Going all the way back to ancient Egypt, the rich and powerful craved eating foods from the most finely sifted flour.
For many centuries and in many countries, having access to refined flour was a symbol of status and power.
Towards the end of the 1800's, advancements in the refining process created flour that was finer, cheaper, and had a much longer shelf life.
The cost to produce flour dropped dramatically, and it no longer became the sole possession of the top rungs of society.
With the population explosion in cities around this time (early 1900's), flour-based foods kept many poor factory workers and their families from going hungry.
Nutritionists and scientists of the time vehemently protested their widespread use, however, as the foods made from it were of such low nutritional quality.
For wealthy families, these tasty treats became the final course of dinnertime meals during this same early 20th century period. Nutritionally they were not important, so flour-based foods became more of a bonus treat.
Somewhere along the way, though, these low-nutrient pastries became a fixture of American breakfasts.
Cereal, pancakes, muffins, waffles, scones, toast, donuts, french toast, bagels are some of the more common ones.
They're all cheap, tasty, and easily accessible.
Why is it, though, that we've taken the meal where we most need quality nutrition, since we haven't consumed food for many hours, and filled it with the lowest-valued food source we could possibly find?
The obvious results for those who eat flour-based foods at breakfast are poor weight management, digestive issues, and fluctuating energy throughout the day.
If you have trouble losing weight, gaining weight, digesting your food without pain, or staying energized you should strongly consider changing your morning eating habits.
Athletes who juggle an intense academic and athletic training schedule, like many on our reading list, have an even greater need to avoid flour-based foods.
The ancient Egyptians can surely find something else to look up to you for :)
