How many meals do Germans eat a day?
Mealtimes: When and what do Germans eat? People in
First of all, we'll take a look at Germany's three main meals in the day: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The typical meals are divided in a rather copious breakfast (6 am – 8 am), lunch (12 pm – 2 pm) and dinner (6 pm – 8 pm). Breakfast usually consists of bread that can be topped with cheese, cold cuts, jam, honey, Nutella etc., if you prefer something salty.
Whilst there are regional variations in food culture, most German recipes focus heavily on bread, potatoes, and meat, especially pork, as well as plenty of greens such as types of cabbage and kale. Cake, coffee, and beer are all highly popular elements of German cuisine too - which will be good news to most!
German eating habits. Germans tend to eat their fill including meat and bread. Potatoes are a staple food, and each region has its own way of cooking them. Some Germans eat potatoes with pears, bacon, and beans.
Most Norwegians eat three or four regular meals a day, usually consisting of a cold breakfast with coffee, a cold (usually packed) lunch at work and a hot dinner at home with the family.
From a 2019 study conducted by Kitchen Stories among German citizens, it emerged that 61.5 percent of the people living in Germany ate very often a healthy and balanced diet during the year considered. By contrast, only 1.13 percent of the respondents stated that they didn't follow any balanced diet during 2019.
But in Germany, the traditional dinner time is much earlier: you'll find many German households having their evening meal between 5 and 7 pm.
People in Germany generally have three or four meals a day: breakfast, a midday meal, an evening meal, and possibly Kaffee und Kuchen (we'll get to this in a minute) in the afternoon.
According to self-reported data from 2019-2020, 46.6% of women and 60.5% of men in Germany are affected by overweight (including obesity). Nearly one-fifth of adults (19%) have obesity.
What do Germans eat when sick?
Pretzel sticks, rusk and Coca-Cola. Here's another tip-off to nearby illness: Twice-baked bread biscuits called "Zwieback" or fistfuls of pretzel sticks. Germans consume them en masse after diarrhea or vomiting. They would add that it all goes down best with Coca-Cola classic.
Germany uses the nutrition circle as its food guide. The nutrition circle is divided into six food groups: cereals and potatoes; vegetables; fruits; milk and dairy products; meat, sausages, fish and eggs; and fats and oils.
Reflection of the results
The German adult population has a median sodium intake of 3.7 g per day. The median intake of women (3.4 g) is lower than men (4.0 g) (Table 1). This means that 50% of the adult population in Germany has a daily sodium intake that is higher than this level.
Cheese is a staple in many German households among adults and children alike.
66% of Germans try to eat/drink healthily. 67% of men and 53% of women in Germany are overweight. 47% of Germans are reliant on only one or two sources of information for dietary advice. 64% of Germans plan to support their immune health through their diet in the future.
People in France tend to spend the most time eating and drinking per day on average at 2 hours and 13 minutes. Their neighbors in Italy and Spain aren't too far behind, averaging more than two hours per day.
Rice is the staple food of more than half the world's population, and it's been that way for centuries. It's cheap, it's filling, and it can be easily grown in a variety of climates. Rice is so important to so many people that it's no surprise that it's the world's most-eaten food.
It was most common for respondents to have four or more eating occasions on an average day (89.6 percent of NHANES respondents), followed by three eating occasions per day (8.5 percent of respondents), and then two eating occasions per day (1.7 percent of respondents).
According to legend, King Frederick II of Prussia believed in the economic and nutritious value of potatoes. He tricked local farmers into planting more of the so-called apple of the earth by posting soldiers around the potato fields to protect them. It worked — highly valued goods taste even better.
Overall, when it comes to eating healthier, Germans win by a long shot. This could explain why the obesity rate is more than 10% higher in the U.S. than in Germany.
What is the unhealthiest diet in Europe?
- Germany. With an Unhealthy Diet Score of 18.4, Germany had the least healthy diet in Europe by our measures. ...
- Turkey. Turkey scored particularly poorly when it came to fruit and vegetable consumption, with only 2.8% of its residents eating five or more portions per day. ...
- Austria. ...
- Poland. ...
- Ireland. ...
- Netherlands. ...
- Norway. ...
- Slovenia.
Tipping isn't mandatory in Germany. Instead, it's seen as a gesture of appreciation for a good experience. A tip is always welcome, but in Germany, it's usually based directly on the quality of service. If you're satisfied, leaving a tip is a way to show it.
Yes, in fact, the tradition of afternoon coffee is regarded as a German invention. It probably goes back to the first coffee houses in Germany in the 17th century and spread from here to Austria, England and as far as the USA.
Some of the popular types of housing are log cabins and chalets as well as High German, Middle German and Low German houses. Just like American homes, German house types can include apartments, single-family or detached homes. Bauhaus is an extremely common type of German house, meaning “architecture house.”
1 – Mineral Water (Mineral Wasser) Mineral water, or Mineral Wasser as it's called in Germany, is the most popular drink in all of Germany – it is even more popular than beer or wine! In fact, it's the most commonly consumed drink in the country, surpassing still water in sales.
References
- https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/how-to-save-money-on-groceries
- https://www.dw.com/en/how-germans-fight-colds/g-18133946
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/615608/homeowners-with-mortgage-urban-areas-germany-europe/
- https://finanzamt-bw.fv-bwl.de/,Len/5267070
- https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/tipping-in-germany
- https://www.intheknow.com/post/german-apartment-kitchens/
- https://www.gharingermany.de/5-cheapest-cities-to-buy-a-home-in-germany/
- https://qz.com/167887/germany-has-one-of-the-worlds-lowest-homeownership-rates
- https://language101.com/german/about-germany/why-germans-dont-drink-tap-water/
- https://housinganywhere.com/Germany/german-cuisine
- https://www.taxually.com/blog/all-you-need-to-know-about-germany-vat-rate-in-2023
- https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php/Comparative_price_levels_for_food,_beverages_and_tobacco
- https://www.stoketravel.com/backpacking-europe/average-dinner-time-europe/
- https://www.cnbc.com/select/how-to-save-on-groceries/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1267270/average-price-of-houses-in-germany-by-city/
- https://uncle.co.uk/renting-around-the-world/
- https://www.agcequipment.com.au/blog/worlds-most-eaten-food/
- https://www.greenbacktaxservices.com/country-guide/expat-taxes-in-germany/
- https://erudera.com/germany/what-languages-are-spoken-in-germany/
- https://mymerrymessygermanlife.com/top-10-most-popular-drinks-in-germany/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norwegian_cuisine
- https://urbyo.com/en/mortgage-for-foreigners
- https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-poorest-city-in-Germany
- https://www.welcome-hub-germany.com/blog/cost-of-living-germany
- https://help.getsorted.de/en/articles/3722459-vat-rates-in-germany
- https://www.goaciu.com/save-money-on-food-while-travelling-in-europe/
- https://www.oecd.org/tax/tax-policy/taxing-wages-germany.pdf
- https://theberlinlife.com/save-money-germany/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/614972/mortgage-interest-rate-germany-europe/
- https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-10-16/german-housing-crisis-deepens-on-record-building-cancellations
- https://tradingeconomics.com/germany/housing-index
- https://housinganywhere.com/Germany/guide-to-german-supermarkets
- https://www.bmuv.de/en/topics/water-management/overview-water-management/drinking-water
- https://www.bundesbank.de/en/publications/research/research-brief/2020-30-homeownership-822176
- https://www.vela.insure/en/blog-for-foreign-students/article/news/german-food-and-eating-habits/
- https://www.expatrio.com/living-germany/costs-living-germany
- https://your-german-mortgage.de/mortgage-calculator/
- https://n26.com/en-eu/blog/how-expensive-is-living-in-germany
- https://www.forbes.com/uk/advisor/life-insurance/european-diets/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346386/gas-prices-development-household-customers-germany/
- https://www.iamexpat.de/housing/german-mortgages/types-mortgages-germany
- https://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/germany/en/
- https://www.sightline.org/2021/05/27/yes-other-countries-do-housing-better-case-2-germany/
- https://www.army.mil/article/257871/7_tips_for_grocery_shopping_off_post_in_germany
- https://www.study-in-germany.de/en/germany/discover-germany/german-food-culture/
- https://www.dw.com/en/germans-great-love-affair-with-potatoes/g-18982940
- https://www.thelocal.de/20230120/revealed-how-property-prices-in-germany-are-sinking-dramatically
- https://www.expatrio.com/living-germany/german-culture/german-food
- https://housinganywhere.com/Germany/cost-of-living-germany
- https://learngerman.vn/en/news/german-cuisine-and-eating-habits.html
- https://www.welcome-center-germany.com/post/grocery-shopping-in-germany-a-cost-guide-for-expats
- https://www.expatica.com/de/moving/about/cost-of-living-in-germany-1085100/
- https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/german-home-construction-really-superior-us-shane-barone
- https://www.expatarrivals.com/europe/germany/pros-and-cons-moving-germany
- https://www.expatrio.com/living-germany/costs-living-germany/german-supermarkets
- https://www.rockethomes.com/blog/home-buying/finding-a-home/german-style-house
- https://yocket.com/blog/study-in-usa-vs-germany
- https://www.cleanenergywire.org/factsheets/what-german-households-pay-electricity
- https://www.albatrosstours.com.au/news-nest-travel-blog/travel-tips-drinking-water-in-europe/
- https://www.germany.info/us-en/service/09-Taxes/vat-refund/906296
- https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Income-Consumption-Living-Conditions/Consumption-Expenditure/_node.html
- https://www.statista.com/chart/13226/where-people-spend-the-most-time-eating-drinking/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1085360/individuals-following-a-healthy-and-balanced-diet-in-germany/
- https://www.esmmagazine.com/retail/top-10-supermarket-retail-chains-in-germany-236817
- https://taxsummaries.pwc.com/germany/corporate/other-taxes
- https://www.expatica.com/de/housing/buying/buying-a-german-property-100945/
- https://www.amazon.de/-/en/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=GSAPJBGLDSGKUEG2
- https://store.mintel.com/report/germany-healthy-eating-market-report
- https://housinganywhere.com/Germany/german-tax-system
- https://lovethemaldives.com/wiki/is-1000-euro-enough-for-a-month
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/526338/cheese-consumption-germany/
- https://www.iamexpat.de/housing/real-estate-news/german-cities-and-countryside-see-record-drop-house-prices
- https://stories.hansa.com/en/dont-let-rising-energy-prices-affect-your-utility-bills
- https://www.tmf-group.com/en/services/companies/accounting-tax/vat/country-profile/germany/
- https://www.ifw-kiel.de/publications/news/greix-real-estate-prices-in-germany-fall-more-sharply-again/
- https://fintiba.com/moving-to-germany/general/good-to-know/can-you-drink-tap-water-in-germany/
- https://www.ricksteves.com/europe/germany/best-time-to-go-to-germany
- https://www.zoll.de/EN/Private-individuals/Postal_consignments_internet_order/Shipments-from-a-non-EU-country/Duties-and-taxes/Assessment-of-taxes-and-duties/assessment-of-taxes-and-duties_node.html
- https://www.lawyersgermany.com/vat-in-germany
- https://www.german-tax-consultants.com/german-taxes/value-added-tax-vat--umsatzsteuer.html
- https://www.taxesforexpats.com/country-guides/germany/us-tax-preparation-in-germany.html
- https://ischoolconnect.com/blog/voila-heres-a-guide-to-the-cost-of-living-in-germany/
- https://www.rki.de/EN/Content/Health_Monitoring/Main_Topics/Overweight_Obesity/obesity_node.html
- https://www.bundesbank.de/resource/blob/822176/c929042d20f1a659fc7cf6bf7a5462d0/mL/2020-30-research-brief-data.pdf
- https://www.firstcitiz.com/blog/berlin-real-estate/buy-property-germany
- https://howtogermany.com/household/utilities/setting-up-a-household/
- https://www.research-in-germany.org/en/plan-your-stay/finances/German-money-saving-tips.html
- https://www.expatrio.com/living-germany/costs-living-germany/costs-housing-germany
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homelessness_in_Germany
- https://www.simplegermany.com/what-is-a-good-salary-in-germany/
- https://www.reuters.com/markets/german-home-prices-plunge-further-no-respite-surging-rents-2023-11-24/
- https://www.apgp.eu/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/09INFO-%CE%92uying-property-in-Germany-Berlin.pdf
- https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/schriftlich-german-journal/the-variation-between-german-and-american-households/
- https://taxfoundation.org/location/germany/
- https://www.studying-in-germany.org/cost-of-living-in-germany/
- https://www.german-way.com/when-nature-calls-public-toilets-in-germany-toilette-wc/
- https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/ways-to-save-money-on-groceries/
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_Germany
- https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/germany-home-prices-fall-2023-rents-keep-rising-2023-08-31/
- https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Income-Consumption-Living-Conditions/Living-Conditions-Risk-Poverty/_node.html
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/2580762/German-water-is-most-expensive-on-the-planet.html
- https://www.bundesbank.de/en/tasks/topics/monthly-report-wealth-in-germany-up-significantly-908262
- https://tranio.com/articles/why-do-germans-prefer-to-rent-instead-of-buy/
- https://b-umf.de/src/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/welcometogermany_english.pdf
- https://www.statista.com/outlook/fmo/real-estate/germany
- https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/german-government-raise-vat-food-restaurants-back-19-next-year-2023-11-16/
- https://housinganywhere.com/Germany/utilities-in-germany
- https://visaguide.world/international-health-insurance/germany/
- https://www.iamexpat.de/housing/real-estate-news/frankfurt-and-munich-housing-bubbles-unlikely-burst-study-says
- https://www.propwise.de/blog/2023-update-5-reasons-why-investing-in-german-real-estate-is-still-a-smart-choice
- https://www.iamexpat.de/housing/buy-house-germany
- https://www.fattiretours.com/blog/things-to-know-when-dining-out-in-germany/
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/515276/food-consumer-spending-in-germany/
- https://www.quora.com/Why-do-most-Germans-live-in-rental-apartments-rather-than-owned-houses
- https://realting.com/news/amount-needed-to-afford-an-apartment-in-german-cities
- https://www.thelocal.de/20230329/abendbrot-what-time-do-germans-eat-dinner
- https://howtogermany.com/finance/personal-finance/what-you-should-know-about-mortgages-in-germany/
- https://www.ptireturns.com/blog/property-tax-income-germany/
- https://www.ers.usda.gov/webdocs/publications/93514/tb-1954.pdf?v=5852
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2023/09/12/the-outlook-of-the-german-real-estate-market-for-developers-and-investors/
- https://www.wearedevelopers.com/magazine/germany-average-salary
- https://www.euronews.com/business/2023/09/22/german-housing-prices-at-record-low
- https://www.statista.com/statistics/1346248/electricity-bill-average-household-germany/
- https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Society-Environment/Income-Consumption-Living-Conditions/Income-Receipts-Expenditure/_node.html
- https://www.cleanenergywire.org/news/higher-german-grid-fees-raise-consumer-electricity-costs-2024-energy-company
- https://www.deutschland.de/en/topic/life/germany-and-coffee-and-cake-beer-and-currywurst
- https://transporteca.co.uk/import-from-germany/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9838580/
- https://www.euronews.com/next/2023/03/29/energy-crisis-in-europe-which-countries-have-the-cheapest-and-most-expensive-electricity-a
- https://www.spangdahlem.af.mil/About-Us/Fact-Sheets/Article/729637/energy-utilities-in-germany/
- https://finance.yahoo.com/news/save-200-grocery-bill-every-165148528.html
- https://glocalzone.com/vat-refund-calculator/germany
- https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Labour/Earnings/Branch-Occupation/_node.html