Breakfast: The Most Important Meal of the Day?

Mornings can be very stressful: finding something to wear, gathering homework from the night before, and eating something before the bus comes. Eating breakfast before school starts has progressively become uncommon for many children. Observing fellow colleges, I have noticed that many skip breakfast and head straight to class, occasionally grabbing a bagel off the food cart. Mornings can be difficult, especially for a college student who goes to bed at two in the morning and wakes up less than six hours later for class. This has never been a problem for me; whether it is for school or sports, I will wake up the extra fifteen minutes and eat a well-balanced nutritional meal. Some individuals consider breakfast the most important meal of the day. Whether it is for nutrients or energy supply breakfast must not be skipped, and this has become a strong focus regarding children.

Doctors and pediatricians strongly promote eating breakfast, but there is a shocking percentage of youth that go to school with their stomachs empty. A survey conducted by Mary Shaw in Australia shows the magnitude of not eating breakfast. In this survey around 700 thirteen-year-olds were observed in their daily eating habits. In total, 12% of those studied skipped breakfast: 18% of total females and 5.3% of total males surveyed. Additionally, the females were three times more likely to skip breakfast and lunch than males. The children gave various reasons for skipping: not having time in the morning, not hungry, unappealing choices, or not wanting to eat alone. For those who ate breakfast in the morning, they usually ate with a family member.

Shaw’s study also analyzed family income, ethnicity, married parents, and family income in relation to eating breakfast. The study found Caucasians having a lower percentage of meals skipped compared to other ethnicities. The status of parents—married or divorced—was not significant while a family with a higher income skipped breakfast more. This study shows just a few of the various elements that influence a child’s eating habits.

The push for youth eating breakfast is a result of the researched consequences of not consuming a well-balanced nutritional meal in the morning. Depleting the body of required nutrients results in decreased energy and performance of the body throughout the day. In Shaw’s study, those that skipped breakfast were inattentive, apathetic, and this negatively affected their performance at school. Energy is not the only consequence of not eating in the morning. The girls who skipped breakfast were more concerned about their body image and had a greater chance of developing an eating disorder if not already done so. For both genders, only fifty percent were happy with their body image; the others wanted to either increase or decrease their weight. These effects continue onto adulthood unless habits are changed.  

            I grew up sitting at the dining table every morning having breakfast whether it included a bowl of cheerios, grapefruit, omelet, or a piece of toast with crunchy peanut butter. I never stopped this routine when I grew older, mainly because it was habit and the rest of my family ate in the morning. While observing my friends in college I have noticed many going straight to class, skipping breakfast, and not eating anything till lunch. Getting up an extra fifteen minutes before class is worth the gained nutrients and energy to start the day. A well-balanced nutritional meal in the morning may not always be available, but something is always better than nothing. According to Shaw’s study, a significant number of youth are skipping breakfast, especially children. Encouraging children at a young age is the only way to continue the beneficial habit of eating breakfast in the morning.  

Food Journal Observations

Looking over the food posts, I noticed some interesting trends. On the weekends, the meals seemed to be dispersed (more snacking than actual set meals). There was a line between the healthy eaters and the non-healthy eater, not much in between. There were also specific trends each day: if someone had cereal for breakfast they had it everyday for breakfast, similar with omelets. What people drank throughout the day seemed to vary. Everything from water to soda to Vitamin Water.  I have skim milk for every meal; coming to college was a shock when none of my friends drank milk unless it was with cereal. Overall, people displayed the same trends everyday.

Food Journal

Monday May 7^th

9:00 a.m.- Wheat toast with peanut butter; Bowl of raisin bran with skim milk

12:30 p.m. Jicama roll; Glass skim milk

3:00 p.m.- Pb&j on wheat toast

6:00 p.m.- Scrambled eggs; 2 pancakes; Potatoes; Glass of skim milk

Tuesday May 8^th

9:00 a.m. - Omelet with spinach, tomatoes, olives, and ham; Glass of skim milk; Hash browns and bread with raspberries

12:00 p.m.- ½ sandwich with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, and ham; Peaches; Chips; Glass of skim milk

4:30 p.m.- Nature Valley oats and honey granola bar

6:00 p.m. - Slice of turkey; Sweet Potato; Cupcake; Glass of skim milk

9:30 p.m.- Dried apricots

Wednesday May 9^th

9:00 a.m.- Whole wheat toast with creamy peanut butter; Bowl of raisin bran with skim milk; Small croissant; Hot tea

12:00 p.m.- Bowl of rice crispies; Glass of skim milk; Part of chicken flatbread

3:00 p.m. - Green tea; Pb&j

6:00 p.m.- Pasta with red sauce; Glass of skim milk

9:00 p.m. - Chicken taco with lettuce, tomato, and rice

Honeybees Making Dinner

Every day people make decisions over food: what to eat, where to buy it, and how to eat it. Most of the time I eat food unknowing of where it came from or its production process. A recent meal I had (Sodexo’s options in the dining hall were unappealing) was honey toast: toasted oat nut bread spread over with gooey honey. This simple ingredient I use in baking, spreading over biscuits, or mixing in tea to soothe a soar throat. In ancient times, this natural sweetener was “the symbol of wealth and happiness” (Horn 2). Since then, honey has been found in various industries including food, pharmaceutical, dental, and cosmetics. Honey has a very unique line of production and history that was started millions of years ago.

Honey bees evolved 130 million years ago in Godwana: a single land mass consisting of present continents India, Africa, South America, Antarctica, and Australia. Ten million years later, honeybees acquired to the ability collect pollen and nectar by certain features such as longer tongues, pollen baskets, fuzziness of the skin, and colonies to store materials. Freezing temperatures thirty million years ago, during the Oligocene-Miocene period, caused the extinction of the European honeybees; the Indo-European honeybees survived and began to reproduce and speciate. Honeybees come from the tribe Apinin, and are the last living member. In the early 1900s, tracheal mites were destroying the beehives of Apis mellifera (branch of Apinin) in Europe. The United States passed a Honey Bee Restriction Act in 1992 to protect Apis mellifera in the US; by 1980, tracheal mites had migrated to the United States, eventually killing off 50-80% of American bee colonies (NYT).

In the 19^th century four inventions sparked beekeeping as an economically successful industry; they include the smoker, comb foundation maker, moveable-frame hive, and honey extractor. These inventions are still being used today but have been modified since their appearance. In early times, the entire colony of bees was destroyed when honey was harvested. In the late 18^th century Thomas Wildman invented ways to prevent the killing of bees when harvesting their honey. He attached parallel bars across the hive to increase amount of surface area bees can attach their comb to. His inventions led to the current movable comb hives: a frame can slide out without harming the bees or the eggs. Modern beekeeping includes the use of movable frame hives, top-bar hives, and protective clothing for the beekeepers. All of these inventions have been modified over the years adapting to benefit both the bees and the amount of production.

Inside of the hive, nectar undergoes physical and chemical changes to create honey. The nectar is “gathered by honeybees from flowers to feed the bee colony” (Nicholls and Miraglio 2003). There are two different types of bees: field bees and house bees. Field bees bring nectar they store in a honey sac to the hive. Inside the beehive, house bees receive the nectar and inject enzymes into it, breaking down sucrose into fructose and glucose. The house bees extract water from the nectar converting it into honey. This process is done through physical and chemical changes. The nectar starts out as 70% water, and finishes as honey with 20% water composition. To eliminate water, the honeybees eat and regurgitate the nectar, producing honey. Once the honey is produced it must be collected from the hive by a beekeeper.

Most honey gathering happens at night when bees are less active. A torch is inserted into the hive, scaring the bees to the back. Wearing a protective suit, a beekeeper reaches his hand into the hive to collect the honey. Even through this suit, beekeepers are not repellent to their stings; they must accept this slight discomfort when starting this job.

Honey types vary in their composition, flavor, and color—the boldest flavors are in the darkest honeys. The nectar source gives the greatest variety of composition among honeys. There are over three hundred floral sources in the world. The make-up of honey is 38% fructose; 31% glucose; 17% water; and 13% disaccharides, trisaccharides, and oligosaccharides. A small percentage includes vitamins, enzymes, amino acids, minerals, phytochemicals, and organic acids. Even though honey is largely composed of sugars, it is full of antioxidants and vitamins. 

Honey is seen in many different industries including food, pharmaceutical, dental, and cosmetics. Comparing the majority of consumption and production of honey, the United States is in both categories. The majority of honey is produced in the United States, Canada, China, Argentina, and Mexico, while the majority of consumption is in the United States, Japan, and Germany. Production across different continents could not have been possible without humans rearranging the distribution of bees around the world. During the 17^th century, Europeans were fleeing wars and brought bees to the United States when migrating. Other societies brought beekeeping to New Zealand, Tasmania, and Australia. Bees first evolved when a few of the continents were connected and this helped scattering bees around the world. Although, most of the current dispersion of bees would not have been possible without the help of humans.  

Honey toast has been my savior in the college dining hall. The gooey sweetener is perfect to spread over toast or mix in tea. The history of honey has surpassed what I ever would have imagined. The behavior of honeybees is very interesting; I am intrigued by the process honey went through to get on my plate. From harvesting the nectar to collecting the honey to traveling in a semi truck to the grocery store, honey shares a deep history. When honey was invented it was a symbol of prosperity and happiness. In today’s society it is cherished for its sweetness and medical powers. This transition through time can be reflected through the many different industries honey is a part of now. In the past it was a symbol of wealth and happiness; to me honey represents purity and delight.

The Truth of Food Production

Our food is not delicately prepared but comes from cramped, smelling farms and factories. Estabrook and Cook delve over the treacherous conditions workers and animals sacrifice in order for food to be presented on our plates. Estabrook informs in Tomatoland, that “a ten-foot drop followed by a sixty-mile-per-hour impact with pavement is no big deal to a modern, agribusiness tomato” (1). Estabrook argues the change from home picked and flavor, to a focus solely on business when he describes the tomato as “agribusiness.” Over the past fifty years, the tomatoes we eat have lost nutrition and flavor. Tomatoes are picked un-riped and then ripened along the journey to the grocery store. When falling out of a truck a tomato seems to have incurred no damage. This is a prominent example the food industry. The cheapest, simplest, and quickest way to get food into a grocery store will be used.

Cook writes about the process of getting chicken onto people’s plates. With eight billion chickens slaughtered each year for consumption, chicken farmers are finding the simplest and cheapest ways to get their chickens ready, even if this causes harm to the workers. In his article, Cook informs that 50% of the workers are immigrants and do not make enough money to pay for the necessary protection, goggles and gloves, for their work. Long hours and unequal pay are the characteristics of our food industry pointed out by both Cook and Estabrook.

Pollan adds to this claim in “An Animal’s Place”, focusing on the treatment of the animals. Pollan points out critical issues involving the politics of animal rights and animal sufferings. Our society relies heavily upon the convenience and cheapness of certain food items. Turning a blind eye towards the line of production of food poses severe repercussions to our society. Animals may continue to be treated harshly, but the entire food production is detrimental to the workers involved.

The American Way

Pollan evaluates the American way of eating in his article, “Our National Eating Disorder”. The causes of our national eating disorder can be directly related towards marketers, scientific studies, new government guidelines, or a simple article in a magazine. Pollan points out that a single article in his magazine a few years ago “almost singlehandedly ushered in today’s carbophobia” (1). As seen, a simple set of words directed at Americans can alter their eating habits overnight. New diets come out every day, all promoting their ways are the best new alternatives to stay healthy and fit. Many of these options eliminate certain items (bread, meat, fruit, dairy, etc…) out of one’s diet and this conflicts with my view of eating. I believe in eating a variety in smaller portions; thus, I have never followed the newest trend and changed my ways of eating. My house is always stocked with fruits and vegetables, and never potato chips. I am never very concerned with what I eat, due to the fact that over a small bite, fried food makes me feel queasy in the stomach; rather than face the consequences, I opt for the healthier choice.

Pollan further argues that American’s are more concerned about health while “the French, more apt to choose on the basis of pleasure, are the healthier (and thinner) people” (Pollan 4). The French indulge over wine and cheese daily, but they don’t use the term “seconds” in a meal. Pollen interestingly includes the results of a survey done by a French sociologist. In this survey it was found that Americans view foods based on their nutrition while the French view food based on pleasure and quality. Guilt and celebration were both used to describe a chocolate cake but the American and French views were different. Americans over-analyze the piece of chocolate, and as a result immediately feel the need to exercise after work (Pollan 4). I put myself with the French; indulging over a piece of chocolate cake is much more enjoyable than feeling guilty about it afterwards. Whether it is in words, actions, or choice of food, Americans continually worry about the nutrition of an option and this leads to a national eating disorder.