Pancakes with bacon hidden inside, topped with apples
I have an ongoing discussion with my friend Nicole on what constitutes a meal. I vehemently defend anything I’ve ever posted on this blog, and she denies most of it.
Nicole: Macaroni and cheese is NOT a meal.
DISAGREE
Nicole: Pancakes are cake, NOT a meal.
DISAGREE
Nicole: A muffin is NOT breakfast, it’s cake.
DISAGREE
Now, anyone who knows me knows that I can pretty much call anything into a meal. For one solid week last year I ate nothing but chocolate cake and red wine for dinner. If it’s 6PM, and I eat a slice of cake and drink a glass of wine, and then I’m full, and then I go to bed… how come that’s not dinner? I’m not feeding it to my growing children, or even my hungry boyfriend. Nicole would probably argue that there is literally zero nutritional value in chocolate cake and red wine (except for all those antioxidants! what whaaaaat). And that’s her argument against macaroni and cheese, and pancakes, too. Zero nutritional value. Does a “meal” have to have a certain amount of nutritional value to actually be worthy of the name? I dare you to find a single, city-living lady who has never called cheese and crackers dinner.
What do you think, guys? What’s a meal? Are pancakes a meal if you add bacon? Or top them with apples? Why is spaghetti with sauce and garlic bread considered dinner, but not pancakes? Why is a bowl of Lucky Charms breakfast, but not slice of pound cake (FYI: they both have TONS of sugar). Is greasy Chinese takeout a meal even though it has endless amounts of MSG, fat, and oil? How about a pepperoni pizza?
I rarely ask outright for your comments, but this time I want them! Go ahead. Comment away. That’s right… I’m lookin’ at you.
Lauren E. is a food writer and recipe tester living in New York City. She is a regular contributor to Yumm.com and has been featured on The Martha Stewart Show.
I stand by my claims! I’d go toe-to-toe with you that no loving mother in her right mind should feed her child Lucky Charms (for any meal, let alone breakfast). Do I love pancakes? Dear Sweet Jesus in Heaven YES! Do I acknowledge that I’m doing my body a disservice when I wake up at 9:30 on a Saturday morning and cobble them together and then glaze them with a loving combination of butter and maple syrup? YES! Have I done it (and will I continue to do it)? Shamefully…yes. I’ve eaten, but can I really say I’ve given myself “the most important meal of the day”? Every now and then in our culinary discourse, I’d like us to take a moment and honor the word “meal”. (btw – I might’ve had pound cake and whipped cream (from a can!) for dinner last night…)
Every tuesday night steph has an abbotts sunday as her dinner. That is her meal. Fight for your right to eat whatever the hell you want!!! Just dont get fat in the process.
Many people are not able to eat like a small bird of prey. Numerous times I have eaten things that have sat in the fridge for days , only to be chewed out by you.. Now I know wh you get mad if I eat the last muffin.. it means I am taking a whole meal away from you. All the while I thought it was just a treat.. apparently you rely on that muffin to sustain energy throughout the day. I apologize.
This is your father speaking, the other BF (u can splain that). a meal is what u want to eat, whenever u want to eat it. Your daddy said so. And I think bird of prey is quite harsh; for shame BF.
Harsh words coming from a guy that goes by “Big Fruit”
Thanks to all for the input. … Kind of.