French toast fondness: Sophie Froese,14, enjoys brunch with her family at the local restaurant Sofia’s.
[dropcap style=”flat” size=”4″]T[/dropcap]he Great Wall of China, elephants and a teenager’s appetite. What do these have in common? They are enormous. Be it pizza rolls or cookies, adolescents always seem to be hungry. Teens’ appetite is so voracious that teens are venturing into a meal more closely associated with yuppies than Missourians: brunch.
Brunch first appeared at the turn of the 20th century. Wealthier members of society enjoyed what was intended as a feast for after church. Through the next century it remained an upper class occurrence on the East Coast. In recent years young, middle class people across the country began to adopt the practice of brunch, according to an article from the Washington Post.
One teen joining the brunch enthusiasm is junior Mariah Dale. In the mornings she heads out with her friends and honors the age old breakfast custom. Her favorite places are Lucy’s Corner Cafe and Cracker Barrell. For her, making breakfast a social event is an easy choice.
“I usually am not as busy in the morning as I am [during] later parts of the day so it’s easy to schedule,” Dale said. “The food is really varied but relatively inexpensive. You can get sweet stuff that’s basically dessert if you wanted or you could get something more savory.”
Junior Camille McManus, who works at B&B Bagels, said she sees RBHS students come in every morning for breakfast, especially before the school day begins. For those who don’t know, B&B is located only a hop, skip and a jump from RBHS. McManus credits the convenient location of the bagel shop for its popularity, as well as some other handy features.
“Because it’s so close to school I think a ton of people are interested in grabbing something quick before school,” McManus said. “Because not many people like to make their breakfast in the morning or they might not have time [to], it’s just easier to go out.”
Teenagers have a reputation of skipping breakfast. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, up to 30 percent of teenagers will skip breakfast. Because of this, dietician Jennifer Polniak says eating out for breakfast is a step in the right direction. Polniak said, however,  a new set of concerns arises when a person eats out, like becoming more likely to overeat and eat meals high in fat and sodium.
[quote cite=”Jennifer Polniak”]“People eat out for many reasons, and being social is one of the big reasons,” Polniak said. “This is OK occasionally, but eating out socially — whether [it’s] breakfast or any other time — can cause one to lose track and increase risk of health problems.”[/quote] Polniak recommends that brunch should not be an everyday occurrence, but rather saved for special occasions. She recommends guidelines for eating out, such as limiting portions and eating nutritious foods. Dale knows there are guidelines, so she usually looks for options that include grains, protein and fruit. McManus said that while B&B primarily serves carb heavy bagels, there are also fruit and vegetable options to create a balanced meal.
“[Look for] good protein, good energy, high nutrients,” Polniak said. “Lean protein sources and less refined carbs, [you should eat] egg/lean meat and fruit, whole grains, milk.”
Even as brunch can threaten cholesterol, it can nurture the soul. For many people, food is a source of comfort, even in the morning. Both McManus and Dale share a theory about a correlation in happiness and breakfast food. According to McManus, it just starts the morning off better.
“It makes getting up in the morning enjoyable,” Dale said. “You wake up and instead of feeling tired or dreading the day to come you’re excited about starting your day with the people you love.”
What do you enjoy for breakfast? Comment below.