Latin dance associated with Salsa music
Salsa or SALSA may also refer to:
A ...
and usually come with a side of
refried beans. Depending on the region or person, they may be eaten with fried or scrambled eggs, pulled chicken, sprinkled cheese,
crema, diced onion, or chopped cilantro (coriander) leaves. Eggs are also a staple in Mexican breakfasts, scrambled and fried eggs are usually eaten with tortillas, salsa, and beans; local varieties include
huevos rancheros and "huevos con tortilla," which are scrambled eggs fried alongside pieces of corn tortillas.
Breakfast cereals are also common in Mexico, mainly due to American influence. Health concerns have arisen regarding the nutritional quality of processed breakfast cereal; it is estimated that Mexican preschoolers consume 7% of their total energy intake from processed breakfast cereals and that 6% of Mexican children exclusively have ready-to-eat cereals with milk for breakfast.
= United States
=
In 1620,
waffles were first introduced to North America by
pilgrim
A pilgrim (from the Latin ''peregrinus'') is a traveler (literally one who has come from afar) who is on a journey to a holy place. Typically, this is a physical journey (often on foot) to some place of special significance to the adherent of ...
s who had lived in the
Netherlands
)
, anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands
, established_title = Before independence
, established_date = Spanish Netherl ...
.
[Serna-Saldivar, Sergio O. (2012)]
''Cereal Grains: Laboratory Reference and Procedures Manual''
CRC Press. p. 270. Later pioneers consumed largely
cornmeal-based breakfasts, and would also consume meals such as
oatmeal for dinner and lunch.
Common breakfast products included
corn pone,
johnnycakes,
ashcakes,
hoe-cakes, and
corn dodgers.
Ashcakes consisted of cornmeal wrapped in
cabbage
Cabbage, comprising several cultivars of ''Brassica oleracea'', is a leafy green, red (purple), or white (pale green) biennial plant grown as an annual vegetable crop for its dense-leaved heads. It is descended from the wild cabbage ( ''B.&n ...
leaves cooked in the ashes of a
campfire
A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Campf ...
, while corn pone is baked, corn dodgers are pan fried, and hoe-cakes are similar to pancakes.
After the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and t ...
, it became fairly common in America to eat sandwiches that were made of ham and eggs. These sandwiches were not strictly consumed in the morning. In 1897, the first true
breakfast sandwich
A breakfast sandwich is any sandwich filled with foods associated with breakfast. Breakfast sandwiches are served at fast food restaurants and delicatessens, sold in supermarkets, or commonly made at home. Different types of breakfast sandwich inc ...
recipe was published in a cookbook.
Popcorn cereal was consumed by Americans in the 1800s, which typically consisted of popcorn with milk and a sweetener. Cold
breakfast cereal has been consumed by Americans since the late 1890s, and during the 1920s a considerable number of new cereals were marketed.
[Drowne, Kathleen Morgan; Huber, Patrick (2004)]
''Nineteen Twenties''
Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 122. . The reason for this movement towards cold breakfast cereals was inspired by the
Jacksonian-era Clean Living Movement (1830–1860). This movement focused on a lot of lifestyle changes, but specific to breakfast it claimed that eating bacon, eggs, pancakes and hot coffee was too indulgent. The first prepared cold breakfast cereal marketed to American consumers was created by
Dr. John Harvey Kellogg, who introduced it in 1878 and named it
granola.
[Sivulka 2011]
pp. 87–90
The product was prepared with baked wheat, oatmeal and cornmeal, and was the first brand-name breakfast cereal in the United States.
Canned
fruit juice became prominent as a breakfast beverage after the discovery of
vitamins. C. 1900, orange juice as a breakfast beverage was a new concept.
The development of frozen
orange juice concentrate began in 1915, and in the 1930s it was produced by several companies. Additionally,
mass-produced tomato juice began to be marketed in the mid-1920s, and became a popular breakfast drink a few years thereafter.
Effect on health
While breakfast is commonly referred to as "the most important meal of the day",
some contest the positive implications of its "most important" status.
Scientific findings
Some
epidemiological
Epidemiology is the study and analysis of the distribution (who, when, and where), patterns and determinants of health and disease conditions in a defined population.
It is a cornerstone of public health, and shapes policy decisions and evid ...
research indicates that having breakfast high in rapidly available
carbohydrates increases the risk of
metabolic syndrome.
Memory
Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remember ...
was found to be adversely affected in subjects of a study who had not eaten their breakfast (q.v. also ''Studies using mice'' under this heading). Intelligence was not affected. Children aged within 8 and 11 years were found to have differing brainwave;
EEG activity states, causative to breakfast consumption. Non-breakfasting children were observed to have higher activity of upper and lower
theta wave,
alpha wave, and
delta wave, which indicated a causative relationship of breakfast consumption to memory function in the subjects.
A review of 47 studies associating breakfast to (i) nutrition, (ii) body weight and (iii) academic performance found amongst those who had eaten breakfast: (i) better nutrition profiles, many studies found less weight (ii) irrespective of greater calorific consumption per day, although a number didn't find this correlation, (iii) studies suggested a possible link to better academic performance in the breakfast eating groups (q.v. Benton and Parker 1998, under this heading).
The influence of breakfast on managing body weight is unclear.
Study using mice
The expression of
hippocampal genes that mediate the function or non function of memory was affected to the detriment in mouse subjects not having consumed breakfast for a consistent time.
Healthy choice
Present professional opinion is largely in favor of eating breakfast,
[ but skipping breakfast might be better than eating unhealthy foods.]
Gallery
File:2015 0420 Boterham preskop.jpg, Head cheese
Head cheese ( Dutch: ''hoofdkaas'') or brawn is a cold cut terrine or meat jelly that originated in Europe. It is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig (less commonly a sheep or cow), typically set in aspic, and usually eaten cold, ...
with bread
File:-2019-07-30 Streaky bacon, fried egg on toast, Cromer (1).JPG, Bacon and eggs on toast
File:Koh Mak, Thailand, Tropical breakfast, Fruit salad.jpg, Tropical style breakfast, Thailand
File:Nasi lemak basic.jpg, '' Nasi lemak'', the national breakfast dish of Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
and Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, bor ...
File:Veritaffle.jpg, A breakfast consisting of a novelty-stamped waffle, cantaloupe melon slices, grapes, and butter
File:JfFlowers9895AllSaintsDayfvf 20.JPG, Pancakes topped with butter and honey
File:Farsaan Food.jpg, Dhokla
File:Idly Wada.jpg, Idli served with coconut chutney, sambar and medu vada
Medu vada (; ) is a South Indian breakfast snack made from ''Vigna mungo'' (black lentil). It is usually made in a doughnut shape, with a crispy exterior and soft interior. A popular food item in South Indian cuisine it is generally eaten as a bre ...
on banana leaf, popular in South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union terr ...
File:Poori wih accompaniments.jpg, Indian poori with accompaniments
File:Breakfast of Champions.jpg, Cornflakes with milk breakfast
File:Salad with bryndza.jpg, Salad breakfast
File:Congee with Youtiao.jpg, Chinese conjee
Congee or conjee ( ) is a type of rice porridge or gruel eaten in Asian countries. It can be eaten plain, where it is typically served with side dishes, or it can be served with ingredients such as meat, fish, seasonings and flavourings, most o ...
with youtiao
File:Early breakfast at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport.jpg, A cup of coffee and a chocolate pastry as a quick breakfast
See also
* Breakfast by country
Breakfast, the first meal of the day eaten after waking from the night's sleep, varies in composition and tradition across the world.
Africa
Breakfast in Africa varies greatly from region to region.
Algeria
Breakfast in Algeria is heavily influen ...
* Breakfast television
Breakfast television (Europe, Canada, and Australia) or morning show (United States) is a type of news or infotainment television programme that broadcasts live in the morning (typically scheduled between 5:00 and 10:00a.m., or if it is a ...
* Brunch
Brunch is a meal eaten between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., sometimes accompanied by alcoholic drinks (typically champagne or a cocktail). The meal originated in the British hunt breakfast. The word ''brunch'' is a portmanteau of ''breakfast'' ...
* Food history
* Index of breakfast-related articles
* Instant breakfast
Instant breakfast typically refers to breakfast food products that are manufactured in a powdered form, which are generally prepared with the addition of milk and then consumed as a drink.[List of breakfast beverages
This is a list of breakfast drinks, consisting of drinks that are or have formerly been ''commonly'' consumed at breakfast. This list consists of and is limited to very common breakfast drinks that have been denoted as such in various cultures and ...]
* List of breakfast foods
* List of food and beverage museums
* Midnight breakfast
* Timeline of food
Prehistoric times
* 2.5-1.8 million years ago: The discovery of the use of fire and the sharing of the benefits of the use of fire may have created a sense of sharing as a group. Earliest estimate for invention of cooking, by phylogenetic analys ...
* Wedding breakfast
References
Bibliography
*
* Goodhugh, William; Cooke Taylor, William (editors) (1843)
''The Bible cyclopædia: or, Illustrations of the civil and natural history of the sacred writings''
Oxford University.
* Sivulka, Juliann (2011)
''Soap, Sex, and Cigarettes: A Cultural History of American Advertising''
Cengage Learning.
Further reading
*
* History of breakfast
*
''Breakfast: A History''
*
''The English Breakfast: The Biography of a National Meal, with Recipes''
*
''Eating History: Thirty Turning Points in the Making of American Cuisine''
*
''Food and Cooking in Victorian England: A History''
*
''Cuisine and Culture: A History of Food and People''
*
''Ency Kitchen History''
(scroll down in preview)
*
''A History of Food''
*
''Southern Food: At Home, on the Road, in History''
*
''Internal Cleansing, Revised 2nd Edition''
*
''Corn Meal for Breakfast, Dinner, Supper''
** Albala, Ken (2008)
''Pancake: A Global History''
Reaktion Books.
* History of breakfast cereal
''Handbook of Cereal Science and Technology''
*
''Chemistry and Technology of Cereals as Food and Feed''
*
''An Uncommon History of Common Things''
*
''An Irresistible History of Southern Food: Four Centuries of Black Eyed Peas, Collard Greens, and Whole Hog Barbecue''
*
''Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia, Volume 1''
* Other sources
*
''Joie de Vivre: Simple French Style for Everyday Living''
.
**
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