Eating habits

For many people in our country food, eating, sometimes also cooking, is downright pleasure. There are some people who eat just once a day – they have one continuous meal, others are figure-conscious and try to fast, cut down on some fat and sugar, or go on a slimming diet. For many others cooking and eating is a nuisance and they do not care much about meals. On the whole we eat more than the British and Americans do and our food is known to be less healthy. The Slovaks are used to eating many floury, sweet and fatty meals, such as dumplings, pastry (cakes, sweets), fat pork and sausages. Our food should consist of more vegetables, fruit, lean meat, poultry and fish which would supply our bodies with more vitamins and minerals. There is no expression in English for „dobrú chuť“, which perhaps reflects the English attitude to food.

In different parts of Britain people have different eating habits. They have six or five meals a day : breakfast, elevenses (a morning snack), lunch, tea, dinner, and later perhaps supper.

BREAKFAST
The British like to begin the day with a nice cup of coffe or tea in bed early in the morning. Then tehy have a leisurely breakfast, they do not like hurry. Unlike the Slovaks who have their morning cup of coffe or tea, a roll or a slice of bread, some cheese, salami, or a cake in haste, the English take their time having breakfast.
The traditional English breakfast starts with cereals – porridge or cornflakes, with milk and sugar. This is sometimes followed by fried bacon and eggs or sausages with fried tomatoes. Then the English have again a cup pf coffee or tea and finish with toast and marmelade. Nowadays most of people prefer a lighter meal for breakfast and have cornflakes, toast and marmelade, and a cup of tea or coffee. ELEVENSES
In the middle of the morning they have elevenses, which is usually not more than a cup of coffee and biscuits. Sometimes, often at weekends, when they get up later, they have brunch, a combination meal which is eaten for breakfst and lunch. LUNCH
At midday it is time for lunch. It is a light meal consisting of warm dish (rarely soup) and dessert, or just ham and cheese sandwiches, some fruit, pudding or ice cream. The Slovak midday meal is the main meal of the day (The English would call it dinner then). We can have it at home, at (works) canteens or dinning halls, cafeterias or in a restaurant. It is usually a three-course meal which consists of soup, the main course and a dessert.

As for soup we can choose from bouillon, clear (beef, chicken, vegetable, with liver – balls) soup and thick soup (potato, tripe and fishsoup, cream of mushroom, celery, cauliflower or tomato). Than main dish can be – fried potatoes, pork chop, dumplings Vienna steak, boiled potatoes, rice, fruit dumplings with cottage cheese.

TEA
In the afternoon around four o`clock the English have teatime. While in our country an afternoon snack is not common, in Britain it is a special occasion. The traditional tea consists of thin slices of white or brown bread and butter with cheese, fish or ham, perahps some vegetables, and jam, cakes fruit pies, biscuits and tea or coffee. Nowadays many people do not eat much at teatime but they have at least one cup cup of coffeee or tea.

DINNER
Dinner, the main meal, is served in the evevning at 6 – 7 o`clock, when all members of the family are at home. The meal consists of soup, fried fish and chips. Meat and vegetables can also be served. Beef and lamb is preferred to pork meat in England. The English cookery is famous for meat puddings and meat pies which are usually served at dinner and are followed by apple pie, a favourite English sweet, stewed fruit. SUPPER
Later in the evening, around 10 – 12 o`clock, it is time for light supper. It is usually a snack consisting of a piece of cold meat or ham, cheese and some biscuits. But many people like to have just a glass of milk before going to bed.

Recently there have beeen great changes in eating habits. Many people think that too much fat may cause diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Therefore they drink skimmed milk, prefer fibrous brown bread to the white one and eat less butter. They also cut down meat. About 10 % of all young people are now vegetarian. Britain`s food industry now produces more low – fat ffod and health food. It is very difficult to say what Americans prefer for dinner, breakfast and lunch. The USA is the country where many ethnic groups live and eating habits are very different, too. Many Americans like to have lunch and dinner „out“ – at snack bars, fast food restaurants or more expensive restaurants and hotels. They can also use take – away services. Take – away food is very popular in the USA. Those people who want to eat at home, without preparing meal, order at a restaurant to prepare the meal to take away. Some meals, especially pizza, can also be delivered home.