To not understand the unwritten rule of not having 2 hot meals a day?

[Justanothernamechange2]

Seeing it more and more that people cant have hot food twice a day.. cant possibly have spag bol for dinner because they had soup for lunch etc. It was a recent debate in my workplace so wondered how the jury of MN feel.

Surely its more about portions than temperature?

Id happily eat hot food for every meal - lunch is just typically smaller than my evening meal or vice versa sometimes at weekends...

I've never heard anyone say this.

I've never heard of this rule. I wouldn't eat two big hot meals but then I wouldn't eat two big cold meals either. Surely it's the size/content of the meal that should be the focus?

Seeing it more and more that people cant have hot food twice a day

Do you live in a strange place?
Soyuz? Alcatraz?

The more hot food in autumn/winter, the better imho.

Which planet are you from because surely it's not Earth.

Quite the opposite in France everyone I know considers they haven't eaten if they have had something cold for lunch (sandwiches, small salad) as opposed to at least 2 courses.

My mum however is horrified at 2 hot meals a day and brings it up every time she is here "that's a lot if work for you, isn't it?"

I've heard of this but only from old weirdos.

I had cup asoup for dinner and I'm having chicken and chips tonight.

I’ve also never heard this although I have heard some people say their children’s evening meal needs to be a hot one which I don’t understand whether.

I've literally never heard this in my life. I mean, porridge is a Hot food.

Did you actually just make that up?!

People do this here in Germany. I find it very odd!

I think they mean that you don't need two cooked meals a day rather then you can't.

SneakyGremlins

I've heard of this but only from old weirdos

What is an old weirdo?

I've never heard this before either.

Never heard this. If I don’t get one hot meal a day I really notice it though.

speakout My grandma and her friends who got into shouting matches with their children when their grandchildren (such as me) had casserole for lunch and a hot meal for dinner too

Never heard of this before. Maybe I lived in France too long and was brainwashed but I prefer a hot lunch to a cold one. I actually have 3 hot meals a day (eggs for breakfast, soup for lunch, meat/fish & veggies for dinner). Does that make me a deviant?!

I had porridge for breakfast, soup for lunch and gammon and mash and veg for tea.

3 hot meals; I’m about to combust

Never heard of this. Sounds beyond ridiculous.

I've never heard of that rule. A lot of people don't have two hot meals in a day, especially if they go to work and usually buy a snack at lunchtime but there's no reason not to. Kids often do if they have a hot school lunch and then a meal in the evening.

Never heard of it and couldn't stick to it. I'd have 3 hot meals a day if I could! Not really a sandwich fan and only eat salads because they are healthy. I love having leftover stews or spaghetti bolognese for lunch and most days its something like homemade soup for lunch and a curry or chilli for dinner.

What irritates me more is the obsession with having a 'hot dinner' if you have a sandwich or whatever for lunch. You frequently see it here on Mumsnet, parents commenting that they must provide a cooked meal for the children because they 'only' had a packed meal at lunch time. Surely what is important is the nutritional value of the meal, not whether it is hot, cold or luke warm

I think it's a particular tradition that some (English?) people follow. Most of my elderly relatives have followed this all their lives. Bonkers. I've never understood it and eat what I please within reason.

There is no such rule or custom or old wives tale in the US. Two or three hot meals a day here is quite common.

Oh another bit of it is the idea of a "main" meal being hot. And therefore you cannot have two mains in a day. Gets me annoyed thinking about it.

I overheard an elderly couple in a pub restaurant having that same conversation this week. They were talking to the other couple they were with. Upset they had mistakenly had a hot lunch at home and now we're out for dinner and should only eat a sandwich. The other, equally elderly lady said, " you've plenty money and you're hungry, I think you're being silly". The rest of their meal seemed a little awkward! I think it may be a hangover from wastefulness and rationing?