Marilyn Monroe’s Go-To Breakfast Was Called ‘Bizarre’ in Her Day

It’s no secret that Marilyn Monroe continues to inspire women with her timeless fashion and effortless style. However, not too many of her modern-day admirers are familiar with her go-to breakfast recipe — and it turns out that’s probably for the best.

The legendary Hollywood starlet explained in a 1952 interview with now-defunct Pageant magazine that many people considered her eating habits “bizarre.” But according to the archived conversation — which has since been republished on Into the Gloss — the superstar actress saw nothing odd about her meals of choice. See what you think after reading Marilyn Monroe’s breakfast recipe below.

Before I take my morning shower, I start warming a cup of milk on the hot plate I keep in my hotel room. When it’s hot, I break two raw eggs into the milk, whip them up with a fork, and drink them while I’m dressing. I supplement this with a multi-vitamin pill, and I doubt if any doctor could recommend a more nourishing breakfast for a working girl in a hurry.

Wow — there’s quite a bit to unpack here. First of all, considering how famous Marilyn Monroe was (and still is), we would have assumed she opted for a fancier breakfast. Or perhaps we thought that she’d kick off her day with healthy fruits and vegetables. But even though Marilyn Monroe’s breakfast hack doesn’t exactly sound scrumptious, at least it contains quite a bit of protein.

As you may know, protein can help you feel fuller for a longer period of time. And when you have a busy schedule — like Marilyn Monroe clearly did — you don’t want to show up to work hungry. That said, we do have some questions about the food safety of all this protein. For instance: How do you know when the milk is hot enough to add the eggs? Also, why would you drink eggs when you can eat them instead? Finally, how can you be sure that you won’t get salmonella? 

It’s no shock that Marilyn Monroe’s breakfast recipe never caught on. But just because you don’t want to try her trick doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with your eggs: Try putting mayo in your scrambled eggs or creating cheesy bacon frittata bites the next time you crave something new. 

Sometimes just a little cooking goes a long way!