We’ve all heard the popular saying that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for many people, it’s also their favorite. Who doesn’t love a platter of bacon and eggs or a delicious breakfast burrito? With the numerous options available for the first meal of the day, we began to wonder what breakfast foods people are actually choosing most often – so we decided to find out.

Methodology

In order to determine the most popular breakfast foods across the U.S., we compiled a list of popular options using Wikipedia’s master list of American breakfast foods and reviewed restaurants’ breakfast menus for commonly served items.

Using this list, we turned to Google Trends and collected search volume data for each of the breakfast foods.

After compiling the data, we were able to compare the popularity of breakfast foods based on Google search data by state, region, and by extension, nationally. The results of our research are below, and they are intriguing!

The Top Searched Breakfast Foods in Every State

In many states, the results were somewhat predictable. For example, New Yorkers, famous for their bagels, naturally have the highest search volume for bagels and cream cheese.

Georgia lived up to its southern reputation when chicken and waffles proved to be the most searched breakfast item in the state.

Beignets are the natural choice for Louisianians and huevos rancheros are the clear winner in New Mexico.

There were also a few results that surprised us. In Washington, for instance, the most searched breakfast option is a tofu scramble making them the only state to go for that particular health-conscious option.

Meanwhile, Massachusetts, the original location of Dunkin’ Donuts, has toast as their most popular breakfast item rather than the frosted treat the iconic chain is named for.

Nationwide Breakfast Favorites According to Google

In addition to state-by-state favorites, we calculated the number of states in which each breakfast food is the most popular to determine the nationwide favorites.

Surprisingly, the top results for breakfast food live at opposite ends of the healthy spectrum – both yogurt parfaits and doughnuts were the most popular breakfast item based on search volume in four states.

Meanwhile, it was a 4-way tie for second place between toast, omelets, French toast, and bacon, a somewhat surprising result, since bacon is such a popular breakfast staple. In third place with the highest search volume in 2 states each are waffles, chilaquiles, and biscuits.

Unexpectedly, trendy breakfast staples, like breakfast burritos and avocado toast, were only the most popular in one state apiece.

The Most Popular Breakfast Food in Each US Region

According to Google, the Midwest appears to be the most health-conscious region with yogurt parfaits as the most popular regional breakfast option.

The West opts for chilaquiles, a popular Mexican dish, and the South has a three-way tie between three delicious breakfast carbs – biscuits, waffles, and doughnuts.

And finally, the Northeast keeps it simple, sticking to toast as their most popular breakfast item, although it seems like toast would get repetitive after a while. We recommend branching out to some other options!

Eating the Right Breakfast for Your DNA

While some of these breakfast options might be objectively categorized as unhealthy, there’s no “one size fits all” assessment to which foods will work for people. In fact, your genetic make-up has a lot to do with how these foods will affect your weight, energy levels, and overall wellness.

The following factors all affect how your body processes food and, by extension, which foods will make you feel best over the course of the day.

Carb metabolism: the rate at which your body breaks down carbs

Fat metabolism: the rate at which your body breaks down fat

Gluten sensitivity: whether your digestive system has a particular sensitivity to gluten

Lactose intolerance: whether your body has a lactose sensitivity

Caffeine intolerance: whether your body has a particular sensitivity to caffeine

Folate level: folate aids in cell regeneration and can be a common deficiency if you have a specific MTHFR gene mutation

Knowing how your body reacts to different nutrients and food types is crucial to your overall health and well being. Our health reports give you the answers you’re looking for to fill the gaps in your diet and create a customized health plan that works for your personal DNA.

So the next time you’re wondering if toast or eggs (or both) is the best breakfast for you, you’ll have the answer!