Thirteen Things To Eat For Breakfast (If You Don't Really Like Breakfast)

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Hello! The title of this newsletter makes me think of that page from Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar where the titular character is munching his way through a smorgasbord of foods and has to make a cocoon about it afterward. You’re meant to be astonished and disapproving, but I’ve always thought it sounds like a great picnic menu.

Okay, are you one of those people who skips breakfast? I used to be. I really used to think (in my days tied up with diet culture) that I was doing something great and self-controlled by waiting to eat till lunch time. Skipping meals and calling it “intermittent fasting” is also a popular gimmick that, to me, smacks of orthorexia. As with any way of eating that encourages you to not eat at all for most of the day, I have questions.

There is a ton of well-documented research that eating breakfast is extremely important, and that it is one of the best things you can do for your body and the day ahead of you. Breakfast - breaking the overnight fast - ensures that your system has what it needs to balance blood sugar, work hard, fuel your mind and muscles, lower cortisol, fend off illness, and keep you from spiraling later into a binge when your natural appetite takes over. When I began to eat breakfast something wild happened: I wasn’t having sickening waves of nausea washing over me by 11 AM. I wasn’t feeling lightheaded at every corner, or stressed because all I’d had was a jolt of caffeine to the heart in my morning cup of coffee which I made instead of breakfast. (Those familiar with the bulletproof coffee trend will understand.) Funny how eating a normal amount of food at normal times of day like a normal human being really does make you feel pretty…normal.

But though I was now a breakfast supporter, I don’t really like most traditional American breakfast foods: I’ve always hated cereal, I skip the pancakes, waffles, and French toast, I’m not wooed by oatmeal, and eggs and I have an onsy-offs relationship that has me sometimes pro-scramble and sometimes feeling sick at the idea of eating even a forkful of eggs that aren’t foiled by an ultra-crispy bite of sourdough toast. So what is a person to do when they want to eat breakfast, but really aren’t a fan of the foods associated with it?

The person rewrites the associations. The person eats whatever they want for breakfast. The person realizes that “breakfast” is a state of mind, not a category of food. The person, in short, comes to Substack to write a rebellious list of anti-breakfast foods enjoyed by a pro-breakfast person.

I won’t lie to you: breakfasts take a somewhat annoying amount of time when you’re cutting it close on leaving the house for work. And nobody (on a weekday) has time for an opulent shakshuka or to sit down to a perfectly soft-boiled egg. But at this point in my life and wellness journey, not eating breakfast is simply not an option: I cannot function if I do not eat within two hours of my alarm. And, ideally, the breakfast I do eat is going to sustain me longer than an hour, and be nice and nutritionally well-rounded.

I know what you’re thinking: even if I do start eating breakfast I’ll just stick to a protein shake. But I promise you that there are better things than that in your future (though a good protein shake is a fallback option for the hungriest, fridge-bare moments). I have gotten pretty good at take-to-work breakfasts over the past three and a half years. I often has me clocking in by 7 AM. You know I eat breakfast, and you know I care about food. You also know it’s a rare day that I meal-prep something like a baked oatmeal or a quiche, as fantastic an idea as that is.

Here then is a list of thirteen breakfast ideas. It’s a practical and hopefully-useful brain storm of foods that you can whip up in five minutes and eat one-handed in the car if you must. Don’t blame me if it’s illegal in your state to drive while eating lox.

Thirteen Very Good Breakfasts:

1. Skyr, a dollop of strawberry jam, and chopped, fresh strawberries

2. Greek yogurt, honey, bee pollen, and granola (sometimes banana on top). My favorite ever is Pure Elizabeth “Original” granola

3. Cottage cheese (Good Culture is a lovely brand) and a fresh, summer peach

4. Pineapple or mango with Tajin, and a hard-boiled egg spread with hummus

5. A breakfast sandwich: sourdough toast spread with chili (I like Trader Joe’s Italian Bomba Sauce), a slice of sharp cheddar, a fried egg; avocado only if you have it - we have no rules here!

6. A breakfast cheese board: a few slices of cheese (or a couple Baybel cheeses), dried fruit such as apricots or cherries, a few olives, and your favorite nuts

7. The good old banana boat: a banana spread generously with high quality peanut or almond butter, a few dark chocolate chips, shredded coconut, and a razzle-dazzle of granola

8. Prosciutto-wrapped melon, and a handful of cashews

9. Leftovers from dinner (hey, I’m looking at you kimchi fried rice)

10. Chicken & apple sausages, stone ground mustard, sliced fresh apple (I’m partial to a pink lady)

11. Sourdough rye toast with smoke salmon and fresh dill

12. This “banana bread” microwave mug cake made with whole wheat flour, maple syrup, coconut oil, and other nourishing ingredients

13. a breakfast burrito full of avocado, salsa, cheddar, and a couple of quick scrambled eggs

What do you consider a favorite breakfast? Are you someone who practices the art of skipping meals, or is your stomach growling the moment you fall out of bed? If you have any breakfast ideas to add to the list I’d love to hear them. It’s always a good day when you’re not running dry on inspiration.

It’s Monday, and it’s my last full week of work with the child I’ve nannied for three and a half years. We’re going to cram it full of our favorite places and I’ll try not to cry. Be well, friends.

Love,

Rachel