# part of a complete breakfast **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 25, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914 "2003-01-25T21:37:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914/1 "2003-01-25T21:37:57Z")
They always say this with sugary cereals. WHat part of a complete breakfast is it? 10%? WHat makes a breakfast complete ? ---
**Author:** ![kniz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@kniz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kniz)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914/2 "2003-01-25T22:17:17Z")
I was told to have some fat for breakfast (like a single piece of bacon), since that will stay with you. Cereals will be gone by mid-morning. Actually, plant fats are better, so I put some peanut butter on my toast. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2003, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914/3 "2003-01-25T23:05:56Z")
The comics and the editorial page. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914/4 "2003-01-26T00:12:20Z")
They say it because of sloppy science. Back in the 70s, some group decided to rate the nutritional value of cereals. Instead of doing any real research, they merely read the percentage of the RDA for the nine nutrients that were required to be stated on each box. Then the added the percentages together. Perfect score was 900 (Total cereal was the only to reach it). They they pointed out how a cereal would only have 200-250 points on their 900-point scale. Scandal! But, of course, the numbers were phony. Most Americans eat three meals a day. Thus the numbers for any given meal need only to be 300 to keep on track. 200 points was low, but could easily have been made up with lunch and dinner. Also, they made no attempt to compare the scale for other breakfasts. I doubt, say, a couple of pancakes would be anywhere near 900, not would a scrambled egg and toast. In any case, there was a furor in the press. The cereal companies began to do the “Part of a breakfast” thing to indicate that you should eat more than just the cereal. It was easier than teaching the American public how to analyze data. ---
**Author:** ![Brutus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/91b2a8/32.png) [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914/5 "2003-01-26T00:44:32Z")
Bacon, Ham, Eggs, Hash Browns, Biscuits and Gravy, Toast, Coffee, and of course, Marlboros! ---
**Author:** ![Roadwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Roadwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roadwalker)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914/6 "2003-01-26T01:48:53Z")
…and Beer and Pizza. C’mon let’s not forget what’s important. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2003, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/part-of-a-complete-breakfast/150914/7 "2003-01-26T02:13:11Z")
grits.