The alarm clock goes off and the thought of eating scrambled eggs with cheese or maybe cereal gets you out of bed. But, why do we have eggs and dairy for breakfast? Surprisingly, there is a bit of scrambled history for these meals. And it may be time to re-evaluate if eggs and dairy are good choices to have for the first meal of the day.
What Is the History of Breakfast?
If you look back in time, it might not be surprising that for the most part, a simple and convenient meal was key to kick start one’s day. Take for example, Ancient Romans, who apparently consumed bread, cheese, olives, salad, nuts, raisins, and cold meat left over from the night before. So, when did eggs come into the picture?
According to researchers of this 2018 study published in the Nutrients journal, the rich and ennobled mainly ate eggs during breakfast, while others had foods such as oats, rice, and other cereals. The “Clean-Living Movement,” which emerged in the 19th century, is when a “cooked breakfast” became popular in the U.S. It was during this time – the late 19th century — that John Harvey Kellogg created the flaked breakfast cereal, which had oats called “granola” and later became boxed and widely distributed.
