早餐是在早上享用的餐，通常是广义上可以理解为睡醒后的第一餐。「早餐」（breakfast）一词，字面之解释为「打破禁食」（break fast）。故在英语世界中，会出现如前述的理解，又或（虽然此解释较少用）代表一种由传统早餐食品（例如鸡蛋，麦片及香肠）所组成，全日均可食用的餐膳。

世界各地的早餐食品均有不同，惟通常都会包括一种具丰富碳水化合物的食品，如谷类、麦片、蔬果等，配上一种含高蛋白质的食品（如鸡蛋，肉类及鱼类），再加上一种饮料（如茶、咖啡、豆浆或果汁等）。咖啡、茶、果汁、早餐谷类、热香饼、香肠、烟肉、甜面包、新鲜蔬果、鸡蛋、蘑菇、焗豆、松饼、蛋糕或配上牛油/植物牛油/果酱的吐司，皆为常见的早餐食物。

Breakfast is the first meal of a day, most often eaten in the early morning before undertaking the day's work. Some believe it to be the most important meal of the day. Among English speakers, "breakfast" can be used to refer to this meal or to refer to a meal composed of traditional breakfast foods (such as eggs, porridge and sausage) served at any time of day. The word literally refers to breaking the fasting period of the prior night. It has its origin in the Christian custom of fasting from food between the supper meal of one day and receiving Holy Communion the following morning (such a Eucharistic fast is still observed by Orthodox Christians, but is shortened to one hour before Mass for Roman Catholics). Foregoing the natural craving to eat was seen as an act of self-denial that honors God, while strengthening the religious resolve and faith of the believer.