I can easily figure out that 3 meals a day came about through school, work and other institutional settings in the 17th century. Workers would be given an allotted time for eating lunch. Even before the industrial revolution of the mid-19th century regularized working hours, elongated working hours, made a hearty breakfast necessary.
What about the ancient Romans and Greeks? Ancient Grecians ate a light breakfast and lunch and then a big meal at sundown. It is said variously that the Romans ate one meal or three meals a day and that they were fixated on digestion, influencing social customs for a long time.
And the Egyptians? It is said they ate two meals a day, again the hearty meal was dinner. In all three cultures, meat wasn't a regular staple, it was enjoyed by the rich.
The common word that comes up is porridge. Everyone ate porridge - usually made of wheat/farro - and both savoury and sweet.
The ancient Chinese seem to have the best diet - a little meat or fish, lots of vegetables, eggs, rice and noodles. They ate two meals a day by the poor and three or four meals a day by the rulers and upper classes. I do think that the diet above is the diet of the rich.
The Middle Ages? It was the era of dinner - at noon, according to the BBC. The aristocracy ate formal, lavish dinners around noon.
It was artificial lighting that allowed for dinner to be eaten later, shifting the larger meal to later.
And today? There's a Google answer for this: we don't need to eat three meals a day. The only rules are: eat when you're hungry, don't eat too much, and always have a varied and healthy diet that's crammed full of fruit and vegetables.
Isn't that a little bit of home-spun wisdom coming from Google-land!
Here we are at Hidden Bench's barn at Locust Lane. Travel up the escarpment at Lincoln Lane and Highway 8. It turns into McLeod, and meets Locust Lane. A wonderful drive amongst the woods and wineries.
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