TRADITIONAL AMERICAN FOOD

         Americans eat a lot. They have three meals a day: break­fast, lunch and dinner.

       Most of Americans don’t eat at home but prefer to go to restaurants. They can choose from many kind of restaurants. There is a great number of ethnic restaurants in the United States. Italian, Chinese and Mexican food is very popular.

      An American institution is the fast food restaurant, which is very convenient but not very healthy.

      However there are some principles of American cuisine (if we may call it so). Americans drink a lot of juices and soda, eat a lot of meat, fruits and vegetables, not much bread. In the morning Americans have cereal or scrambled eggs, milk or orange juice. Chicken or fish, fried potatoes, vegetable salads, and desert: this is the most common menu for lunch. Dinner is probably the most important meal of the day, some people have family dinner, when all members of family have to be there. For dinner Americans usually have meat, fried or baked pota­toes with ketchup or sour cream, corn, peas, sometimes maca­roni and cheese or spaghetti; ice-cream, fruit or cake may be for dessert.

       Turkey, ham and apple pie are traditional for Christmas and Thanksgiving Day dinners.

QUESTIONS:

1. How many times a day do Americans eat?
2. Do Americans like to eat at home?
3. What kind of restaurants is popular in the US?
4. What do Americans eat for breakfast?
5. What is the most important meal of the day?
6. What is a family dinner?
7. What dishes are traditional for Christmas and Thanks­giving Day dinners?

VOCABULARY:

ethnic — этнический

healthy — здоровый, полезный

juice — сок

cereal — крупа злаковых культур

potatoes — картофель

salad — салат

ketchup — кетчуп

ice-cream — мороженое

apple pie — яблочный пирог

Christmas — Рождество

Thanksgiving Day — День благодарения