# Chili for breakfast: Is it healthy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 7, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732 "2011-01-07T09:55:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/1 "2011-01-07T09:55:21Z")
I made a very large batch of chili yesterday. I had chili for lunch, dinner, and my bedtime snack. Two bowls full each time. Even as we speak, I am heating chili for breakfast and have been since about 3:30 this morning. It will soon be ready and I will eat another two bowls full when it is. Is it possible to OD on chili, no matter how good it is? I put two bottles of Corona in while cooking it, in the hope that the alcohol would kill any deadly organisms that survived the spices. Am I doomed? ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/2 "2011-01-07T10:05:13Z")
I did the same thing a while ago with a huge batch of [Beef Rendang](http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/malaysian-beef-rendang/Detail.aspx), mostly having it on toast. ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/3 "2011-01-07T10:05:19Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Is it possible to OD on chili, no matter how good it is? I put two bottles of Corona in while cooking it, in the hope that the alcohol would kill any deadly organisms that survived the spices. > > Am I doomed? That depends on whether you plan to spend any time in an enclosed space in the near future. Risk increases exponentially with the number of fellow humans in close proximity. And for goodness sakes, don’t smoke. You may upset your stomach through spice-triggered irritation, or cause an inbalance in your intestinal flora for a few days, but you should be fine. Si ---
**Author:** ![Drain\_Bead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47774/32.png) [@Drain\_Bead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drain_Bead)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/4 "2011-01-07T12:15:01Z")
If it makes you feel better, pour it over an omelet? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/5 "2011-01-07T12:23:08Z")
There is no such thing as too much chili, just too small a stomach. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/6 "2011-01-07T12:33:48Z")
Ditto regarding garlic. ---
**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/7 "2011-01-07T13:56:14Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > If it makes you feel better, pour it over an omelet? Isn’t that a lot like ranchos huevos? I love ranchos huevos. ---
**Author:** ![GiantRat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@GiantRat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GiantRat)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/8 "2011-01-07T14:33:23Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > Isn’t that a lot like ranchos huevos? I love ranchos huevos. Dammit, it’s _huevos rancheros_. Farmer’s eggs. And I love me some eggs farmer’s, too. 😃 I hate to say this, for risk of making the line at the joint even longer, but IF YOU’RE EVER IN HOBOKEN, GO TO LA ISLA AND GET THE HUEVOS RANCHEROS. I miss that dish even more than all of the naive 25 year old chicks looking to marry a dude who makes $1 million/yr. Seriously. Trust me on this. ETA: Go easy on the Yuca Teca sauce, and your ass will thank you. It’s not a toy. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/9 "2011-01-07T16:08:47Z")
> [@Drain\_Bead](#): > > If it makes you feel better, pour it over an omelet? Make them over easy eggs and I’ll take a plate. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/10 "2011-01-07T16:22:54Z")
I like chili with scrambled eggs. About the only time I purposely cook eggs scrambled. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/11 "2011-01-07T17:44:01Z")
This reminds me of a question I’ve had for a while, are chili peppers good for you like a vegetable is good for you? If you eat a lot of it, would that be unhealthy? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/12 "2011-01-07T17:53:47Z")
I don’t think that chili is _necessarily_ unhealthy for breakfast, but between lunch yesterday and breakfast today, you’ve had _eight_ bowls of chili. _That_ sounds unhealthy. Certainly if I have it for lunch, I’m usually in the mood for a light supper of soup or a salad. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/13 "2011-01-07T17:53:49Z")
[Give me three chili dogs and a malt.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNeMmDHUCt8&) ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/14 "2011-01-07T17:55:27Z")
> [@Floater](#): > > Ditto regarding garlic. I beg to differ. I once ate so much garlic in my dinner (garlic pasta with garlic sauce with a side of garlic bread) that I stunned all my e. coli. Was an interesting 48 hours, let me tell you. But ODing on chili? Nah. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/15 "2011-01-07T18:19:43Z")
the idea of “breakfast foods” is mostly just tradition. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/16 "2011-01-07T18:34:53Z")
If the chili has beans it is better to eat it than not. One thing Americans and all people in Western nations are woefully lacking in is fiber. Beans are rich in fiber. ---
**Author:** ![cwthree](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9de0a6/32.png) [@cwthree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cwthree)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/17 "2011-01-07T19:53:57Z")
> [@LouisB](#): > > I put two bottles of Corona in while cooking it In the chili or in the cook? 🙂 Seriously - chili with beer sounds good enough to eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. What else is in this magical chili of yours? ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/18 "2011-01-07T20:17:12Z")
Chili is mainly ground meat (probably beef), peppers or pepper sauce, spices, and usually beans unless you’re Texan. It might a lot of fat depending on the meat you used (I usually use turkey or very lean beef) but you could do a lot worse health-wise. Just go easy on the habeneros, you don’t want to dissolve your sphincter. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/19 "2011-01-07T20:33:40Z")
Holy shit that’s a lot of chili. Prolly won’t kill ya, but it’s prolly gonna feel like your ass is on fire for a few hours. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2011, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732/20 "2011-01-07T20:41:28Z")
I make chili with a little ground beef and a lot of beans, peppers, tomatoes, and onions. Yeah, I know that I’m not a purist. However, it’s one of the highest-fiber, most nutrient-rich things in my repertoire. Chili my way is definitely healthy. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chili-for-breakfast-is-it-healthy/566732.md?page=2)