Does it HAVE to be breakfast food?

[Amanita]

So I went to the doctor, and when I told him the strange hours I work, he wanted to put me on a meal schedule.
Now, I am a nightshifter, and usually wake up between noon and 1 pm. He tells me "Have a breakfast meal", as in traditional breakfast type food.
The trouble is I don't like a lot of traditional beakfast foods. I have to drown oatmeal in sugar to make it remotely palatable, cereal leaves me ravenously hungry an hour or two later, nor do I care for fried eggs, and while I like pancakes, I can't have them every day, nor do I have the time to make them every couple of days.

So just WHY do we have to eat only certain foods for breakfast? Is there really some health reason behind it, or is it strictly cultural?

[Seshat]

Strictly cultural. There's no particular reason for breakfast foods. 'Breakfast cereal', in fact, was invented by Kellog in the century before last.

[sms001]

So just WHY do we have to eat only certain foods for breakfast? Is there really some health reason behind it, or is it strictly cultural?

I would certainly ask him to clarify this a bit, Am. Maybe he means that you would be better served eating something breakfast foods tend towards, like fiber, carbs, and protein?

I myself have pb & j sandwiches for brekkie pretty often, and we have dinner of pancakes or omelettes frequently. One of my favorite "breakfast out" is a hamburger patty, fries, and scrambled eggs. The burger is less fatty than sausage or bacon, and is less heavy than steak, and fries = hashbrowns as far as I'm concerned.

[Aethian]

Honestly I think it's a old ad deal that is now cultural. If you ask my ex he can tell you all about the time we had steak and waffles for dinner. Or the time we had left over stew for breakfast.

My favorite meal to break my fast with is egg fried rice with some slivered chicken mixed in. It's not something I do often but man can I stay full with that for a good five to six hours.

[fireheart]

Scrambled eggs? Eggs on toast?

Toast? French toast?

Bacon on toast?

A girlfriend of mine and my boyfriend chose to do bacon, maple syrup and toast together. O.o

[EricKei]

Spam spam spam bacon and spam?

I guess what the doc meant was for you to eat stuff that YOU, personally, associate with breakfast -- whatever that may be.

[Teskeria]

actually, really traditional type breakfast foods would be what we call dinner a lot now. Something like Steak and potatoes. People doing heavy physical work ate hearty in the morning and often at noon, and light in the evening. So ask your doctor to clarify what he means. As SMS said he may have been using breakfast to mean a certain style not specific foods.

[Food Lady]

I'm thinking it's partially cultural, but he may be thinking of certain amounts of carbs, proteins, and fats at different periods of wakefulness. My mom has diabetes and she needs different amounts of protein right after sleeping and at night. I know you're probably not diabetic, but the thinking now is that all of us should be thinking about what our blood sugar does at different times of the day, and eating accordingly. So maybe that's his angle.

[mathnerd]

We had bacon and French toast for dinner tonight.

I think he might have meant an actual meal at breakfast time, whenever that is for you, and not actual "breakfast" foods. I would assume he just doesn't want you skipping your "morning" meal, and doesn't care what types of food, as long as it's a full, balanced meal. If he meant anything else, then I'd probably start looking for a new doctor, as there's nothing inherently special about the traditional, western breakfast type foods.

[FormerCallingCardRep]

There has been days that we will have eggs, bacon and biscuits for dinner. I think the main thing is to eat a healthy meal

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Spam spam spam bacon and spam?

I DON'T LIKE SPAM!

[raudf]

I've had chili for breakfast and omelets for dinner. Mind, I have major trouble eating right after waking up, so that's if I eat "breakfast." By the time my tummy settles enough, I'm usually into brunch. Which can be anything I feel like fixing and eating.

[Aethian]

I think as long as you drink some water with the first half hour if waking it helps get the stomach up to eating/digesting. But that's what I've found works for me. I don't think any of my professors/teachers really got into digestion.

[Amanita]

I mentioned that I had eaten leftover chinese food- noodles and stir fried meat and veggies. He didn't like that too much, he said "Don't do that!"
So yes, he meant what our culture thinks of as breakfast food.

[mathnerd]

I mentioned that I had eaten leftover chinese food- noodles and stir fried meat and veggies. He didn't like that too much, he said "Don't do that!"
So yes, he meant what our culture thinks of as breakfast food.

I'd seriously rethink this person as my doctor. Either that or unleash my inner 3 year old on him and as "Why" 80 billion times.

-Why traditional breakfast foods
-What makes these foods specifically so special in the mornings
-Why are other foods not suitable, so long as they're healthy and nutritious.

Why, why, why? If he couldn't give me a satisfactory answer, which I don't think he could, I'd go get a new doctor.