United Kingdom Food and Drink: Daily Meals
Breakfast
In England, morning meals typically consist of cereals like Weetabix, toast, and juice or coffee. Porridge, or boiled oats, is a hot cereal eaten throughout the UK, particularly during winter. The full English breakfast, also called the "full fry-up," consists of eggs, bacon, sausage, baked beans, fried or grilled mushrooms or tomatoes, and fried bread.
Lunch
Afternoon meals in the UK often include sandwiches (also called "butties" or "sarnies") fruit, and potato chips or fries. In many areas, particularly urban centers like London, street foods are eaten for lunch; popular street foods include falafel, jellied eel, and fried foods like fish and chips.
Dinner
The most formal meal of the day in the UK, dinner, also called supper, traditionally includes roast meat with gravy and two cooked vegetable sides, usually peas, potatoes, carrots, or cabbage. Curries with rice or pasta are also very common, and pizza and Chinese food are enjoyed as less-formal takeout options.
Tea
Taken anywhere from 5-7pm in many areas of the UK, tea is a light snack or meal often enjoyed with family after the end of the workday. Tea can include biscuits and cakes, light sandwiches like cucumber and mayonnaise, or even entire meals.
Snacks
Snacks are eaten throughout the day, ranging from street foods to processed snack foods to fresh fruits and vegetables.
Desserts
Meals in the UK are usually followed by a dessert course, called "pudding" or "afters," especially in England. However, while many English desserts are puddings, some English puddings like blood pudding are in fact savory dishes that are eaten at the beginning of meals. Other popular desserts in the UK are cakes, pies, tarts, fruit crumbles, fruit trifle, and the sweet syrup called 'treacle."
Article written for World Trade Press by Carina Saxon.
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