Americans work hard and live at a fast pace, so sometimes they simply don’t have time to prepare complex dishes and leisurely feasts. They may well have a hamburger for lunch, drink coffee on the run, and even add ice to tea. What else surprises the eating habits of US residents and their attitude to food? Americans do not make a cult out of food: they often have a snack on the go, doing other things at the same time and not attaching much importance to the process of eating. Dine in the comfort of your car using the drive-thru system, or order a meal from a fast food restaurant is par for the course. This tradition has not developed today. “American dishes look quite appetizing, but Americans eat standing up, without taking off their coats, hurriedly and without communicating with each other,” wrote the French diplomat Paul Moran, who worked in New York back in the 30s. last century. The busiest Americans, like young parents, don't even sit down for a bite to eat and don't really care about the quality of the food. In one survey, 90% of American mothers and fathers with young children admitted that they prefer food that can be quickly prepared and eaten. Friendly parties are also often held in the buffet format: guests gather to chat and have fun, so they do not sit at the table, but walk around the room with full plates in their hands. Nutritionists – both ours and Americans – consider this habit harmful: standing up, a person eats more, the stomach stretches, becomes lethargic and does not digest food well. 
1. Eating on the go
2. Eating while standing
3. They do not like to cook at home
Saving time, Americans prefer to eat out, leaving about 3,000 USD a year in catering establishments – since the food industry is well developed here, and the choice is huge: from McDonald's to Michelin-starred restaurants. You don’t need a special occasion to go to a cafe or restaurant – the average American goes somewhere for breakfast on weekdays, and on weekends he goes out to a restaurant with his family. Do you know the 20 strangest prohibitions in America?
4. Prefer semi-finished products
Even those who are ready to stand at the stove usually spend no more than an hour a day on it – semi-finished products or dry mixes come to the rescue here. In the frozen food section, you can find anything: pizza, lasagna, meatballs, casseroles, sweet pies and much more. Breeding dough for pancakes from eggs and flour is too long: it’s easier and faster to take the finished mixture, pour it with milk or water and mix everything in a blender.
5. Have a hearty supper
Americans don’t bother preparing breakfast or lunch: for lunch, you can eat a sandwich or salad, order delivery, or go to a cafe near work. Another thing is dinner: in many families this is the main meal of the day. The whole family gathers at home, so something solid is served at the table – they bake meat or chicken, prepare soups and side dishes from vegetables and beans, and complete the evening feast with sweet desserts.
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6. They put food on large plates
Standard American plates with a diameter of 30-33 cm are one and a half to two times larger than in Europe – is it any wonder at the size of local portions? Experts compared two Chinese restaurants – in Philadelphia and in Paris: the volume of the contents of a plate in an American city was 70% more.
Specialists have calculated that the average meal in an American restaurant has quadrupled over the past half century: the average American now consumes 400 calories more per day than his compatriot in 1970. According to nutritionists, this is one of the reasons massive problems with overweight – according to statistics, 70% of the country's inhabitants have extra pounds (in Russia, if anything, only 60% have it).