I hate breakfast in bed. There. I said it. Mrs Romance and many, many others like her love it though. So in an effort to change my mind, Mrs Romance has come up with 3 pillow-side meals that might just work. I’ve also taken this opportunity to explain why breakfast in bed sucks.
I know it’s popular, I know it’s romantic and yes, I know it’s supposed to be a lovely treat, but for me breakfast in bed is my worst nightmare.
Here are my 5 reasons why breakfast in bed doesn’t work and 3 meals Mrs Romance thinks will convert me.
5 reasons why breakfast in bed sucks
1. Crumb fall
It’s inevitable. Toast is a synonymous element to many conventional western breakfasts but it doesn’t play well with the sheets.
2. Posture
Don’t get me wrong I don’t expect silver service at every meal, but the shape your body is in when you’re in bed is not the angle ideal for eating. Perhaps I need to work on my core but when I sit up in bed to eat, my back gets very angry with me.
3. There’s nowhere to put your brew
Beds are not made for balancing hot cups of tea or coffee. Bedside tables are too far over for you to reach without your meal sliding off your lap onto the bed.
And putting your knife and/or fork down to hold your cup can result in catapulted food or worse – a loss of said implement.
4. Using a knife and fork is horrible
Eating in bed feels like somewhere between dinnertime in an economy plane seat and dining in a bathtub (another space not made for eating).
You’re hunkered over your plate and every movement you or your partner makes wobbles the bed. Aiming with your fork and cutting with your knife becomes very tricky.
5. Après meal chaos
Plates have only 2 places to go; on the floor (to be trodden on when you finally do get up) or next to you on the bed. As it sits beside you on the bed, the plate seems to take on a life of its own.
Suddenly leaping off the bed or throwing itself on its food-smudged face, the plate appears possessed. At the very least, the knife and fork balanced on its surface will try and slither off onto your bed and smear food everywhere.
So that’s why I don’t like breakfast in bed.
However, these 3 breakfast ideas go some way to defusing most of the issues I have:
3 dishes to convert a breakfast in bed hater
1. Gluten free granola parfait
Small and self-contained, a granola parfait works for me. The yoghurt keeps most if not all the crumbs under control and the fruit is a nice healthy touch too.
Here’s our recipe for gluten free granola, which we love!
Layer granola, then yogurt, then a jam, fruit compote – or just smash up some strawberries, more yoghurt, and sliced strawberries on top and you’re away.
You also eat this with a spoon, avoiding any knife and fork nightmares.
2. Omelette
Omelettes are great because you can eat them with just a fork. They can get a bit messy though, so some care has to be taken. There shouldn’t be any crumbs though.
Mrs Romance actually makes an excellent omelette, which she might tell you about later, but this omelette recipe by the Merrymaker Sisters looks pretty bulletproof. Plus it’s paleo!
If you want to go the whole hog, check out this monster by Confessions of a Plate Addict’s bro-in-law. Crazy stuff!
3. Smoothies
I’m always surprised how filling smoothies can be. There are some awesome combos you can put together – Mrs Romance is really into her green smoothies at the moment.
Although you still have the same problem with a smoothie as with a cup of tea or coffee, there’s no cutlery and no crumbs, which is a win for me.
This extra healthy blueberry maca smoothie from the Merrymaker Sisters sounds great, as does this banana, pear and vanilla smoothie by Lipstick and Cake, but there are hundreds of combos you can use.
The funny thing is I love making Mrs Romance breakfast in bed. I know she enjoys it. But I usually end up eating in the other room. She doesn’t seem to mind. Perhaps this is a good example of compromise in a relationship!
How do you feel about breakfast in bed? Do you have a favourite meal you love eating in bed? What dish do you think would convert me into a b-in-b lover? Tell us in the comments!
