What makes the ultimate breakfast?
It’s National Breakfast Week. Do you crunch cornflakes, go barmy for bacon, or opt for tasty toast?
Breakfast has long been called the "most important meal of the day" but what makes it so special?
And what ingredients make up the ultimate breakfast?
Options
A fry-up
Apparently, bacon and eggs have been eaten together since 1560. So it’s not going out of style any time soon. Add beans, sausage, and black pudding and you're really talking… but you can’t eat this every day. And definitely not the 8,000 calorie breakfast served up by the Portishead café that has been in the news recently.
Eggs
If they're not part of a fry-up, eggs can be a really healthy breakfast. British Lion says that eggs are an "excellent source of protein". They also contain high levels of vitamins A, B2, B12 and D, selenium, and lots more. Plus you can poach, scramble, or boil them (among other methods), meaning that there is lots of variety available from a single ingredient.
Cereal
Tip cereal into a bowl then pour milk over it. I like cereal because you don’t have to put any effort into it whatsoever! We buy 5.2 billion litres of milk in the UK every year – a large quantity of that is surely destined for cups of tea, but plenty will be used on our first meal of the day.
Porridge
A dish that gives a warming, hearty start to the day, but I’m not sure many people eat it these days. Do let me know if you think I'm wrong though (Managing Editor: you're wrong Matt).
Pancakes
Yes please. Shrove Tuesday isn’t the only time to enjoy pancakes, and you can make savoury ham and cheese fillings instead of relying on a concoction of sugar and lemon or maple syrup. That will fill you up nicely until lunch.
Toast
Quick, easy and hot, great to grab and eat as you’re leaving the house. Wholegrain is a good choice, as it has plenty of fibre and vitamins plus essential fatty acids.
Fruit
Again, fruit is handy because you can grab it on the way out of the house and eat en route to your job. Fresh fruit is packed full of vitamins and minerals, and is a good source of fibre.
Vote in the poll below for your favourite breakfast. Not listed? Use the Comments box at the bottom of the page to tell us what you eat in the morning.
I don’t eat breakfast…
I occasionally put some toast on when I get into work, and I’ll eat it at the weekend. But eating in the morning makes me feel queasy, especially when I’m in a rush to get out the door. And since I’m usually in a hurry, that also means I don’t have time to make or eat breakfast.
I’m well aware that there are health benefits to eating breakfast. The NHS says that "Eating breakfast has long term health benefits. It can reduce obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes." But one in 10 of us doesn’t eat breakfast according to the organisers of Breakfast Week.
So while I probably should get into the habit, I’m far from alone – do you eat breakfast? If not, why not? Do you think I’m missing out?
Are you a tea or coffee person? Do you demand soldiers with your boiled eggs? What’s the ultimate breakfast? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.
Top breakfast recipes:
Breakfast beefsteak and eggs recipe
Lisa Faulkner's scotch pancakes recipe
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