British habbits
Perhaps one of the best - loved cliches is that of the English breakfast, fruit juice, cereal and milk, and then sausages, eggs, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms and then buttered toast with marmalade, all washed down with plenty of tea with milk. But this takes a long time to prepare and is too filling. We might occasionally have it at weekends as a BRUNCH (= breakfast+lunch) or if we are on holiday. A much more common breakfast is a cup of coffee and a piece of toast or a yogurt.
British eat is much convenience food. There are all kinds of tinned, dried, frozen, prepackeged, precooked and prepared foods on sale in British shops, but the same is true everywhere else in Europe. These days most women go out to work and fewer and and fewer are full-time housewives. So they have less time to preparing meals. But that is not to say that everybody lives on TV dinners, packet soups, frozen pizza and canned vegetables.Another common notion is that we overcook everything. In some homes this happens. But we know that overcooking destroys vitamins.
Perhaps the biggest reason for these ideas is that many of people who visit Britain have few changes to eat really authentic home-cooked British food. Most of their restaurants serve ethnic food - Chinese, Indian, Italian, Greek, indeed, food from almost everywhere except Britain! Fast food like pizza, hamburgers and kebabs is more international than British and very often foreign visitors' experiences of British food an limited to sandwiches, pub snacks...
As to what is typically British, it's important to remember that Britain comprises several countries, and that each of them has its own traditions. There are also regional variations. There are historical factors to consider, too. In the Middle Ages, English food was highly spiced. Also ingredients were mostly controlled by Italian merchants and were expensive. Potatoes and tobacco were brought back (from USA). Later they were under the influence of French cuisine, which prefers the use of herbs. Cookery in Britain has been exposed to many new influences. This is a result of immigration but also due to more of our people travelling abroad and being exposed to foreign food. Health consciousness and increased prosperity are also important factors.
Interest in cookery in Britain is very high these days. People eat out more than ever before, cookery is the subject of all manner of books, magazine articles, radio and TV programmes and conversations, and shops are full of all manner of exotic ingredients. Many people are now vegetarians, while many others have stopped eating red meat. Recently there have been great changes in eating habits English favorites, sausages, fries eggs, bacon and chips are now on decline. Many people think that too much fat may cause diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Therefore they drink more milk, they ate brown bread and less butter. About 10 % of all young people are now vegetarians. Also Britain's food industry now produces more low-fat and health food.
American habbits
It is very difficult to say what American prefer for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The U.S. is the country where many different ethnic group life and eating habits are very different, too. Many dishes which are now popular in the U.S., and are considered typically American, are of foreign origin and were brought to America by Italian, Mexican, Greek, Turkish, Chinese and other people.
Typical breakfast consists of eggs, juice, fruit, coffee, tea, butter, bacon, ham, sausages... Many Americans, especially children, have cereals for breakfast. Some people don't eat any breakfast at all but simply have a cup of coffee. Lunch often consists of a sandwich, frenchfries, salad, hamburger (in various types), hot dog and pizza, are also typically American and popular as lunch food. Dinner time in the U.S. varies from one past of the country to another. But many people have dinner (the large meal) between 5-7 o'clock. Usually are served salad, potatoes, meat, vegetables, corn, desert, cookies, cake, ice-cream. 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 bake-away services (very popular). Those people who want to eat at home, without preparing the meal, order to take away. Some meals (pizza) can also be ordered to be delivered home. During holidays and special occasions Americans like to eat outdoors with family or friends and have picnics and barbecues.
