What is the spanish eating habits?

Question

Can anyone tell me what's the spanish eating habits and what's the factors that influence that habits (patterns)?
Because we're doing a project that ask us to explain the factors that influence the food choices and pattern of spanish socio-cultural group. I have never been to Spain, so i really need someone help me with this. Thank you!

Answer 1

breakfast is black espresso-type coffee and maybe a slice of bread with butter and jam, or sweet pastry, for lunch and even dinner, we only eat tapas or small portions of simple or complex finger foods in our favourite tasca (olives, cheese, fish, calamari, eggs, vegetables, canapés, of course the favourite jamon serrano, pastries and flans, etc.) rarely a full course meal except on formal occasions...

Factors? I have no idea, maybe Spaniards prefer having a good time with friends rather than spending hours in front of the stove...it's a nice way to eat, and you will not see a lot of obesity in Spain.

Answer 2

I can't believe all the miss-information on this thread. even from the person that said they were from Spain. Spaniards eat 5 times a day. And they have a name for each meal. Breakfast (desayuno) is just that Break the Fast. It is usually a cup of coffee (cafe espres) and a toast or croissant. Then 2 or 3 hours later they eat the Amuerzo (we here in the states don't have a word for that meal because we don't eat a meal at 10 AM, but lets call it brunch. Usually the almuerzo consists of a sandwich (bocadillo made of what we call french bread), and it is eaten during your morning work break. Then at around 2 PM you eat the main meal of the day (La Comida) lunch. Usually soup, fish, a rice dish like paella (not papaya like the ignoramus above said), pasta, etc. This meal will be served with a salad, bread, beer or wine and dessert. Then after work around 5 or 6 PM, people will eat the 4th meal of the day (La Merienda) it will consist of a small tapa like maybe a meatball in garlic and tomato sauce, some clams, maybe a slice of tortilla de patata, etc. This meal is a quick snack and usually done at a local bar or pub. Then around 930 or 10 PM you eat the (Sena) dinner. It is usually a light dinner, maybe a pork chop, piece of fish, etc. Of course more wine. I truly believe that the way that the Spaniards eat is the most healthful way. How many American kids come home from school at 3:30 PM and they are starving because they had lunch at 11:30 AM and now it's 4 hours later and they have to wait for dinner at 6? These kids usually start snaking on crap.

Answer 3

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RE:
What is the spanish eating habits?
Can anyone tell me what's the spanish eating habits and what's the factors that influence that habits (patterns)?
Because we're doing a project that ask us to explain the factors that influence the food choices and pattern of spanish socio-cultural group. I have never been to Spain, so...

Answer 4

Hi! Im from Spain and I can answer you.
Here we take a little breakfast (just a coffee and some bisquits/toasts)
We lunch A LOT. We take it really late (2 pm more or less). Thats because here its too hot at that time (in summer) and people usually dont work at that hour. We also sleep 1 hour (siesta) after eating.

Dinner takes place at 10 pm, and we eat less than when we take the lunch.

We eat really healthy in general, so u'll notice that there are less fat people here than there in US.
We use to eat a lot of pasta like italians and then typical spanish dishes.

I have nothing more to say.
¡Adios!

Answer 5

My husband is from Spain. A meal to them is not just to eat but more of a social event. They normally eat a light breakfast, toast with butter and jelly, or a little muffin with a cup of coffee. Lunch is their biggest meal. Normally, a salad, soup, and a main dish. Main dishes are diffrent depending where in Spain you are. Lunch is normally later than what your use to at the earliest 200 in the afternoon. Then there is little snack before dinner around 500 - 600. That's usally a little sandwich or maybe a pastry with a cup of coffee. Then around 1000pm they eat dinner, which is lighter than their lunch. Salad, soup, and a main dish, the main dish is usually much lighter than their lunch main dish. Dinner is normally served with wine and so is lunch. Meals are usually slow and enjoyed. On speacial occasions meals are large and usually last about 2 - 3 hours. When I was there for Reyes (like their Christmas) our dinner was huge. Normally people go to resturants and the resturants are packed with people. We had salad, paella, meat, fish, and shell food, plus dessert. On New Years we ate at my brother in laws house and the dinner was huge also. First we had soup, then crab, mussels, and shrimp. Then we had salad, potatoes, and a meat dish, plus dessert. I gotta say the spaniards know how to eat and they do it well. They burn off all that food by walking, I never seen people walk so much in my life. It's wonderful, Spain is one of my favorite places.

Answer 6

I live in spain, and the food here is pretty healthy, most of the meals are filled with vegetables, ofcause dishes are prepared in olive oil, it is heavily influenced by seafood available from the waters that surround the country, not to mention the great wines.

Spain's extensive history with many cultural influences has led to a unique cuisine with literally thousands of recipes and flavors.

Check out this
http://www.in-spain.info/special-features/spanish-cuisine.htm
for resipes.

i would say spain has one the most healthiest cuisine in europe.

Answer 7

Both are good for you, each fruit/vegetable has different vitamins. Thus as more variety, as better. Vegetables have generally less sugar than fruits.

Answer 8

I have heard that it is pretty healthy. Alot of Rice and beans. I know they also eat Papaya.

I have never been there but a girl I went to school with married a guy from Spain.

Answer 9

I have a spaniard at home and I just thow my bones and leftovers at the end of the meal. He seems happy with it, he often moves his tail

Answer 10

They eat a lot of wine and beer... that's a very big pattern of their culture!