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Shake up your eating schedule the Norwegian way with Kveldsmat - the traditional 4th meal of the day! Culturally, most Norwegians have long eaten dinner a bit earlier in the day, around 4:30 pm. As a result, a relaxed evening snack of traditional breakfast foods just before bed has become common. Today, the people of Norway are starting to eat later and fewer people are enjoying a regular kveldsmat as part of their daily routine. However, many Norwegians have fond childhood memories of this unhurried time with their families. Explore the traditional kveldsmat with your Little Explorer on a day when you’ve had a late or heavy lunch and make room for conversation!
Supplies:
Directions:
Gather your bread, spreads and toppings and place them on a tray. (I’ve used a cookie sheet topped with a dish towel in a pinch!) A little while before bed, invite your Little Explorer for a bedtime snack around the kitchen table. I suggest wearing pajamas, lowering the lights, and putting away the phones and tablets to create a cozy feeling. Let your child(ren) explore putting together different combinations of spreads and toppings to create simple open-faced sandwiches and ask them about their day. Take this as an opportunity to create a protected space to connect with your child and spend quality time together.
Talk About It:
Did you know that in Norway many people eat 4 meals a day? They have breakfast, lunch, dinner, and … KVELDSMAT! Can you say that? What a fun word! Kveldsmat is eaten right before bed and it's a great time to slow down, have a snack, and talk with your family about your day! Some people like to have bread with all kinds of spreads and toppings - like cheese, sliced fruit or veggies, meats, jams, or honey. Take a look at what I have on this tray. Let’s sit down and fix a few pieces of bread to snack on. What do you want to try first? Oh, that sounds delicious! Let’s try a few combinations and see what we like the most!
FAQs
Kveldsmat is eaten right before bed and it's a great time to slow down, have a snack, and talk with your family about your day! Some people like to have bread with all kinds of spreads and toppings - like cheese, sliced fruit or veggies, meats, jams, or honey.
What are the four meals a day in Norway? ›
Contents
- 1.1 Breakfast (frokost)
- 1.2 Lunch (lunsj)
- 1.3 Dinner (middag)
- 1.4 Evening meal (kveldsmat)
The Norwegian breakfast doesn't look anything like a traditional American breakfast. Breakfast is a light affair often involving Norwegian rye bread cheese, jam and butter. There's also often meat and fish, like salami, ham, smoked salmon or pickled herring. Muesli is also common.
How many times a day do Norwegians eat? ›
Norwegians typically have three or four meals a day.
What is the last meal of the day called? ›
The terms “supper” and “dinner” can be used pretty interchangeably, but “dinner” is typically used more often. Regardless, if someone says one or the other, most people will know they're referring to the last meal of the day.
What is the national breakfast of Norway? ›
Norway. 80% of Norwegians eat breakfast (frokost) daily, mostly at home. The most common breakfast is open sandwiches (smørbrød), often whole wheat bread, with cheese, often Jarlsberg, Norvegia or brunost, cold cuts, leverpostei, jam, mackerel in tomato sauce, etc.
What is Norway's favorite meal? ›
Lamb is also frequently included in Norwegian cuisine. Fårikal, a dish made up of boiled mutton and cabbage served with boiled potatoes, is very popular in the country and has been voted the national dish twice.
What is the national dish of Norway? ›
Mutton and cabbage stew, or “fårikål” in Norwegian, has repeatedly been named Norway's national dish. It even has its own festive day on the last Thursday in September. Throughout the autumn months, people all around the country arrange lamb stew parties.
What time do Norwegians wake up? ›
Download Table Data
| Country | Wakeup Time |
|---|
| United Arab Emirates | 7:43 AM |
| Norway | 7:43 AM |
| Finland | 7:44 AM |
| Netherlands | 7:47 AM |
46 more rowsLast Supper, in the New Testament, the final meal shared by Jesus and his disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem, the occasion of the institution of the Eucharist.
Communion, also known as the Eucharist or Lord's Supper, is a symbolic reenactment of the Last Supper. The bread and wine (or grape juice) used in Communion represent the body and blood of Jesus Christ. Christians remember and participate in Jesus' sacrifice on the cross by taking Communion.
Why do Norwegians eat dinner so early? ›
A key aspect of this is their early dinner, usually served between 4 pm - 5 pm. This practice allows them to replenish and relax for the rest of the evening with their loved ones. Having an early dinner also aligns with their work schedules and daylight hours, which can be scarce depending on the time of year.
What is the Norwegian diet? ›
The Nordic diet encourages you to eat a lot of whole foods, particularly sourced locally and in season, including: Whole grains, particularly rye, barley and oats. Fruits, especially berries. Vegetables, especially root vegetables like beets, turnips and carrots.
What is Norway's national meal? ›
Mutton and cabbage stew, or “fårikål” in Norwegian, has repeatedly been named Norway's national dish. It even has its own festive day on the last Thursday in September. Throughout the autumn months, people all around the country arrange lamb stew parties. “The dish is perfect if you want to invite a lot of people.
What is a typical Norwegian lunch? ›
It doesn't have to be complicated. The traditional Norwegian matpakke consists of slices of freshly baked bread (often as open-faced sandwiches) with a favourite pålegg (fillings and toppings), and maybe a few slices of fruit or vegetables, or berries.
