How many times did people in the middle ages eat a day?

Answer 1

They had 3 meals a day.

One before dawn,

One in the early morning,

And then their last meal of the day was their night-time meal later on.

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Wealthy people of the Middle Ages tended to eat two meals each day, dinner at noon, and supper in the evening. The reason for this was that they did not want to be involved in the sin of gluttony.

Poor people at three meals per day, because it was recognized that they needed breakfast to fuel their labor. They also took small refreshment breaks during the course of the day, especially if the work was very laborious.

Answer 2

Feasts were special occasions. Usually they were associated with Church holy days. The medieval feast was not a meal so much as a day. Usually, in any given place, there were about eight of them especially celebrated in the course of a year. Christmas was always one, and so was Easter. The feast day of the patron saint of the local church was usually celebrated. Every Sunday was technically a feast, even during Lent. And most all days that were not fast days were the feast of some saint or other. But the number that were celebrated in one place was limited to those of local significance.

Answer 3

The general pattern for meals in the later middle ages was quick light breakfast, often bread or other ready to eat foods, a large dinner served between 10 A.M. and Noon which was the main meal of the day, and then a supper in the evening, smaller than the dinner, but still a hot meal.

Hot meals were often in the form of thick soups, stews, and pottages. When meat was eaten it was usually spit roasted or added to the soup pot, although meat pies and pasties were also popular. Only the rich had their own ovens, a tradesman in a town would buy a meatpie hot and ready made from a cookshop. (Medieval Fast Food!) Tableware included a spoon and knife, but not a fork until the very end of the middle ages.

The main difference between the meals of the wealthy and the meals of the common people where in the amount of meat that was consumed, and in the use of specialty ingredients like imported spices. Common people ate mostly grains, beans, peas, vegetables, and some diary food, with meat only consumed sporadically, and in small quantities. The wealthy could eat much more meat, and based on the menus and cookbooks that have survived from the late middle ages, did so regularly, although vegetable foods certainly were not entirely abandoned. While all levels of society liked to flavor their foods the common classes were limited to herbs and condiments that could be grown or produced locally. The wealthy could afford imported spices, and the late medieval cookbooks made extensive use of ginger, pepper, saffron, cinnamon, and other spices.

Answer 4

There was a morning meal called "break the fast" ( this is where breakfast comes from) at dawn. A mid morning meal in the early afternoon and then a night time meal later. So, they had 3 meals.