Breakfast in the 1930s looked quite different from the typical breakfast most Americans eat today. In the 1930s, breakfast was a no-frills, utilitarian meal, focused on providing energy and nutrition to start the day. Cereals, eggs, bacon, toast, and coffee dominated morning menus. With limited refrigeration, few fresh fruits or refrigerated dairy products made it to the breakfast table. Despite the Great Depression’s grip on the nation, breakfast remained an anchor in daily routines.
What did people eat for breakfast in the 1930s?
The most common breakfast foods in the 1930s included:
- Eggs – Fried, scrambled, poached, or in an omelet
- Bacon or sausage
- Toast or biscuits
- Grits or oatmeal
- Coffee
- Fruit – Stewed prunes, applesauce, or citrus fruits in winter
While some fresh fruits like oranges and bananas were available, especially by the end of the decade, most fruits had to be canned, dried, or preserved to last through the winter. Refrigeration was still relatively rare, so perishable dairy products like fluid milk or yogurt were not common breakfast fare.
Regional and rural differences
Breakfast foods varied by region. In the South, grits, gravy, and biscuits were popular. Cornmeal mush was common in rural areas. Ham or salt pork often substituted for bacon. Farm families tended to have eggs and homemade breads available. Urban apartment dwellers without iceboxes typically had simple breakfasts of cereal, toast, and coffee.
The cereal boom
Cereal began to replace heavier breakfast foods like sausage and eggs as the 1920s progressed. Early ready-to-eat cereals like Corn Flakes, invented in the late 19th century, gave way to sweeter brands marketed to children, like Wheaties, Rice Krispies, and Cheerios. By the 1930s, cereal had become a staple breakfast food, providing an inexpensive, shelf-stable, nutritious option to start the day.
How did the Great Depression impact breakfast habits?
The privations of the Great Depression made breakfast simpler but no less important. Government-supplied food relief helped supplement household breakfasts with basics like eggs, cereal, dried milk, and canned fruit. With unemployment high, many households downshifted their breakfast choices to more affordable yet filling options.
Changes in the family breakfast
Large family breakfasts around the table became less common, as people sought work away from home. Men who had lost jobs sometimes skipped breakfast or just had coffee and toast. Children ate cereal or oatmeal, or went without breakfast completely. Unemployed fathers often spent breakfast time looking for day labor jobs.
Creative ways to stretch food
Homemakers used creative ways to make inexpensive breakfast foods seem special. Cereals were jazzed up with a bit of dried fruit. Leftover bread was made into French toast. Coffee was lengthened with chicory or roasted grain. Fresh eggs and seasonal fruit helped vary monotonous breakfasts of porridge or toast.
Government commodities
Government food assistance helped provide staple breakfast foods like powdered eggs, canned milk, cornmeal, wheat cereal, dried prunes, and grapefruit. Some schools and charities offered free morning meals to needy children and unemployed adults.
What were some typical breakfast menus in the 1930s?
Sample breakfast menus from the era show both economical and more indulgent options.
Low-cost breakfast
- Oatmeal or cereal
- Toast with butter or corn syrup
- Coffee or Postum (a coffee substitute)
Moderate-cost breakfast
- Scrambled eggs
- Bacon or ham
- Biscuits and gravy
- Coffee
Higher-cost breakfast
- Tomato or fruit juice
- Creamed chipped beef on toast
- Hashed brown potatoes
- Coffee
What foods and brands were popular for breakfast in the 1930s?
Here are some of the most popular breakfast foods and brands from 1930s menus:
Cereals
- Wheaties
- Corn Flakes
- Rice Krispies
- Shredded Wheat
- Cheerios
- Farina
- Cream of Wheat
- Grape Nuts
Breads
- Wonder Bread
- Sunbeam Bread
- Roman Meal Bread
Spreads
- Jams and jellies
- Corn syrup
- Butter and margarine
Beverages
- Coffee – Maxwell House and Sanka brands
- Tea – Lipton and Tetley brands
- Orange juice – Sunkist brand
- Postum – Grain-based coffee substitute
Basic breakfast staples like eggs, milk, bacon, and fruit remained largely unbranded. Housewives purchased these ingredients in bulk or preserved them at home.
How did technology impact breakfast in the 1930s?
New technologies drove changes in breakfast foods and preparation in the 1930s.
Advances in cereal production
Manufacturers developed flaking and puffing processes to create breakfast cereals. Adding sugar to cereals became popular. New cereal brands proliferated, heavily marketed to children.
| Year | Cereal |
|---|---|
| 1933 | Wheaties |
| 1937 | Cheerios |
| 1939 | Alpha-Bits |
Canning
Canning technology allowed fruits like grapefruit, peaches, and apples to be enjoyed year-round. Brands like Del Monte and Libby’s became breakfast staples.
Home appliances
New stoves and early electric appliances like waffle irons, percolators, and toasters helped automate breakfast preparation in middle class households.
Commercial freezing
Freezing foods for storage and transportation was an emerging technology. Quick-frozen waffles, juices, and other frozen breakfast items laid the groundwork for the frozen food boom after World War II.
How did breakfast differ for families of different economic means?
Breakfast varied greatly depending on a family’s economic situation in the 1930s.
Wealthy families
- Enjoyed fresh squeezed orange juice, grapefruit, melons, and other seasonal fruit
- Employed cooks prepared elaborate breakfasts like eggs Benedict, crepes, smoked salmon, and steak and eggs
- Drank imported coffee and tea
- Had the most access to varied diets and new products
Middle class families
- Typically ate eggs, toast, bacon, cereal, and coffee
- Occasional pancakes, waffles, or hot cereal as treats
- Some new appliances like toasters and percolators
- shopped sales and bargains to control food costs
Working class families
- Had simpler breakfasts of cereal, bread, jam, and coffee
- Eggs or meat a few times a week
- Stretched staples like coffee and bread
- Used government commodity foods
Poor and unemployed
- Subsisted on very basic foods – cereal, broth, coffee
- Skipped breakfast or ate just coffee or bread some days
- Depended heavily on bread lines, relief kitchens, and government food
- Children sometimes went to school hungry
Breakfast was an emblem of social station. The unemployed or destitute ate extremely spartan breakfasts or none at all. The upper classes enjoyed fresh fruits, rich foods, and domestic help even in hard times.
What role did breakfast play in daily life in the 1930s?
Despite the Depression, breakfast remained an anchor for family life and routines in the 1930s.
Nutrition
Breakfast provided essential nutrition to start the day right. Hot cereals and egg dishes satisfied hunger and gave energy for manual labor or long commutes.
Family time
Sharing breakfast was often the only family time working fathers had before leaving for a job. Unemployed fathers still sat at breakfast to look for work.
Normalcy
Keeping up regular family breakfasts, even simple ones, maintained a sense of normalcy and hope during hard times.
Affordability
Basic breakfast foods like cereal, bread, and eggs were affordable and filling. Scrambled egg dishes stretched eggs further.
Regional identity
Regional favorites like biscuits and gravy or cornmeal mush reinforced regional identities.
How did breakfast change from the 1930s to modern day?
From the 1930s to today, breakfast has evolved from a utilitarian meal to a more indulgent, flexible affair.
Greater variety
Advances in refrigeration, freezing, and global imports bring much more variety to the breakfast table – fresh fruits, dairy products, juices, and pre-prepared frozen foods.
More indulgence
Today’s breakfast features more sugars, sweets, and indulgent options like pancakes, chocolate in cereal, sweet bakery items, and milkshakes.
Portability
On-the-go breakfast has emerged as a major trend, fueled by fast food breakfast menus, breakfast bars, packaged to-go foods, and drive-throughs.
Flexibility
Breakfast is much less bound by traditional timing norms. All-day breakfast, breakfast for dinner, and breakfast skipping are common.
Health trends
With rising rates of obesity and diabetes, high protein, low sugar, whole grain, and gluten-free breakfast options have grown in popularity as well.
| 1930s | Today |
|---|---|
| Eggs, bacon, toast | Smoothies, yogurt parfaits |
| Coffee, tea, boiled milk | Fresh juices, lattes, mochas |
| Grapefruit, stewed prunes | Fresh berries, melon, bananas |
| Porridge, farina | Granola, muesli |
| Toast, biscuits | Muffins, bagels, breakfast sandwiches |
Conclusion
Breakfast in the 1930s was defined by simplicity and thrift. Basic staples like eggs, toast, cereal, and coffee appeared on most breakfast tables. The Great Depression forced families to economize but breakfast remained an important daily ritual. Compared to the wide choices available today, breakfast options were quite limited due to lack of refrigeration and imported foods. Still, 1930s breakfasts provided satisfying starts to challenging days. The 1930s breakfast established the foundation for the diversified choices we enjoy today.