Dr. Atkins Would NOT Approve!

So what do they eat in Spain anyway?

Sometimes I feel as if I’m motivational speaker, Matt Foley, living on a diet of meat and cheese…and, yes, I do live down by a river- just not in a van.

The 3 main food groups in Spain just so happen to be queso, pan y jamon. That’s right folks, cheese, bread, and ham. They even have museums they love ham so much.

Before I go on, let me explain to you a daily eating routine in the life of a Spaniard.

8 or 9 AM: Wake up, go to work

10 AM: Go out for coffee and piece of toast for breakfast

2 or 3 PM: Lunch- biggest meal of the day, followed by siesta (Yes, they still practice the art of the siesta. Everything closes around 2 PM and reopens around 5 or 6 PM- except on Fridays in which most businesses do not reopen after siesta. Everyone eats a nice, big meal and takes a nap. The streets are empty. Seriously.)

9 or 10 PM: Small dinner, usually comprised of leftovers

Midnight or later: Head out to the tapas bars for drinks and appetizers

**Some meals I’ve eaten since living in Spain**

-Bocadillos galore! (baby sandwiches usually consisting of ham and goat cheese)

-pasta con pollo (pasta with chicken)

-arroz con pollo (rice with chicken)

-ham and cheese crepes

-couscous

-pot roast (it wasn’t really pot roast, but it’s the closest thing I can think to compare it to)

-lentil soup

-tortilla española (this is not the tortilla you’re thinking of, these are Spanish! They are similar to some kind of egg/potato quiche and can be served with salsa, as a sandwich, or by itself)

-flan or yogurt for desert at dinner

-everyday for breakfast I eat two pieces of toast, one with some kind of apple sauce concoction and the other smothered in Nutella (a chocolate-hazelnut spread) topped with banana slices. This is always paired with a cup of tea.

-the ice cream is AMAZING here and all of the ice cream shops close sometime in October so I am certainly getting my fair share while I can! Most “heladarias” put a lot of effort into their presentation, it’s quite spectacular with real fruit pieces, flowers, etc.

-at many restaurants it's the same price or cheaper to drink beer or wine, over a soda. And good luck finding free H2O.

-and those TAPAS…The way tapas (appetizers) bars work usually goes something like this: you buy a drink, get some appetizers like French fries, calamari, little bagel sandwiches, pasta salad, ham slices and the like for a small fee or for free!

Bread is served at every meal, along with queso blanco (white cheese). And I eat it. And I like it.

Let’s eat!