Wikipedia

Meal

For powder made by grinding grain, seeflour.

Amealis aneatingoccasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption offood.[1][2]The names used for specific meals inEnglishvary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal.

Meals have been traditionally prepared by women in a homekitchen(Painting from the circle of Jean-Baptiste de Saive, 1563)

Although they can be eaten anywhere, meals typically take place in homes, restaurants, and cafeterias. Regular meals occur on a daily basis, typically several times a day. Special meals are usually held in conjunction with such occasions asbirthdays,weddings,anniversaries,andholidays.A meal is different from asnackin that meals are generally larger, more varied, and more filling than snacks.[3]

The type of food that is served or consumed at any given time depends on regional customs. Three main meals are often eaten in the morning, early afternoon, and evening in most modern civilizations. Further, the names of meals are often interchangeable by custom as well. Some servedinneras the main meal at midday, withsupperas the late afternoon/early evening meal; while others may call their midday meallunchand their early evening meal supper or dinner. Except for "breakfast," these names can vary from region to region or even from family to family.

Breakfast

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Main article:Breakfast

Breakfastis 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.[4]The wordbreakfastliterally refers to breaking thefastingperiod of the prior night.[5]

Breakfast foods vary widely from place to place, but often includecarbohydratessuch asgrainsor cereals, fruit, vegetables,proteinfoods likeeggs,meat or fish, and beverages such astea,coffee,milk,orfruit juice,juices often taken first of all. Coffee, milk, tea, juice,breakfast cereals,pancakes,waffles,sausages,French toast,bacon,sweetened breads,fresh fruits, vegetables,eggs,baked beans,muffins,crumpetsandtoastwithbutter,margarine,jamormarmaladeare common examples of Western breakfast foods, though a large range of preparations and ingredients are associated with breakfast globally.[6]

Variations of breakfast

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Full breakfast

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Main article:Full breakfast

Afull breakfastis abreakfastmeal, usually includingbacon,sausages,eggs,and a variety of other cooked foods, with hot beverages such as coffee or tea, or cold beverages such as juice or milk. It is especially popular in the UK and Ireland, to the extent that manycafésandpubsoffer the meal at any time of day as an "all-day breakfast". It is also popular in other English-speaking countries.

In the different parts of theUnited Kingdomlike inEnglandit is usually referred to as a 'full English breakfast' (often shortened to 'full English') or 'fry-up'.[7]Other regional variants across theUKinclude the 'full Scottish'inScotland,'full Welsh' inWales,and the 'Ulster fry' inNorthern Ireland.[8][9][10]

The full breakfast is among the most internationally recognisedBritish dishes,along with such staples asbangers & mash,shepherd's pie,fish and chipsand theChristmas dinner.[11]The full breakfast became popular in the British Isles during the Victorian era, and appeared as one among many suggested breakfasts in the home economistIsabella Beeton'sThe Book of Household Management(1861). A full breakfast is often contrasted (e.g. on hotel menus) with the lighter alternative of aContinental breakfast,traditionally consisting of tea, milk or coffee andfruit juiceswith bread,croissants,orpastries.

Instant breakfast

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Main article:Instant breakfast

"Instant breakfast"typically refers to breakfast food products that are manufactured in apowderedform, which are generally prepared with the addition ofmilkand then consumed as abeverage.[12][13]Some instant breakfasts are produced and marketed in liquid form, being pre-mixed. The target market for instant breakfast products includes consumers who tend to be busy, such as working adults.[13]

Champagne breakfast

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Main article:Champagne breakfast

Achampagne breakfastis abreakfastserved withchampagneorsparkling wine.It is a new concept in some countries[14]and is not typical of the role of a breakfast.

It may be part of any day or outing considered particularly luxurious orindulgent.The accompanying breakfast is sometimes of a similarly high standard[15]and include rich foods such assalmon,caviar,[16]chocolateorpastries,which would not ordinarily be eaten atbreakfast[17]or more courses.[18] Instead of as a formal meal the breakfast can be given to the recipient in a basket or hamper.

Variations of breakfasts across countries and cuisines

Main article:Breakfast

Refer to this WikipediaBreakfastpage for a list of countries and continents and their variations of breakfast. The cuisine articles linked in thebreakfastpage regarding each countries and continents cuisine may display variations of breakfast more thoroughly.

Lunch

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Main article:Lunch

Lunchis a meal typically eaten at midday; it varies in size by culture and region.[19] The wordlunchis an abbreviation forluncheon,whose origin relates to a small snack originally eaten at any time of the day or night. During the 20th century the meaning in English gradually narrowed to a small or mid-sized meal eaten at midday. Lunch is commonly the second meal of the day afterbreakfast.Significant variations exist in different areas of the world. In some parts of the UK it can be called dinner or lunch, with the last meal called tea.

Variations of lunch

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Main article:Packed lunch

Apacked lunch(also calledpack lunch,sack lunchorbag lunchinNorth America,orpacked lunchin theUnited Kingdom,as well as the regional variations:bagginginLancashire,MerseysideandYorkshire,[20]) is a lunch prepared at home and carried to be eaten somewhere else, such as school, aworkplace,or at anouting.The food is usually wrapped inplastic,aluminum foil,or paper and can be carried ( "packed") in alunch box,paper bag(a "sack"), orplastic bag.While packed lunches are usually taken from home by the people who are going to eat them, inMumbai, India,tiffinboxes are most often picked up from the home and brought to workplaces later in the day by so-calleddabbawallas.It is also possible to buy packed lunches from stores in several countries.Lunch boxesmade out ofmetal,plasticorvinylare now popular with today's youth. Lunch boxes provide a way to take heavier lunches in a sturdier box or bag. It is alsoenvironmentally friendly.

Meal deal

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Another variation of lunch is the meal deal,[21]this is a meal often bought from a store and contains the following: asandwichorpastry,a bag ofchips,saladorfruitand a bottled drink. Meal deals are a staple of many Western high-street supermarkets and convenience stores; they are generally offered at a deal price and are highly convenient for the busy working person. Some stores are now addingpremiummeal deal items andsaladsto their meal deal inventory. Critics, however, criticise the meal deal for increasing the levels ofsingle-use plasticwaste in circulation and persuading people to buy more food than they originally intended or wanted - contributing to the growingobesity crisis.[22]

Dinner

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Main article:Dinner

Dinner usually refers to a significant and important meal of the day, which can be thenoonor theeveningmeal. However, the termdinnercan have many different meanings depending on the culture; it may mean a meal of any size eaten at any time of the day.[23][24]Historically, it referred to the first large meal of the day, eaten around noon, and is still sometimes used for a noon-time meal, particularly if it is a large or main meal. For example,Sunday dinneris the name used for a large meal served after the family returned home from the morning's church services, and often based on meat that roasted while the family was out, and this term is still often used to signify that Sunday dinner is special even if no longer preceded by attendance at church.

The evening meal can be called tea when dinner, which is generally the largest of the day, is eaten in the middle of the day.

Variations of dinner

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Full course dinner

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Main article:Full course dinner

A full-course dinner is a dinner consisting of multiple dishes, or courses. In its simplest, English-based form, it can consist of three to five courses, such as appetizers, fish course, entrée, main course and dessert. The traditional courses and their order vary by culture. In theItalian meal structure,there are traditionally four formal courses:antipasto(appetizers),primo(the "first" course, e.g., a pasta dish),secondo(the "second" course, e.g., fish or meat), usually accompanied by acontorno(a side dish), anddolce( "sweets", or dessert).[25]

Many traditions conclude a formal meal with coffee, sometimes accompanied with spirits, either separate or mixed in the coffee.

Meals at other times of the day

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Main article:Outline of meals § Types of meals, in the order served throughout the day

Meal preparation

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Main article:Meal preparation

Meal preparation,sometimes called "meal prep," is the process of planning and preparing meals. It generally involves food preparation, including cooking, sometimes together with preparing table decorations, drinks etc

Food preparation

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Main article:Food preparation

Preparing foodfor eating generally requires selection, measurement and combination of ingredients in an ordered procedure so as to achieve desired results. Food preparation includes but is not limited to cooking.

Cooking

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Main article:Cooking

Cookingorcookeryis theart,technologyandcraftof preparingfoodfor consumption with the use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across theworld,from grilling food over an open fire to using electric stoves, to baking in various types of ovens, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions and trends. The ways or types of cooking also depend on the skill and type of training an individual cook has. Cooking is done both by people in their own dwellings and by professional cooks and chefs in restaurants and other food establishments. Cooking can also occur through chemical reactions without the presence of heat, most notably withceviche,a traditionalSouth Americandish wherefishis cooked with the acids inlemonor lime juice.

History

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Breakfast before the 1800s was usually just toast or some variation of gruel or porridge and the main meal was dinner. Peasants (which were the majority in every country) had dinner around noon, after six or seven hours of work.

Then, in the late 1700s and the 1800s, people began to work farther from home, and the midday meal had to become something light, just whatever they could carry to work (lunch). They began to eat dinner (the main meal) in the evening.[26]

Eating the meal

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Throughout history, meals were normally communal affairs. People got together, shared the food, and perhaps talked over the day.

In the 21st century, an increasing number of adults in developed countries eat most or all of their meals alone.[27]Although more people are eating alone, research suggests that many people do not consider a "meal" a solo act, but rather commensal dining.[28]It is unclear whether people eating alone eat more, less, or the same amount of food compared to people eating in groups, partly because of differences in whether they are eating alone at home or eating alone in restaurants.[27]

Restaurants have responded to the increasing number of people eating alone by accepting reservations for solo diners and installingbar seatingand large tables that solo diners can share with others.[27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^"meal noun (FOOD) - definition in the British English Dictionary & Thesaurus - Cambridge Dictionaries Online".Archivedfrom the original on 2014-04-28.Retrieved2016-08-07.
  2. ^"meal - Definition from Longman English Dictionary Online".Archivedfrom the original on 2021-06-08.Retrieved2016-08-07.
  3. ^Wansink, B.; Payne, C. R.; Shimizu, M. (2010). ""Is this a meal or snack?" Situational cues that drive perceptions ".Appetite.54(1): 214–216.doi:10.1016/j.appet.2009.09.016.PMID19808071.S2CID21246397.
  4. ^"breakfast – definition of breakfast by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia".Thefreedictionary.Archivedfrom the original on 21 May 2020.Retrieved28 March2012.
  5. ^Anderson, Heather Arndt (2013).Breakfast: A History.AltaMira Press.ISBN0759121656
  6. ^"History of breakfast".Archived fromthe originalon 23 January 2011.Retrieved21 April2011.
  7. ^"The full English".Jamieoliver.Archivedfrom the original on 28 July 2014.Retrieved26 February2014.
  8. ^"Traditional Scottish Food".Visit Scotland.Archivedfrom the original on 13 February 2014.Retrieved26 February2014.
  9. ^Rowland, Paul (25 October 2005)."So what is a 'full Welsh breakfast'?".Wales Online.Archived fromthe originalon 2 May 2014.Retrieved26 February2014.
  10. ^Bell, James (29 January 2014)."How to... Cook the perfect Ulster Fry".Belfast Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on 3 February 2014.Retrieved26 February2014.
  11. ^Spencer, Colin (2003).British Food: An Extraordinary Thousand Years of History.Columbia University Press.ISBN978-0-231-13110-0.
  12. ^Brand Positioning: Strategies for Competitive Advantage - Subroto Sengupta.pp. 5-6.
  13. ^abConsumer Behavior in Action: Real-Life Applications for Marketing Managers - Geoffrey P. LantosArchived2023-08-15 at theWayback Machine.p. 45.
  14. ^"The Telegraph - Calcutta: Metro".Calcutta, India: Telegraphindia. 2005-01-03. Archived fromthe originalon September 19, 2012.Retrieved2011-03-04.
  15. ^"icseftonandwestlancs - Grand National thrills for Crosby couple".Icseftonandwestlancs.icnetwork.co.uk. 2009-08-11.Retrieved2011-03-04.[permanent dead link‍]
  16. ^Press Association (2003-10-24)."Concorde makes final landing | Business".London: guardian.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-08-27.Retrieved2011-03-04.
  17. ^Moscow News - Travel - Swissц╢tel Krasnye HolmyArchived20 April 2008 at theWayback Machine
  18. ^"Magazine / Travel: Weekend getaway".The Hindu.Chennai, India. 2007-08-19. Archived fromthe originalon 2008-10-16.Retrieved2011-03-04.
  19. ^Alan Davidson (August 21, 2014).The Oxford Companion to Food.OUP Oxford. p. 478.ISBN978-0-19-104072-6.
  20. ^"BBC: Lancashire > Voices > Wordly Wise?".BBC. 31 May 2005.Archivedfrom the original on 8 May 2013.Retrieved1 April2014.
  21. ^"What your meal deal lunch choice says about you".JOE.co.uk.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-06-12.Retrieved2020-06-12.
  22. ^"Obesity and overweight".who.int.Archivedfrom the original on 2020-12-08.Retrieved2020-06-12.
  23. ^Olver, Lynne."Meal times".The Food Timeline.Archivedfrom the original on 25 December 2018.Retrieved2 April2014.
  24. ^McMillan 2001.
  25. ^Fodor's (2012).Fodor's Italy 2013.Fodor's Travel Publications. p. 15.ISBN9780307929365.Archivedfrom the original on 2023-08-15.Retrieved2019-05-06.
  26. ^McMillan, S (2001)."What Time is Dinner?".History Magazine.Archivedfrom the original on 8 December 2017.Retrieved31 December2017.
  27. ^abcFleming, Amy (2019-05-06)."Table for one: how eating alone is radically changing our diets".The Guardian.ISSN0261-3077.Archivedfrom the original on 2019-05-06.Retrieved2019-05-06.
  28. ^Pliner, P.; Bell, R. (2009),"A table for one: the pain and pleasure of eating alone",Meals in Science and Practice,Elsevier, pp. 169–189,doi:10.1533/9781845695712.4.169,ISBN9781845694036,archivedfrom the original on 2023-08-15,retrieved2021-10-18

Further reading

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