A lot of continental breakfasts served at meetings include those sad little containers of yogurt, which people like me—who are hoping a virtuous breakfast will make up for all those desserts ...

But what is a continental breakfast, exactly? Reader’s Digest spoke to chef Maricel Gentile, the owner of Maricel’s Kitchen and a 30-year veteran of the food-service industry.

If you’re traveling within the U.S., besides the continental breakfast, you can often get typical American breakfast offerings like eggs, bacon, sausage, potatoes, pancakes and French toast.