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Everything is fair game for breakfast
It's time to shake things up and rethink breakfast. Are you willing to let anything be fair game for breakfast in your home?
Wed, Feb 18 2009 at 11:19 AM
 7

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Organic Cooking
Mark Bittman posted a piece yesterday in his NYT The Minimalist column titled Your Morning Pizza. In it, he praises the untraditional breakfast — breakfasts that contain foods like “black olives, quinoa, miso, dried tomatoes, sesame oil, bok choy, wheat berries, roasted carrots.” Bittman has decided that everything is fair game for breakfast. I agree.
 
I have long allowed my children to eat leftovers from the night before for breakfast. It makes more sense to me to send my boys off to school having eaten a bowl of leftover rice or pasta than after having eaten boxed cereal (not that they don’t eat that on occasion, too). Bittman says in his piece that to most Americans, it doesn’t seem appropriate to start making what amounts to dinner at seven in the morning. It’s one thing to eat leftover pizza, pasta, roast chicken, soup, whatever; it’s entirely another to start cooking them while your tea or coffee is still brewing.
 
Why is that? I’m sure part of the reason is time. There often isn’t a lot of time in the morning to cook a meal. Cereal and bagels are quick. But other foods can be quick, too. How long does it take to make a grilled cheese sandwich? Five minutes? Why isn’t a grilled cheese considered breakfast food in most homes? It is in my house, even if my husband does look at me like I’m a little kooky when I make it for my 6 year old.
 
Why not a quesadilla made with yesterday’s taco night leftovers for breakfast? Why not a big bowl of peas? (My 9 year old has had that on occasion before school.) Why not a salad? Think of how much easier it would be to get more vegetables in your family's diet if all vegetables were fair game for breakfast.
 
I’ve already been allowing leftovers for breakfast in my house. But I think it’s time to rethink breakfast even further. Reading Bittman’s piece makes me want to do a full week experiment. For the next week, everything is fair game in my house for breakfast — as long as it’s healthy and I have the time to make it, of course.
 

Anyone want to join me in the experiment? Let me know in the comments section below. I’ll let you know how the experiment went in my house a week from today.   

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Comments: 7
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brittany.steinmetz
brittany.steinmetz Mar 24 2011 at 9:36 AM
I dont think it matters what category (breakfast, lunch, dinner) of meal it is that you have for breakfast. As long as it is healthy it shouldnt matter if you are eating traditional "dinner" food for breakfast. I have read that it is best to have your biggest meal for breakfast to keep you fueled through the day. I would think if there is any meal that is the biggest and most hearty-It would be best to eat that first thing in the morning. When I eat a hefty dinner before bed-I do not feel very
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well the next day.
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anonymous
Guest Feb 23 2009 at 7:35 PM

A friend directed me to this blog after I told her my kids (4yrs. and 1yr) asked for waffles, sweet potatoes and green beans for breakfast. I agree, as long as it's healthy, it's fair game. My mother always made me eat breakfast, and traditional breakfast foods, but occasionly, my dad would let me eat cold pizza with him as a special treat. I still love leftover pizza for breakfast.
Mandi

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anonymous
Guest Feb 19 2009 at 11:05 AM
I used to always order a "to go" eggplant parmigiana appetizer when I went to Italian restaurants, because there is nothing I like better than cold EP for breakfast. Seriously. Our Korean exchange student told us that in Korea there are no special breakfast foods- it's all just food. I'm happy with that; things like donuts and pastries, (while tasty) make me ill a couple of hours after eating them, and cold cereal leaves me, well, cold. The traditional breakfast foods I do like- eggs, pancakes,
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oatmeal- I like just as well at other meals. Willahttp://palocalvore.blogspot.com
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rshreeves's picture
Robin Shreeves Feb 18 2009 at 9:25 PM

 Thanks for all the comments so far. It will be interesting to see what my boys choose for breakfast. 

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anonymous
Guest Feb 18 2009 at 9:09 PM

I like to switch this around too. Pancakes or omelets can make a great lunch or supper.

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anonymous
Guest Feb 18 2009 at 8:26 PM
I find most of the 'faster' breakfast foods far too sweet or unsatisfying to eat in the morning. Cereal never lasts me more than an hour or two, toast holds me just a little longer. I love leftovers, especially thai food, a grilled cheese, or slicing up an apple and coating each slice liberally in peanut butter. Another recent favorite is small corn tortillas toasted with black beans and a sprinkle of cheese. Variety makes it much more interesting and I find I have more energy and don't get as hungry
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midmorning when I start the day with a solid dose of protein. I save my cereal to enjoy as an afternoon or evening snack. Ultimately though, breakfast should come down to whatever helps one in the wakeup process and provides energy for the day. It shouldn't weigh one down nor should it suffice merely an hour or two before causing a crash.
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anonymous
Guest Feb 18 2009 at 7:17 PM
Despite my current oatmeal with blueberries for breakfast addiction, when I was a kid all I wanted was either a hamburger or a pork chop for breakfast. Even at restaurants. My mother, a firm believer in raising thoroughly independent children, taught me to make my own hamburger or pork chop without burning down the house by the time I was seven. Being a fantastic cook, my mother always offered left-overs for breakfast, and to this day I prefer savory flavors over sweet early in the morning. She
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was also a fervent advocate for "breakfast is the most important meal of the day", so it was never skipped! To this day it never is. Lesson learned; never argue with your mother.
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