Spanish Mealtimes & Eating Habits (2024)

FAQs

Spanish Mealtimes & Eating Habits? ›

Their day starts at 8:00 am and lunch is at around 2:00 – 3:00 pm. The whole city shuts down then except for tourist sites and everything re-opens at 5:00 pm. Dinner time is also very late, at 10:00 pm and unlike in the United States, they eat a pretty big dinner. Spaniards are also big fans of bread.

Spanish Eating Customs: Meals

Spaniards eat their lunch, or comida, between 2:00 and 4:00 in the afternoon. Serving as the day's main meal, it is traditionally quite a bit larger than the dinner meal, or cena. A typical lunch will have several courses.

As you can see, Spanish people have no problem going to a restaurant to have dinner as late as 9:45pm. In fact, it is quite common to eat dinner late in Spain. Remember that lunch is also eaten late. So, by the time the “conventional” dinner time rolls around (7:30pm-7:45pm), no Spanish person is hungry.

The best way to describe Spanish food is a typical Mediterranean diet. Huge salads, fish, fresh fruit, bread, olive oil, lentils and simple meats and vegetables. It seems simple and it is. But somehow the Spanish have turned simplicity into some of the most delicious food in the world.

In addition, Spanish workers typically work 11-hour days, from 9am to 8pm. With dinner at 9pm and a couple of hours of TV, they tend not to get to bed before midnight.

Spain's late dining is attributed to various factors, including a workday that extends longer and later than in most European countries, with businesses often closing for a few hours in the afternoon.

The Spanish diet consists of a lot of foods high in carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables, fried potatoes, rice dishes, sweet rolls and hot sweet chocolate. Fish, eggs, pork sausage, cheese, herbs and spices are also common ingredients of the Spanish diet.

Paella: A Spanish Rice Delight

Widely regarded by tourists as Spain's national dish, paella is always a crowd-pleaser and family favorite. While it's now a staple in households and restaurants throughout Spain, the dish originally hails from the country's Valencia region.

A typical Spanish dinner will have a main dish, such as a seafood dish, vegetarian dish, or roasted meat. This's either stuffed in a sandwich or served with a portion of rice. Common sides include a green salad, omelette, fried potatoes, grilled vegetables, cold cuts, or cheese.

What is the biggest meal of the day in Spain? ›

Lunch is the main meal of the day.

A typical Spanish lunch includes three courses: 'entrantes' or 'primer plato', 'segundo plato', and 'postre' (starter, main course and dessert). Entrantes are typically light salads or soups. Segundo plato are heavier meals, like fish or meat dishes.

Lunch -- The most important meal of the day in Spain, lunch is comparable to the farm-style midday "dinner" in the United States. It usually includes three or four courses, beginning with a choice of soup or several dishes of hors d'oeuvres called entremeses.

Their day starts at 8:00 am and lunch is at around 2:00 – 3:00 pm. The whole city shuts down then except for tourist sites and everything re-opens at 5:00 pm. Dinner time is also very late, at 10:00 pm and unlike in the United States, they eat a pretty big dinner. Spaniards are also big fans of bread.

The most important meal of the day is lunch (comida) and normally served between 1 and 3 p.m. Supper (cena) is served late, usually after 8 p.m. and is a light snack, although in urban areas supper can be an elaborate affair eaten at restaurants.

¿A qué hora cenas?

Here in Spain, we have five meals a day. We have a second breakfast—which is often very small like a piece of fruit, which you can pick up in one of the many markets—and something called merienda. The merienda is a perfect excuse to have one of Spain's most famous treats: hot chocolate.