Breakfast

Over the years I've probably heard the adage hundreds of times that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Anyone else hear that?

Recently I read an article that stated that belief is a myth. Well, no matter. I need breakfast. It gets me out of bed, some mornings, thinking about how yummy breakfast is going to be. And if I don't eat breakfast, I get cranky, shaky, and panicky. It could be because I will still drink coffee first thing, and that's pretty hard on an empty stomach for me.

Over the years breakfast has changed for me. I remember eating breakfast when I was growing up, staring bleary-eyed at the cereal boxes in front of me and reading them both in English and French, trying to remember what the words were in both languages. Neither my brother or I talked much over breakfast. I think we were trying to wake up before getting to school. Cereal and milk, a glass of juice.

In college I started drinking coffee. I remember those mornings so clearly, leaving my house in the quiet, muffled darkness. Driving to school through the country in the snow. It was so cold the windows would fog up and ice over on the inside of my car. Getting to school for my first class, and like any college student short on funds, I'd buy the cheapest hot drink I could afford. At college it was horrible-tasting coffee out of a huge urn. 25 cents a cup. I'd load it up with sugar and powdered creamer. Oddly enough I don't remember what I actually ate for breakfast, maybe an instant breakfast drink or a piece of fruit.

After I started working as a young married I'd eat (predictably) something overpriced and fairly unhealthy I bought at a coffee joint while getting my morning java, usually a bagel or muffin.

When my son was born the only thing I could manage was coffee and peanut butter toast. Don't get me wrong- I still enjoy peanut butter toast, and there's nothing wrong with it. But now that both my boys are older and more capable I enjoy a wide variety of morning meals. 

This summer I've enjoyed homemade instant oatmeal, fruit and cheese, and lately I can't get enough yogurt with chia. I especially enjoyed my breakfast this morning. Fresh hot coffee (of course!), Liberte coconut yogurt, mixed with a tablespoon of chia seeds, and left to "set up" while I cut some fresh pineapple to mix in. So tasty and filling. I was sad to see it finished, but looking forward to tomorrow's breakfast: chocolate chia pudding, found here. I mixed up 2 jars and actually I don't know if one of them will make it until tomorrow. It just might be an afternoon snack. I made a few small changes, and will report back tomorrow with a new recipe under "Breakfast".

What do you eat in the mornings? Has it changed over the years?