From the “breakfast of champions” (a popular cold cereal in America) to KimChee (a fermented cabbage made in Korea), breakfasts around the world can feature a wide variety of food items. Taking into consideration what is grown in a country and its availability to the folks, compare the simple breakfast of boiled eggs, olives, cheeses and fava beans in the Middle East to an American full morning meal of bacon or sausage, fried eggs, hashed brown potatoes, toast or biscuits with butter, jam or jelly and coffee or tea.
These are a couple of ways to ‘break’ your ‘fast’ after going the entire night with no food. The first meal of the days is said to be the most important, supplying the required nutrients to start a busy day, no matter where you are located. Especially important for children.
These two breakfasts are an example of a simple, easy and quick meal and one that is more complicated, demanding and time-intensive. That is not to say that both countries, and others worldwide, do not have both. It depends on the day of the week, in many cases, and how much time is available as to whether a quick meal is best or one that is prepared and eaten in a more leisurely fashion is desirable.
‘Fast food’ became popular as people became busier but still wanted to eat something, preferably healthy, in the morning. Even in Thailand, Japan and China, for instance, one can purchase their food from street vendors, extremely convenient and trendy now-a-days.
On many of the continents will be found fast food establishments that have been adopted from the United States of America by countries. Starting out sacrificing health, perhaps, for quick and speedy, many of these vendors have now adjusted the items they have available to include more healthy choices, including English muffins, biscuits or croissants filled with your choice of sausage or bacon, egg, cheese. Some countries have a very extensive menu of foods that one can choose from, any time of the day. Thai residents have been known to say that they can have whatever they want for breakfast!
In planning the nutritional content of breakfast, one would attempt to supply carbohydrates, protein, dairy and as many vitamins and minerals as possible. Many countries are not able to accomplish this, but do the very best they can with what they have. Breakfast around the world can include such items as eggs (fried, boiled, scrambled and made into omelets), rice, veggies, fruit and so forth.
So far discussed has been eating the morning meal at home and choosing from street vendors or fast food establishments. There are restaurants, as well, that cater to the first meal by serving individually prepared meals from the menu or by offering what is known as the ‘buffet’. The buffet is a huge variety of food items from which one can choose as they like, many stores operating with ‘all you can eat’ buffets at a fixed price. This may not be the healthiest option unless one is able to control their appetite and choices. However they are very prominent and fashionable.
Healthy breakfasts in America and Europe, for instance, often include eggs prepared in such ways as soft boiled with toast, a small bowl of fruit or fresh fruit and a beverage. Omelets are acceptable too, as in some of the African cultures. France citizens also put together “omelettes”, and include in their healthy breakfast perhaps a baguette with large bowls of latte or hot chocolate! Wherever a person lives, fixing up breakfasts that are healthy as well as tasty often include eggs, fruit and veggies.
