Difference between Continental and American breakfast?

                
                
A Continental breakfast originates in Europe, although resorts and hotels have picked up on it here in America. The Continental breakfast is very light, barely a breakfast compared to American meals. You always get coffee (or tea) and a pastry, the type depending on which country you are in. Also, a very small glass of juice is possible, but that's it.
An American breakfast is basically bordering on a gluttonous meal. For example, in a restaurant, as soon as you sit, you are served coffee or tea. Then we eat eggs and bacon or sausage, for example; and if that's what we order, we will also be given a pile of hash browns, a plate with several pieces of buttered toast and a glass of juice. Some people stuff themselves on pancakes, waffles, french toast along with the bacon or sausage. Some people even have eggs with those foods also. Basically, breakfast is a very substantial, filling, high-calorie meal.
There is a reason why Continental breakfasts are so small. In Europe, and I'm speaking about western Europe, i.e., France, Italy, etc., they eat dinner very late. Restaurants do not begin serving dinner until 8pm, so people are starting much later than the average American to have dinner. So, if you can't even start eating until that late, you will be finishing quite late. So when you wake up in the morning, you are not going to be that hungry.
                
                
The longest period of time we go without eating is at night, when we are asleep. The word "breakfast" comes from an old saying "breaking the fast," which sleeping basically is. We wake up and break the fast by eating something. In America, for the most part, we eat early and families usually go to sleep relatively early. So, their fasting period is a long time, and they wake up hungry; that's why the bigger breakfasts. In Europe, where they can't start eating until late, they have a much shorter fasting time; so they naturally have a lighter breakfast.
Americans eat a variety of things for breakfast, but typical would be two eggs, toast, sausages or bacon, fried potatoes and coffee. A more realistic, everyday breakfast would be dry cereal with milk and coffee. A continental breakfast is a roll, croissant or something, butter, jam and tea
A continental breakfast is light, consisting of a pastry and juice or coffee whereas an american breakfast is heavier consisting of eggs,meat,potatoes, toast, juice or coffee.