What Breakfast Gets You Going?

Crash McBang asks: "Apparently many are foregoing the morning coffee for something sweeter, according to a recent article in RedOrbit. 'There is nothing better than the feel of Coke on the back of your throat in the morning,' said McKinsey, a morning pop drinker since the 1970s, savoring the cold, stinging sensation that coffee drinkers just don't get. What gets you going after waking up?"

Comments

Ahh!

[suso]

You are torturing me! I have to fast this morning until 11am because I have this health screening thing at work. And now a story on Slashdot about breakfast. Of all the days, I swear. I guess though that on any given day someone reading Slashdot has to fast for some reason.

To answer your question though, I usually have some sort of pastry, peanut butter and jelly sandwich or donuts. On the weekends when I have more time, I make eggs and bacon or waffles for my family. And milk of course. I'm not a coffee drinker. Coffee ice cream though, now that gets me going. But not in the mornings.

Re:Ahh!

[Anne_Nonymous]

>> pastry, peanut butter... jelly sandwich... donuts... eggs and bacon... waffles... milk... coffee ice cream

Better get the diabetes test *and* the cholesterol screening.

Re:Ahh!

[lisaparratt]

But they do make you +5, Funny.

Fruit!

[ilovegeorgebush]

Cereal, a nice cup of Tea (yes, i'm British) and some fruit gets me going. Apparently, Apples are more effective at waking you up than coffee!

Re:Fruit!

[xtracto]

I love honey nut cereal mixed with shredded wheat (it is the ONLY way I can stand eating wheat cereals without feeling that I am eating a cardboard box...) . I add some sliced bananas.

Of course I also get a cup of coffee and waffles (difficult to get in UK, the "normal" egg waffles with honey and butter and no the potato waffles they eat here...).

Something interesting is that in UK people often have something really light for breakfast (as parent said), unlike in Mexico where the breakfast my mom used to give us where two scrambled eggs with ham and some mashed refried beans as side order. Or the typical Moyetes (a french like bread sliced in half with refried beans and grated with cheese... oooh god).

Of course you could ask what about the [in]famous English breakfast (bacon, "yummy-looking" black pudding, eggs, some kind of horrible tomatoes, sausage, beans and if u are vegy, mushrooms) but as far as I have seen, it is not until 11:00 (lunch hour) that they take these. My gf used to work in a restaurant where they served "all day english breakfast". It is very "funny" to watch people ask for an english breakfast at 10:00 pm...

BTW, did you know that Irish drink more coffee than tea? well, that is something an Irish man told me maybe it is bollocks =oP

Re:Fruit!

[Malenfrant]

Hmm, as an Irishman I feel the need to reply to this. First off, no Irishman I know drinks more coffee than tea, and secondly Irish Coffee is NOT made with Baileys, it is made with Irish Whisky, and has cream floating on top. There are several English versions of Irish Coffee, but in my experience the English often mess with recipes from other countries, creating something quite different. There's nothing wrong with this per se, but it bugs me the way they then claim that this is how it's supposed to be made.

Re:Fruit!

[autocrawler]

A cup or two of green tea, a sandwich and some fruit. It's healthy!

Re:Fruit!

[Peter Cooper]

Indeed, we do. Quite bizarre really, as Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. There's a saying:
Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper

See, that actually makes sense to me. That way you get all day to digest and get the energy from your breakfast.. rather than have a big dinner giving you energy and a whole ton of digestive work when you don't want it!

I'd be interested in the scientific aspect of this. Doesn't it make more sense to 'fuel up' and then use that energy.. rather than work all day and THEN fuel up?

Re:Fruit!

[drsquare]

I'd be interested in the scientific aspect of this. Doesn't it make more sense to 'fuel up' and then use that energy.. rather than work all day and THEN fuel up?

But then what have you got to look forward to all day?

Breakfast?

[clickclickdrone]

I haven't had breakfast on a working day for about 15 years. However, weekends it's a big steamy bowl of porridge with honey, sultanas and cinnamon.

Re:Breakfast?

[Thansal]

For me I have a muffin for breakfast.

however again, weekends (or anytime I have the time), breakfast turns into some thing with eggs.

either fried eggs over biscuits and a side of meat or a quick fry up of everything I have around (Meat, onions, potatoes, bread, peppers, whatevever is around) in lots of butter, then pour eggs over that to bind it all together, top with cheese and ketchup and I am set for the morning.

Or there are always pancakes and/or waffles. Waffles are also great topped with eggs/meat/potatoes/cheese/ketchup. That was a standard for me in college, the dinning hall had belgium waffles for brunch on weekends, top that with anything else they had. Then eat a second one topped with icecream.

Yah, I eat to much :)

To quote Dave Attell...

[antifoidulus]

"a tongue in the ass. There is no alarm clock on that one, you are up, you are shaking, you are in a karate stance, the day has begun"

Re:To quote Dave Attell...

[splutty]

first came 360
then, expensive PS3
I prefer the wii

I do a 360 around your PS3 and Wii on it?

Re:To quote Dave Attell...

[clickclickdrone]

>a tongue in the ass
I used to get that from my pet dog. I've learned to sleep on my back these days.

Re:To quote Dave Attell...

[TheLink]

And then there's "the smell of napalm in the morning".

I'm sure that gets a lot of people going...

And if you're not going, you're gone...

Breakfast of Choice

[pertelote]

A mega-mug of crushed ice filled with Diet Coke, and a doughnut, or that extra special cold pizza stashed behind something in the frig. Hello World!

Re:Breakfast of Choice

[cHALiTO]

Man, waking up and finding leftover cold pizza in the fridge is one of the best things in the world.

But when that's not possible, I usually take some cereal + milk, or just coffee. And the coffee I take usually at work.. then I have a good meal at noon.

Grapefruit

[eric76]

In the winter, I eat a grapefruit almost every morning sometime between 4 am and 6 am.

A very common breakfast

[NetDanzr]

Coffee and a smoke. Then some more coffee.

Re:A very common breakfast

[value_added]

Coffee and a smoke. Then some more coffee.

Indeed. I'd go so far as to say it's common world round.

On the other hand, the question is a bit dumb. What works for breakfast has to be taken in context with what happened before breakfast and what routinely happens after breakfast.

If you're accustomed to eating 3 full meals a day, your body will expect (demand, actually), a full breakfast when you wake up. If you do the cigarette and coffee routine (with or without the traditional croissant, beignet, etc., and/or a shot of something to help you start your day), a full breakfast will make you feel nauseous for most of the day. And that's irrespective of whether you work the land or sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen.

Personally, I think the Italians, etc. have it right. Eat a light breakfast and set aside 2-3 hours for a large lunch. Note that beverages manufactured from corn-syrup aren't part of the equation. Asking a food question from those who haven't been taught or discovered what it is for themselves is entertaining at best.

Re:A very common breakfast

[TheLink]

Italians?

How about the Japanese?

Whatever the Japanese are doing, they have long life expectancies despite 50% of the males smoking (was 80% in the 80s!), working long hours and drinking lots of beer... The females live even longer.

Given most developed countries are worried about aging populations, perhaps they shouldn't be so upset if people insist on smoking and killing themselves earlier.

Maybe we should thank them for their sacrifice for the greater good and all that.

Mornings

[Venner]

Most days it's a bowl of cereal (typically Raisin Bran or Frosted Shredded Wheat), a banana, and a nice big glass or two of tea, typically green. In the wintertime, it's hot oatmeal or cream of wheat.
If I have a lot to do that day, or an exam, or whatnot, I'll get up a bit earlier and make a couple of eggs, whole grain toast with peanut butter, yogurt, etc. Brain food.

Breakfast has never been optional for me. Not only do I not like to be hungry, if I haven't had something of substance to eat within a couple of hours of waking up, I typically get a horrible splitting headache that lasts all day and which doesn't respond to analgesics. (No, it's not the caffeine. I can go days without tea - I just won't be happy about it.)

Hair...

[thegrassyknowl]

...of the dog that bit you. In my case that's usually Coopers Pale or Sambucca. If the day at work previously was really shit then it could even be tequila.

*NOTE* I don't really drink that much every night. There are just some times at particular points in the project when you say fsck it and piss on of a worknight with mates to forget about it all.

Breakfast?

[physicsnick]

My breakfast is an extra fifteen minutes of sleep.

bacon, eggs, and sometimes sausage

[rednip]

bacon, eggs, and sometimes sausage. Usually washed down with some lightly or un-sweetened iced tea. Lately, I've been stopping by the local quickiemart for a 24oz eye opener, and a banana for a mid-morning snack. if I'm pressed for time I get a sausage, egg, and cheese bagel from Wawa (Convenience store/deli).

Sugar addiction

[Idaho]

The reason why it works even if you drink soft drinks without caffeine, is because the sugar will give you a quick energy boost.

It seems that having soft drinks for breakfast is quite unhealthy, lowers your attention span, etc.

A Finnish study of 404 10-11 year-olds showed that withdrawal, anxiousness, depression, delinquency and aggression were twice as frequent in those consuming 30 per cent more sucrose in the form of ice cream, sugary snacks and soft drinks.
[..]
Over the longer term, yo-yoing blood sugar levels are also associated with low mood, behavioural problems, lower IQ and poor academic performance.

Here's the source (but I'm sure there are many other sources that say the same thing).

Coke for breakfast?

[nwbvt]

Please tell me you are all just drug addicts and you are talking about cocaine, not Coca-Cola. That stuff is disgusting in the morning. And yes, I have tried it.

And people wonder why Americans are so overweight. We have started drinking sugary soda in the mornings too now. Are you too lazy to brew a quick cup of coffee and get your caffeine rush there?

Re:Coke for breakfast?

[dknight]

boy, you sure got my number there
been drinking nothing but Coke morning, noon, and night for as long as I can remember, and I'm an absolute WHALE at 115lbs!

whooo boy, us Americans are just ready to burst.

Re:Coke for breakfast?

[clickclickdrone]

>Are you too lazy to brew a quick cup
Whilst I'm not shy when it comes to dissin' our cousins over the pond, I have to say, I seriously doubt it's being lazy, more a lack of time.

Re:Coke for breakfast?

[JoeWalsh]

Long ago, the Coca-Cola management decided that their main competitor wasn't Pepsi or RC or even lemonade. They realized their main competitor was water! So they set out to market the product as a substitute for water. And it's worked very well.

Of course, these days both Coke and Pepsi own bottled water operations - which are much more profitable on a per unit basis than the soda pop they also sell.

Still, it's interesting how a huge company can change a society when it sets its collective, corporate mind to the task.

Re:Coke for breakfast?

[jcorno]

Coke has fewer calories per ounce than orange juice, apple juice, or milk. Granted, it has none of the health benefits of any of those, but it's probably not making you fatter. Plus, the caffeine-induced twitching is good to burn off a few more.

Re:Coke for breakfast?

[skyhausmann]

"We have started drinking sugary soda in the mornings too now." Shut up. "Are you too lazy to brew a quick cup of coffee and get your caffeine rush there?" Shut up.

Porrigde

[Bromskloss]

It keeps you from getting hungry to fast again.

1 dl of oatmeal
2 dl of water
a couple of pinches of salt

Mix and put in micro, full power, for two minutes. Serve with jam and milk. Smooth to your tired body and soul.

My Ultimate Breakfast

[skroz]

Warning: Only to be used sparingly. Excessive usage WILL kill you.

• Two strips bacon, fried in butter (not margarine, sissy boy)
  
• Two strips sausage, fried in bacon grease and butter from above
  
• 4 eggs over-easy, cooked in bacon grease, sausage fat, and butter from above. Yolks should be slightly runny.
  
• Two waffles, buttered. Syrup to be applied in large quantities (see below)
  
• Hash browns or grits
  
• a biscuit, buttered
  
• 1 cup coffee
  
• 1 large glass orange juice
  

The excess melted butter, syrup, and egg yolks should be allowed to mingle. The resulting soupy mess should be eaten mixed with the hash browns. The biscuit can be used to mop up any remaining liquid.

This should not be eaten on a regular basis. I use it before a long day of hard outdoor work, like felling trees, hauling timber, pouring concrete, etc.. Anything where I expect to burn a huge number of calories.

Kids

[Dr. Hok]

My breakfast is an extra fifteen minutes of sleep.

This revives a faint memory of the time when I didn't have kids yet. Oh, how I miss those days, when nobody used to jump full speed right into my groins in the middle of the sweetest REM phase...

Anyway: Kids DO get you going in the morning, whether you're ready or not. And forget about those extra 15 minutes of sleep.

Irish Coffee

[Phil John]

Sorry to nitpick, but Irish Coffee is actually neat Whisky mixed with Cane Sugar, after which Black Coffee is poured on. Finally the mixture is topped with Double Cream whipped till slightly thick. This makes a lovely looking glass with half the liquid almost black and the other half almost white. When you drink it the two parts start mixing.

Interestingly it's also a relatively new invention, not much more than 50 years old.

Ruination of good Coffee and good Whisky as my dad always says ;o)

Re:Irish Coffee

[cerberusss]

Irish Coffee is actually neat Whisky mixed with Cane Sugar, after which Black Coffee is poured on

Aaaah Irish Coffee... the only drink which contains all the necessary daily nutritients, namely:

• sugar
• fat
• alcohol
• caffeine

Re:Irish Coffee

[stonecypher]

Interestingly it's also a relatively new invention, not much more than 50 years old.

Also interesting is that Irish Coffee is an accidental American invention. An individual from a San Fransisco bar called "the Buena Vista" stumbled across a variation on the theme in the Shannon Airport, and on returning home talked the bartender into experimenting with him at length. The drink they ended up with is significantly different than the Irish drink, which was really just a heavy unpasteurized spiked coffee with sugar.

For example, the characteristic "double cream on top" was created here when the local proprietor misunderstood what kept the cream afloat (the cream only floats when cold enough that the drink won't melt it until it releases air; in the original Irish version, it's a thick-walled, refrigerated mug, whereas in the Americanized version, the cream itself is first frothed to make stronger bubbles (as with Cappucino,) then intensely chilled to get the puff to last without the support of the glass.

Unfortunately, Ireland has begun to retcon history to make this drink their own. C'est la vie.

Re:Irish Coffee

[kfg]

Ruination of good Coffee and good Whisky as my dad always says

That's why I use the cheap stuff for my breakfast. Coffee and whiskey you wouldn't deign to drink straight turns into the elixer of the gods when you mix 'em. Throw in a quarter ounce of good, unadulterated tobacoo and I'm good to go for the day.

Interestingly it's also a relatively new invention, not much more than 50 years old.

A coincidence that it arrived just in time for my arrival? I don't think so.

In any case the Irish have always been pretty good at making stuff up yesterday and tommorow calling it an ancient tradition. Bumpy Jumpers (Irish sweater for the Yanks; not to be confused with a lumpy jumper, you might acutally want one of those; and they do look good in bumpy jumpers); little more than an early 20th century marketing gimmic as a way to bring some money into Aran. The "traditonal" Irish outfit? Designed out of, ummmmm, whole cloth by nationalist commercial fashion designer about 1920. The traditional Irish music of my youth bears almost no resemblence to the "traditional" Irish music you hear today. Who let the 'zouks and goatskins in anyway?

As an aside I showed up for a gig as a traditional Irish fiddler once and the folk nazi promoter got all bent out of shape because I wasn't wearing the prescribed native peasant dress for the music. I was wearing a nice, gray suit and a tie.

Look at some old photographs. A nice, gray suit and a tie is the traditional clothing of the 19th century Irish farmer/fiddler. Just because it's "normal" don't mean it's not ethnic. The suit is the ethnic clothing of the Brits; which they spread to the world at the point of a gun. Indians are now prone to call their own clothes "ethnic."

Anyway, so maybe I'll have an apple or a bannana at breakfast as well. It's no surprise that an apple wakes you up better than coffee; coffee is just a stimulant. Glucose is the fuel your brain runs on. Rule of thumb, carbs when you want to be alert, fats and protein when you want to just veg out/go to sleep. Think about it, Chinese food and an hour later you're hungry again and looking for more food, Christmas goose and you fall asleep on the sofa while trying to watch the game.

KFG

Re:Irish Coffee

[sjwt]

What bout an Irish Car bomb? It also comes with carbs!

Gracie Diet

[j_kenpo]

My breakfast consists of an alternating diet of

1: Take 4 -5 apples, core them, and run them through a juicer. Take 3-4 bananas. Mix the whole thing in a blender. Drink.
2: Take 3-4 Bananas, put in blender, add milk until they are covered. Blend and drink.
3: Juice 4-5 oranges (no pulp). Drink
4: Take half a pound of grapes. Juice and drink.

Works great, have plenty of energy for the day, and I've lost like 50 pounds (with exercise of course) doing it.

Re:So much for MY morning coffee...

[psicic]

He-he.... that's good, I can climb down off my high-horse now.

Irish have the highest per head consumption of Tea in the world (according to news reports about two or three years ago). We consume about 3kg of Tea each a year(1996-1998 period).

Here are some stats for those who are interested: http://www.tea.org.au/world/sub2.html

Oh...and when pouring it's tea first, then milk. Any expert who talks about chemical bonding when coming to tea are either talking out of their South of England hole, using very delicate cups or using milk at the wrong temperature.

(yes...I like tea, and am talking about Assam-based blends mostly.)

Nothing.

[Lord Bitman]

I've read all the comments, and only 2 so far said they didnt eat, without mentioning drinking something or some other ritual.

I would hereby like to specifically mention:
I wake up, I go to work.
I don't eat.
I don't drink coffee.
I don't drink orange juice.
I don't drink...
I don't chug 2 liters of water. (wtf?)
I don't get a blowjob.
I don't I don't take a bunch of [xxinsertstimulantherexx].

What the fuck is wrong with you people?

Re:So much for MY morning coffee...

[Gromius]

The other really odd thing about the English tea drinking is that the tea in England is terrible. Its absolutely disgusting, it need to be smothered in milk and sugar to drown out the horrible bitter taste of it. I love tea (I'm British) but I'm one of the few people I know who actually appreciate nice tea. Actually I find it easier to get nice tea in the US (well, in principle nice, at a restaurant, when I ask for a cup of tea, I get a lovely box with a fantastic selection of really nice looking teas and a pot of water which used to be hot, arrggh).

Also Whisky is how the Scottish spell it (I'm also a Whisky buff). If its spelt with an 'e' then its not Scottish. The Americans and Irish spell it with a 'e' although I've seen the occasional 'Whisky' spelling over there. As far as I'm concerned, both spelling are correct Whisky is the fine Scottish dram while Whiskey is the related Irish and American spirits. However occasionally North American whiskeys misspell their name as whisky. Btw the way I like it in a article "What Breakfast Gets You Going", we're already talking about whisky :)

Re:Simple

[Vengeance]

So you also have trouble spelling 'black'? :-D

I think I need more coffee.

A bowl of Cheerios, with Pepsi in lieu of milk

[vrmlguy]

Actually, that was my great-grandmother's usual breakfast. It always used to freak me out when I saw her eating it, but I guess it isn't much different from eating dry cereal and washing it down with soda. She was born in the 1890s and out-lived all of my other great-grandparents, so maybe it's good for you. I always thought that habit was unique to her, but a few years ago I saw a review of a play wherein an elderly character did the same thing. Google doesn't seem to turn up anything, however.

Totally off-subject, but she had a son who lost a total of 7 fingers in multiple cotton gin accidents. Dispite this handicap, he could still roll his own cigarettes, which was truly amazing to my five-year-old eyes. IIRC, he died of lung cancer about the same time as her; perhaps he should have been eating the same breakfast.

Re:Just coffee, thanks

[Joe Snipe]

And I take my coffee the way I take my women ... bitter.

I believe that is "cold and bitter," And I also take my coffee the way I like my women: filled with liquor.