Did you know you're eating breakfast wrong?
Well, you're not eating it as well as you could be. Eating expert Dan Pashman, author of the new book "Eat More Better," wants to improve your breakfast experience through a series of simple tricks, which will have you enjoying your eggs with more cheesiness, your bagels with a better spread-to-bread ratio, and your cereal with a longer-lasting crunch.
Pashman, also the host of "The Sporkful" podcast and the Cooking Channel web series "You're Eating it Wrong," sat down with TODAY to share his favorite tips for maximizing morning foods.
Bagels
Problem: These days, bagels might as well be called bread bombs — they're just way too fluffy and puffy and fat, according to Pashman. This throws off, among other things, the ratio when it comes to cream cheese vs. bagel in each bite.
Solution: Bagel Trifurcation
To get back to bagel basics, he recommends slicing the bagel into thirds instead of in half. Then you can toast the middle part for a "bagel chip" effect, while applying your spread to the other pieces as normal. And, voila! A lighter, crispier bagel — just the way the bagel gods intended it.
Doughnuts
Problem: Dunkin' donuts is certainly onto something — doughnuts definitely taste better when they've been dunked in a delicious beverage, like a steaming hot cup of coffee. But dunkers beware: This technique often leads to a cup full of floating doughnut crumbs!
Solution: The Sidecar
When ordering your coffee, ask for a little extra in a second cup — what Pashman calls a "sidecar." Then you can dunk away without worrying about leaving a doughnut trail, while you sip your floater-free coffee from a regular cup.
Eggs
Problem: Is there really ever a problem when you're eating a delicious omelet? The only real problem is getting all the deliciousness on your plate into your mouth at the same time.
Solution: The Inside-out Omelet Sandwich
Make the most of your omelets by doing one of Pashman's favorite things — sandwichify-ing your eggs. Start by swapping your toast for an English muffin. When your omelet arrives and the cheese is still hot and melty inside, lay the muffin down on the omelet and trace around its circular outline with your knife. Then, flip this egg slice inside-out with your fork before putting it between the two pieces of English muffin, so the cheese adheres to the bread — and gets closer to your tongue.
Cereal
Problem: Your cereal is soggy!
Solution: The Single Stream
If you're suffering from soggy cereal, chances are, you're pouring it wrong. The best way to keep that crunch is to target your milk pouring instead of just splashing the milk all over the top of the bowl to coat all the flakes. Pashman recommends choosing one spot and pouring the milk straight down. That way, you can use your spoon to mix it up as you want to, ensuring that only the cereal that you want to dunk in milk gets dunked.
Pancakes
Problem: Your bottom pancake is soaked in syrup
Solution: The Porklift
This is Pashman's breakfast masterpiece: A 10-piece bacon lattice, woven out of bubbly goodness, forms a protective scaffolding under your pancakes, so you can drizzle that maple syrup all over the stack and not worry about it just pooling underneath. Plus, enjoy this bonus: In each bite of pancake, you'll be pleasantly surprised with a bacon cross-section.
Check out Pashman's tips on how to accentuate cheesy goodness and more at The Sporkful. His book, "Eat More Better," is in stores now.