How the Pandemic Hacked the Way We Eat Breakfast [Infographic]

Although there’s no question that Americans are big fans of breakfast food (at any time of the day, really), many of us also often don’t eat breakfast. In fact, 56% of Americans, including 87% of all parents, do not enjoy breakfast as their first meal of the day. We love eggs, pancakes, bacon, and hash browns, so why are so many of us skipping this meal? 

The number one reason for skipping breakfast is that 50% of us believe it’s the most time-consuming meal to prepare, and we just don’t have it on weekday mornings. Even if we could make the time, chances are, we wouldn’t. The majority of Americans would rather have a few more minutes of sleep than get up early enough to make breakfast. 

One might think that the pandemic would have changed our breakfast consumption statistics, considering the huge jump in the number of people working from home. Nevertheless, even with 60% more home-cooked meals, our breakfast consumption has stayed about the same. 

It’s an interesting point, however, that even though the percentage of breakfast eaters has not increased during the pandemic, the percentages of consumption of breakfast foods actually has increased a good deal. 

The pandemic has triggered no small desire for good ol’ American comfort foods, and breakfast foods are high on the list. In fact, our consumption of pancakes has increased by 25%, waffles by 20%, sausage by 16%, and bacon by 15%. 

Over half of Americans make sure they get their breakfast during the work week, with 57% doing so to stop feeling hungry in the morning; 51% want to have a great start to their day, and 47% want to stay full until lunchtime. 

Studies show that eating a healthy breakfast can improve overall health, lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, and provide greater focus throughout the day. 

With lack of time being the biggest deterrent to eating a good breakfast, 2 out of 5 people are even more interested in heat-to-eat breakfasts since the pandemic. The convenience, taste, and cost-effectiveness of these easy breakfasts are very appealing to the post-pandemic employee, keeping breakfast at its high rank in American cuisine. Check out more trends of how American breakfast habits have shifted in the infographic below: