Brinnertime! Two thirds of Americans think breakfast foods are better at dinner

Big breakfast with bacon and scrambled eggs

NEW YORK — Americans love breakfast so much that some would give up dinner over it! A recent poll asked 2,005 adults which they’d rather give up between traditional breakfast foods and dinner entrées. Results show that people are more willing to abandon the latter (31%) than the former (25%).

When reaching for breakfast foods, half (48%) prefer a mix of both sweet and savory options. Twenty-three percent tend towards the sweeter fare, and 22 percent like savory. Eggs (42%) top the list of most popular dishes, followed by omelets (37%) and then pancakes (36%).

Conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Happy Egg, the poll also asked about the best time to eat traditional American breakfast foods like fried eggs, waffles, cereal or bagels. Sixty-five percent of respondents say that breakfast foods taste better for dinner, or “brinner.” And two-thirds (65%) admit to making dinner leftovers into their next-day breakfast.

However, 61 percent still eat breakfast foods most frequently in the morning, and more than three in five eat breakfast every day of the week. Monday ranks as the biggest day for breakfast-eating (39%), while Sunday (27%) came in as the least likely day.

“We all know that mornings can be rushed, especially as we get back into a post-pandemic routine,” says Whitney Fortin, Director of New Product Development at Happy Egg. “Most of us eat carb-heavy foods with simple sugars, that digest quickly — then, later in the day, we hit an energy slump and resort to snacking on more carbs or more calories than we realize.”

Almost one-third of respondents describe their breakfast-cooking skills as “quick and efficient.” A highly confident 18 percent, however, believe they are “Master Chef material.” Regardless of skill, when asked who makes the best breakfast, 34 percent named themselves.

And when asked which one breakfast food they’d be willing to eat for the rest of their lives, respondents chose pancakes (11%), French toast (10%) and eggs (10%). However, almost seven in 10 (68%) admit that they already tend to stick with the same breakfast each day.

“Starting with a food that contains both protein and fat ensures a great start to the day, and will keep you full throughout the morning,” said Fortin. “Whether we’re sticking with the same thing every day, or experimenting with different tastes and flavors for breakfast, one thing remains important: making sure we start the day off right with quality nutrients to ensure we stay satisfied and energetic throughout the day.”