The most important meal
In response to last week’s post about breakfast, Brenda wrote “Thanks for sharing more about breakfast – the most important meal of the day, but one that most people don’t wake up in time for!
I usually only eat breakfast when I’m back at my parents’ house. But when I’m left to my own devices, I often sacrifice breakfast for 20 mins of extra sleep-in time in the morning. My stomach almost always regrets it greatly in the lead-up to lunch. But it has proven to be a viscous cycle that keeps repeating itself.”
The substitute for breakfast
In my school days, my first meal of the day used to be snacks at recess time in the middle of the morning. I suppose the school canteen served heavy snacks because most students didn’t have time to have breakfast before leaving early for school. In my teenage years, I used to wake up in time for lunch on Sundays. The extra sleep was to make up for waking up at 4am on weekdays to do my homework. Somehow it was when I studied best.
The grab-as-you-go breakfast
Most of us have to leave early for work, so grabbing a simple breakfast is the norm – a bun, a curry puff, a pao, a sandwich…
The breakfast buffet
Vacations are a time to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. I was amazed by the breakfast spreads served in hotels around Asia. Some hotels even served sushi. For visitors from countries where breakfast is light, it may seem like breakfast in some Asian hotels is a buffet lunch. For business travellers, the big breakfast spread was good, it meant that there was no need for lunch.
Breakfast ideas
I agree totally with Brenda that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, especially for people who live an active life and most activities happen in the morning. Parents with school-going children start their day early. I often see a mother with her little boy at the gate of her condominium before 6am waiting for the school bus. Vendors in markets start their day even earlier. Recently, I heard about someone who received a delivery of meat from the market at 4.30am!
There is a lot of variety of breakfast dishes to choose from in Asia, from roti prata with curry to pei tan jook. Fried rice is good for breakfast and lunch.
Fancy pastries are good for special occasions. Oats with yoghurt and fruits in a champagne glass adds a touch of class to a simple breakfast.
Breakfast and well-being
A special breakfast makes it worth waking up early for, but it’s also good to make sure that you get enough rest. Adequate rest and proper meals go a long way. Well-being requires effort, but the effort becomes easier when we develop good habits.
I had to participate in a survey many years ago, which required me to keep a log of what I ate each day. The information was used for research on the relation between meals and health. The lady who conducted the survey told me that health is wealth. Over the years, I have come to realise the wisdom of those words.
Have a good weekend.
By Chayo, HomSkil Editor 1, 19 August 2022
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