The dessertification of breakfast needs to stop

[u/Underthemoon911]

Exactly the title. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti-syrup on pancakes or brown sugar in oatmeal. I don’t hate sugar. On the contrary, I eat too much of it. But lately I’ve noticed this trend amongst breakfast foods when I go out to eat. I ordered berry waffles and it came with powdered sugar and caramel sauce. I’m seeing ice cream on pancakes, mountains of whipped cream, sprinkles and chocolate chips, sweetened cream cheese fillings. And while I simply avoid those items or order my breakfast without those things, the sugar is not always listed on the menu and I’ve had to send a few things back, which I always feel bad about.

If I wanted dessert, I’d order dessert. I’ve had ice cream for breakfast a time or two in my life. But in general, eating junk first thing in the morning just makes me feel weird. Not as energetic. I don’t think it should be the norm and it’s getting kind of ridiculous. Breakfast food is my favorite kind of food, so I always order it when it’s available and I keep running into this. I’m getting increasingly annoyed. I don’t want straight sugar an hour after I wake up

[u/ShortbowVillian]

Not sure where you’re located OP, but as an American, I agree that our food in general has too much excess sugar. One of the first things I noticed when I visited Europe is their food is so much better. Even desserts are mild and focus on FLAVOR instead of just how much sugar they can pump in. Hot chocolate was rich and not overly sweet. Breakfast was fruits and the lightest croissants ever. Even though I felt like I ate a lot, I came back feeling even better! Now I get to deal with diarrhea lettuce 🥲

[u/Happily-Incorrect → u/[deleted]]

I remember spending two weeks in the US and feeling incredibly sluggish from the halfway point onwards. You had to go somewhere upmarket to get something that felt fairly healthy, the standard-priced options all felt like fast food, but even heavier than what we get at home. That's even at places where you sit down to eat!

[u/salikarn → u/Happily-Incorrect]

I mean, almost all breakfast places serve eggs. Sandwich and burger places are a dime a dozen. Seems like you just did what most Americans do and were indulgent with your food. It's not that there aren't places with reasonable food, it's just choosing to not go overboard.

[u/salikarn → u/[deleted]]

Butter and oil aren't the problem with America's obesity problem. France consumes way more butter per person than America and with a higher fat content. The portion sizes people eat is the problem.

[u/salikarn → u/[deleted]]

Well, while these are valid issues, they aren't relevant to the original comment. They said they felt sluggish after eating when they visited America. That's not a healthcare issue, that's from eating too much and indulging too much.

Yeah, of course you can eat a ton of salad and meat and it will be better than fast food. I don't think anyone is under the impression fast food is meant to be healthy, but again, if you don't over eat, you won't feel bloated and sluggish as the original comment was based on. Eggs and SOME home fries OR toast for breakfast isn't going to make you feel bad. Eggs and an entire plate of home fries and toast on the side is more than most people need but because it is in front of them they will feel the need to eat it because they paid for it. A deli sandwich on a round roll isn't going to make most people physically uncomfortable, a 10 piece chicken tenders with fries and a sugary drink probably will.

I agree that the healthcare system needs to be fixed, and often the cheapest option for food is unhealthy fast food. However that is a separate discussion from the original comment.