Eggo Shortage! How to Cope at Breakfast Time

How do you solve an Eggo shortage?

Eggo fail. Image from Flickr.

Last time I went grocery shopping, I noticed there was only one flavor of Eggo waffle in the freezer, and it was the plain kind. Luckily, the store brand offered the flavors I was looking for: blueberry and chocolate chip.

I grabbed the off-brand boxes and went on my merry way, not thinking much of it. Little did I know there is an Eggo shortage going on! Two Eggo waffle plants have been shut down, and one reopened while the other still remains closed. A factory in Atlanta shut down in September because of flooding, but it’s open again now. The plant in Tennessee that shut down because of malfunctioning production lines, and it’s still closed.

What’s the big deal?

The thing that has college freshmen, mothers with children in elementary school and my coworker all agitated is that the company has said this Eggo shortage will continue all the way until the summer of 2010! What in the name of quick payday loans are we to do?!

Luckily, I have come up with a few ways to cope with the Eggo shortage. Don’t worry, I am not going to tell you to actually cook in the morning or anything ridiculous like that. I understand all too well the reasons why people buy and eat Eggos. Luckily, I am a late sleeper and I was in college once, so I can help. I have decided to categorize my suggested coping methods into Eggo consumption motivations.

I need breakfast — fast!

One of the most common Eggo consumption styles is the by-hand-on-the-way-out-the-door method. This strategy is embraced by children who don’t get out of bed the first time their mother asks them and grownups who don’t get out of bed the first time their alarm goes off.

The most obvious answer to the Eggo shortage catastrophe is to buy generic frozen waffles. Most stores offer toaster-sized frozen waffles through a store brand. I think there might even be companies besides Eggo that make name-brand frozen waffles.

Of course, this Eggo shortage might be a good time to start experimenting with other quick breakfast items that can be hand-held and don’t really require toppings in a pinch. Pop-Tarts and other toaster pastries are great options and there are tons of flavors nowadays. When you’re in the frozen waffle section, look at the surrounding products. Toaster streudels, microwavable breakfast sandwiches and all kinds of new inventions can provide a super fast breakfast that can be eaten while walking to the bus stop or the car. But not while driving. That’s dangerous.

I don’t want to cook

People have all types of motivations for not wanting to put any more effort into their food besides pressing down the toaster lever. Perhaps they’re very hungry and want to eat right away. For some, it might be because it could be dangerous for them to attempt to use an oven or stove because they’re too … tired.

This is a common problem among college students, who often keep challenging schedules and will definitely be affected by the Eggo shortage. I’d say look to the microwave. Those are pretty safe and easy to use, so invest in bags of microwave popcorn, those Tyson Anytizers things (chicken nuggets) and microwave burritos.

It’s going to be tough, but we’ll get through this Eggo shortage together!