Europe · Southern Europe

Portugal

Recipes connected with Portugal

Food and eating habits

How people eat in Portugal

50 indicators exploring everyday meals, ingredients and food culture. Information is completed progressively from documented evidence.

50 of 50 indicators with documented information

Not all data are comparable: food supply, purchases and intake are different measures. Check the period, population and method for each finding. Qualitative descriptions do not establish percentages or amounts.

Timing and company

8/8

Timing and company — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Meal times	Quantitative findingSurvey Local time: breakfast 8h–9h; lunch 12h30–14h; dinner 20h–21h. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit local clock time Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Previous-day CAPI,16 September–11 November 2024; sex, age, region and settlement quotas, then sex, age and education weighting. Comparison limitations Adult cross-sectional self-report; not direct observation or extrapolation to children. Meal categories can overlap. Predominant detailed-chapter intervals; the summary differs for lunch.
Meals per day	Quantitative findingSurvey Previous day:89% had breakfast,97% lunch and 96% dinner. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit percent Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Previous-day CAPI,16 September–11 November 2024; sex, age, region and settlement quotas, then sex, age and education weighting. Comparison limitations Adult cross-sectional self-report; not direct observation or extrapolation to children. Meal categories can overlap.
Meal duration	Quantitative findingSurvey Breakfast:55% spent 10–20 minutes. Lunch:36%,21–30 minutes. Dinner:32%,31–40 minutes. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit percent and minutes per meal Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Previous-day CAPI,16 September–11 November 2024; sex, age, region and settlement quotas, then sex, age and education weighting. Comparison limitations Adult cross-sectional self-report; not direct observation or extrapolation to children. Meal categories can overlap. Excludes preparation; no derived means.
Daily energy distribution	Quantitative findingObserved intake Lunch:31.8% of daily energy; dinner:27.5%. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit percent Population or sample Portugal, residents aged 3–84, IAN-AF 2015–2016. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Research-team analysis of IAN-AF 2015–2016; food diaries and 24-hour recalls on nonconsecutive days. Comparison limitations Lunch and dinner only; reported intake, not availability or purchases. Other occasions and recommendations are not inferred.
Weekdays and weekends	Qualitative descriptionSurvey Meals tend to last longer at weekends; additional minutes are not quantified. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Previous-day CAPI,16 September–11 November 2024; sex, age, region and settlement quotas, then sex, age and education weighting. Comparison limitations Adult cross-sectional self-report; not direct observation or extrapolation to children. Meal categories can overlap.
Eating at home and away	Quantitative findingSurvey Dinner at home:90% of occasions; breakfast at home:83%. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit percent Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Previous-day CAPI,16 September–11 November 2024; sex, age, region and settlement quotas, then sex, age and education weighting. Comparison limitations Adult cross-sectional self-report; not direct observation or extrapolation to children. Meal categories can overlap. Eating location, not preparation location.
Cooking frequency	Qualitative descriptionSurvey In the make-do homemaker and diligent professional profiles, dinner is prepared every day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2021 Population or sample Two Portuguese working-age adult profiles. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Stratified domestic-practices survey, finalquarter 2021; team synthesis. Comparison limitations Does not represent all adults; no national distribution of days or minutes.
Eating together	Quantitative findingSurvey Breakfast alone:53%. Shared dinner:88%; shared lunch:69%. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit percent Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Reported meal and stated period; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Previous-day CAPI,16 September–11 November 2024; sex, age, region and settlement quotas, then sex, age and education weighting. Comparison limitations Adult cross-sectional self-report; not direct observation or extrapolation to children. Meal categories can overlap. Sharing does not exclusively mean family.

Pantry and recipes

2/2

Pantry and recipes — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Most consumed ingredients	Quantitative findingFood supply Mean wheat availability:86.1 kg per inhabitant per year; rice:21.8 kg. They rank first and second among cereals by available quantity in the studied edition. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2020–2024 Unit kg/person/year Population or sample Mean Portuguese resident population during the period; food available in and outside households. Geographic scope 2020–2024 mean,2025 edition. Partial cereal coverage, not an all-food ranking. Definition and method Supply balance: production and trade less nonfood uses, processing, losses and stocks. Processed products converted to primary products; not bread or cooked-rice weight. Comparison limitations Apparent supply, not intake or purchases. The 2025 edition predates the per-capita 2021–2024 revision announced in October 2026; it is not presented as the latest revised series.
Ingredient prevalence in recipes	Qualitative descriptionRecipe sample The studied catalogue includes rice and seafood in arroz de marisco; rice, milk and yolks in arroz doce; bread, beef and cheese in francesinha; cod, potatoes and eggs in bacalhau à Brás; potatoes, collard greens and chorizo in caldo verde; clams and monkfish in cataplana. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2026-11-02 Population or sample Six published KitchenPause recipes associated with Portugal; not a household sample. Geographic scope Published catalogue consulted on 2 November 2026; qualitative ingredient examples. Definition and method All published recipes in the native Portugal scope with images and without consolidation were included; one per stable identifier, translations not duplicated. All six public lists read and checked against persisted ingredients. Comparison limitations Small catalogue-selected editorial sample; does not represent prevalence in Portuguese recipes or population intake. No ingredient percentages or rankings calculated.

Cereals and plant foods

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Cereals and plant foods — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Cereals and cereal products	Quantitative findingObserved intake Rice and other grains:64 g per person per day; pasta:28 g. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Two consumed-food subgroups, not the whole cereals-and-tubers group. Common, whole or wild rice and other grains form one category; fresh, dried or stuffed pasta another. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. No separate rice, wheat, maize or oat quantities; not dry weights.
Bread	Quantitative findingObserved intake Bread and toasts:100 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Broad subgroup of breads from different cereals, toast, cornbread, breadcrumbs and breadsticks. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. No breakdown by bread type or dough formula.
Pulses	Quantitative findingObserved intake Pulses:18 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Dry and fresh pulse category, including beans, chickpeas, peas and lentils. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Not dry weight; no allocation of intake by pulse species.
Vegetables	Quantitative findingObserved intake Vegetables:153 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Fresh and processed vegetable category; processed forms include frozen, canned, pickled vegetables and vegetable pâtés. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Not fresh vegetables alone; does not rank individual species.
Fruit	Quantitative findingObserved intake Fresh fruit:131 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Fresh-fruit subgroup in the survey classification. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Not all processed fruit or separate amounts by species.
Potatoes, roots and tubers	Quantitative findingObserved intake Potatoes and other starchy tubers:100 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Subgroup comprising potatoes, sweet potatoes, yam and cassava roots. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Do not attribute all the weight to potatoes or separately to each species.

Protein foods

5/5

Protein foods — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Meat	Quantitative findingObserved intake Meat:117 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Category including white meat, red meat, offal and processed meat. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Edible weight as consumed, not carcass weight; no quantified split by species.
Fish and seafood	Quantitative findingObserved intake Fish:42 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Subgroup labelled Fish in the national figure; the classification covers fresh, dried and canned fish. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. No separate amounts by species, preservation form or shellfish.
Eggs	Quantitative findingObserved intake Eggs:16 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Category covering chicken and quail eggs, egg powder, liquid egg and egg white. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Edible grams, not counts of whole eggs. No size-based conversion applied.
Milk and dairy products	Quantitative findingObserved intake Dairy:253.5 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope National dairy-group total, not the mean restricted to consumers. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive 24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Not litres of milk or amounts of each product; no milk, yoghurt and cheese split here.
Protein sources	Qualitative descriptionObserved intake The largest protein-contributing subgroups are red meat, white meat, and bread and toasts, in that order. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to 84 years; weighted national IAN-AF 2015–2016 results. Geographic scope Contribution to protein intake, not food weight or national supply. Definition and method National IAN-AF food-subgroup contributions ordered from largest to smallest with the original classification retained. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Qualitative subgroup ordering; no percentage allocation or consumption frequency is presented. Not the energy percentage supplied by protein.

Fats, flavours and condiments

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Fats, flavours and condiments — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Cooking fats	Quantitative findingObserved intake Olive oil:11 g; butter:4 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, edible as consumed Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope Specific examples; partial documentation of the indicator. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Rounded values for selected subgroups, not an exhaustive fat inventory; values not summed.
Herbs and spices	Qualitative descriptionRecipe sample The published recipe sample includes parsley in bacalhau à Brás and cinnamon in arroz doce. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2026-11-02 Population or sample Six published KitchenPause recipes associated with Portugal, selected by country without counting translations twice. Geographic scope Specific examples; partial documentation of the indicator. Definition and method Ingredient reading of the complete sample identified by country and unique recipe, accessed in November 2026; two preparations illustrated here. Comparison limitations Not a population survey or measure of national prevalence; no ingredient percentage frequency calculated.
Sauces and condiments	Qualitative descriptionCultural context In Madeira, grilled limpets are served with bolo do caco and garlic butter. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Regional preparation from Madeira, Portugal. Geographic scope Specific examples; partial documentation of the indicator. Definition and method Reading of a regional culinary description by the tourism promotion body; no statistical observation period. Comparison limitations Regional example, not a description of all Portugal or a measure of frequency, quantities or current consumption.

Meal composition

6/6

Meal composition — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Breakfast composition	Quantitative findingSurvey Breakfast recorded for 94.7% of the population. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit % population Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope National prevalence of the eating occasion during the survey period. Definition and method Prevalence of eating occasions reported in IAN-AF dietary records, weighted to the Portuguese population distribution. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Partial coverage: does not identify foods, quantities or combinations for that occasion; not universal daily consumption or current habits.
Main meal composition	Quantitative findingSurvey Lunch recorded for 98.1% of the population. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit % population Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope National prevalence of the eating occasion during the survey period. Definition and method Prevalence of eating occasions reported in IAN-AF dietary records, weighted to the Portuguese population distribution. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Partial coverage: does not identify foods, quantities or combinations for that occasion; not universal daily consumption or current habits.
Dinner composition	Quantitative findingSurvey Dinner recorded for 97.0% of the population. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit % population Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope National prevalence of the eating occasion during the survey period. Definition and method Prevalence of eating occasions reported in IAN-AF dietary records, weighted to the Portuguese population distribution. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Partial coverage: does not identify foods, quantities or combinations for that occasion; not universal daily consumption or current habits.
Appetisers and snacks	Quantitative findingSurvey Mid-afternoon snack recorded for 85.8% of the population. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit % population Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope National prevalence of the eating occasion during the survey period. Definition and method Prevalence of eating occasions reported in IAN-AF dietary records, weighted to the Portuguese population distribution. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Partial coverage: does not identify foods, quantities or combinations for that occasion; not universal daily consumption or current habits.
Desserts and sweets	Qualitative descriptionRecipe sample Recipe example: arroz doce with rice, milk, egg yolks, sugar, butter and cinnamon. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2026-11-02 Population or sample Six published KitchenPause recipes associated with Portugal, selected by country without counting translations twice. Geographic scope Dessert example from the recipe collection, without population frequency. Definition and method Ingredient reading of the complete sample identified by country and unique recipe, accessed in November 2026; arroz doce is illustrated here. Comparison limitations Not a population survey or measure of national prevalence; no ingredient percentage frequency calculated.
Portion sizes	Quantitative findingCultural context Educational reference portions: bread,50 g; rice,35 g raw or110 g cooked. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2014 Unit g/educational reference portion Population or sample Audience of a Portuguese food education guide, not an observed sample. Geographic scope Recommended educational equivalents, not mean portions actually served. Definition and method Visual reading of the November 2014 poster: bread per unit and rice in raw and cooked states; quantities transcribed, not converted. Comparison limitations Partial food coverage. Neither national averages nor prescribed individual portions; poster equivalents do not establish a universal cooking factor.

Techniques and equipment

5/5

Techniques and equipment — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Cooking techniques	Qualitative descriptionRecipe sample Recipe example: gently sautéing onion and garlic, boiling potatoes and sautéing chorizo for caldo verde. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2026-11-02 Population or sample Six published KitchenPause recipes associated with Portugal, selected by country without counting translations twice. Geographic scope Documented example; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Reading of caldo verde ingredients and steps within the complete sample of six published Portuguese recipes; one recipe per identity, without duplicating translations. Comparison limitations Not a population survey or measure of national prevalence; no ingredient percentage frequency calculated.
Vegetable preparation	Qualitative descriptionRecipe sample Recipe example: finely sliced cabbage cooked in a puréed potato base for caldo verde. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2026-11-02 Population or sample Six published KitchenPause recipes associated with Portugal, selected by country without counting translations twice. Geographic scope Documented example; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Reading of caldo verde ingredients and steps within the complete sample of six published Portuguese recipes; one recipe per identity, without duplicating translations. Comparison limitations Not a population survey or measure of national prevalence; no ingredient percentage frequency calculated.
Food preservation	Qualitative descriptionCultural context One Portuguese commercial cod selection is described as salt-cured and subsequently dried. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample One selection from a Portuguese cod producer. Geographic scope Documented example; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Reading of the primary product description; no population survey or statistical observation period. Comparison limitations Specific example, not national prevalence or consumption or preparation frequency; does not establish general household practices.
Fermented foods	Qualitative descriptionCultural context In Madeira, bolo de mel uses a fermented dough with butter, lard, walnuts and sugarcane honey. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Regional preparation from Madeira, Portugal. Geographic scope Documented example; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Reading of the primary product description; no population survey or statistical observation period. Comparison limitations Specific example, not national prevalence or consumption or preparation frequency; does not establish general household practices.
Kitchen equipment	Quantitative findingSurvey Microwaves were used in 88.0% of primary residences. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2019–2020 Unit % primary-residence dwellings reporting use Population or sample Conventional family dwellings used as usual residences in Portugal, including the autonomous regions. Geographic scope Documented example; partial indicator coverage. Definition and method Internet and telephone survey, weighted for design, non-response and calibration to population totals; reference October 2019 to September 2020. Comparison limitations Measures use during the period, not mere ownership or daily use. Partial coverage: no oven or pressure-cooker figure provided here. Historical period includes pandemic restrictions.

Drinks

3/3

Drinks — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Everyday drinks	Quantitative findingObserved intake Soft drinks:88.4 g; coffee:54.9 g; tea and infusions:77.0 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit g/person/day, prepared beverage Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope Partial coverage: selected indicator categories. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical self-reported estimate, subject to recall error and nonresponse; not current intake for every person. Original unit retained without annual extrapolation. Weight of prepared beverages, not dry coffee or tea or number of cups. Water and alcoholic beverages are not included here; not an individual recommendation.
Coffee and tea preparation	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Coffee serving examples: plain espresso and pingado, with a few drops of milk. Scope, method and limitations Population or sample Coffee serving examples described for Portugal. Geographic scope Partial coverage: selected indicator categories. Definition and method Reading of a cultural description of coffee serving styles; no statistical observation period. Comparison limitations No standardised volumes, added sugar, national frequency or tea preparation methods supplied. Names may vary regionally.
Drinks with meals	Quantitative findingSurvey For the ideal main meal,68% chose water and 30% wine. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit % adults selecting beverage for ideal main meal Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Partial coverage: selected indicator categories. Definition and method CAPI question on ideal main-meal composition using a closed list with multiple responses; weighted quota sample. Comparison limitations Stated preference, not beverages actually consumed with meals or daily frequency. Overlapping choices: percentages not summed. Adults only; no extrapolation to children.

Nutrition and dietary patterns

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Nutrition and dietary patterns — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Energy and nutrients	Quantitative findingObserved intake Energy:1910 kcal; fibre:17.8 g per person per day. Carbohydrates:46.6% of energy; total fat:31.4%. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit kcal/person/day;g fibre/person/day;%energy Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope Partial coverage of national nutrient intake estimates. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Historical estimated intake, not recommendations or food supply. Percentages describe energy, not macronutrient grams; no conversion to grams. Protein grams are not supplied here.
Salt and sugars	Quantitative findingObserved intake Sodium:2962 mg; total sugars:84 g; free sugars:35 g per person per day. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2015–2016 Unit mg sodium/person/day;g sugars/person/day Population or sample Portuguese general resident population aged three months to84years; weighted national IAN-AF2015–2016results. Geographic scope Total: monosaccharides and disaccharides. Free: added sugars and those in honey, syrups and fruit juices; distinct categories. Definition and method Two nonconsecutive24-hour recalls, or child food diaries; adjustment for within-person variability and frequency. Recipes disaggregated into ingredients, edible weight as consumed; not purchases or supply. Comparison limitations Sodium in milligrams, not grams of salt. No salt conversion or separate added-sugar estimate. Free sugars are part of total sugars: not summed. Historical self-reported data, not individual clinical assessment.
Dietary patterns	Quantitative findingSurvey 20% were following or had followed a diet or regimen different from what was considered usual within the preceding 12 months. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit % adults reporting different diet now or past12months Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Broad definition of a regimen different from usual, for voluntary or imposed reasons. Definition and method CAPI question on currently or previously within the past year following a regimen different from usual; weighted quota sample. Comparison limitations Not the prevalence of vegetarianism, veganism or flexitarianism. Does not allow deduction of those national percentages or summation of overlapping types. Adults only, no extrapolation to children.

Shopping, prices and waste

7/7

Shopping, prices and waste — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Food expenditure	Quantitative findingSurvey Food and non-alcoholic beverages: 12.9% of average annual household expenditure. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2022/2023 Unit % Population or sample Households resident in Portugal. Geographic scope Average annual household expenditure on food and non-alcoholic beverages; Portugal, 2022/2023. Definition and method Household budget survey; COICOP 2018 classification, annualisation and calibrated weights. Comparison limitations Partial coverage: this is not monthly spending per person and excludes restaurant services; the annual figure has not been divided.
Cost of a common basket	Quantitative findingSurvey Historical Christmas basket example: EUR 44.81 for 16 products on 9 November 2022. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2022 Unit EUR per reported basket Population or sample Selection of Christmas products; not a household sample. Geographic scope Christmas basket priced on9November2022 across online supermarkets: white sugar; cake flour; red potatoes; semi-skimmed UHT milk; six eggs; cabbage; vegetable oil; carcaça bread; turkey leg; large salted cod; carolino rice; extra virgin olive oil; cooking chocolate bar; pineapple; DOC Alentejo white wine and DOC Douro red wine. Definition and method Mean price of each product across the simulator’s online stores where available; published sum of those means. One unit per product or one kilogram for goods sold by weight. Comparison limitations Partial historical example for Portugal; includes wine. It is neither a current monthly basket nor a diet cost. Not all package sizes or stores per product are specified; it cannot support comparisons with other baskets or retailers.
Cost of specific meals	Quantitative findingSurvey The menu consulted lists bacalhau à Brás at EUR 25, including VAT. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2026 Unit EUR per listed dish Population or sample Menu offering at one Lisbon restaurant; not a consumer sample. Geographic scope Casa do Bacalhau, Lisbon; price per listed dish in the menu consulted on 2 November 2026. Definition and method Direct reading and visual verification of the official menu, page 2. Comparison limitations Partial local example: neither a national average nor home cooking cost. The dish weight and number of servings are unspecified; no per-person price is calculated.
Grocery shopping locations	Quantitative findingSurvey 79% reported making most of their food expenditure in hypermarket or supermarket chains. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit % Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Reported main food spending channel, Portugal, 2024. Definition and method CAPI interviews, weighted quota sample; question about where most food expenditure takes place. Comparison limitations The percentage counts people reporting a main channel; it is neither a monetary market share nor observed purchases. Partial coverage.
Shopping frequency	Quantitative findingSurvey In the consumer sample, 56% shopped in physical supermarket stores once or twice a week. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024–2025 Unit % Population or sample DECO subscribers and supporters; 3,680 valid responses to the June 2025 online survey. Geographic scope Shopping in physical supermarkets; study published in 2025 combining 2024 and 2025 evaluations. Definition and method Online questionnaire; respondents could assess two chains. Experiences from both years were pooled, with double weight for 2025. Comparison limitations Participant sample without demonstrated national representativeness. The 12,884 experiences are not distinct people. No mean visits or basket amount.
Prepared food and delivery	Quantitative findingSurvey 3% reported obtaining meals through apps at least once or twice a week. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit % Population or sample Residents of mainland Portugal, Azores and Madeira aged 18 or over;1518 interviewees. Geographic scope Meals bought outside and eaten at home; app orders, Portugal, 2024. Definition and method CAPI interviews, weighted quota sample; frequency category in Figure 6.6, checked against the text. Comparison limitations Partial coverage: reported frequency of app orders; no spending or specific dishes. It does not describe traditional takeaway frequency.
Household food waste	Quantitative findingSurvey Estimated household food waste: 105 kg per inhabitant in 2024. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2024 Unit kg/person/year, fresh mass Population or sample Food waste generated by households in Portugal; annual average population as denominator. Geographic scope Portugal, household sector, 2024; fresh mass, edible and inedible parts. Definition and method National estimate reported to Eurostat in env_wasfw, KG_HAB indicator, HH sector; e flag for estimated data. Comparison limitations Partial coverage: edible and inedible parts are included, without food-type or reason breakdown. Neither retail waste nor the entire supply chain. Estimated data; the precise national technique is not detailed here.

Seasons and celebrations

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Seasons and celebrations — Portugal
Indicator	Findings and context
Seasonal produce	Qualitative descriptionCultural context Tomatoes and pumpkins: outdoor harvest from June to September. For pumpkins, the calendar distinguishes post-harvest availability from October to May. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2021 reference edition; annual seasonal windows Population or sample Nationally produced plant foods marketed in Portugal; not a consumption survey. Geographic scope National calendar,2021 edition; tomato and pumpkin examples. It covers maximum windows across different regions. Definition and method Visual reading of the tomato and pumpkin rows and legend: outdoor harvest, post-harvest storage and greenhouse production are separate categories. Comparison limitations Partial coverage of two products. Months are not identical in every locality and do not guarantee current harvest; greenhouse tomatoes outside that window are not counted as outdoor harvest.
Celebration food	Qualitative descriptionCultural context In Portimão, the São Martinho fair takes place in November around the 11th; offerings include roasted chestnuts, farturas, roasted octopus and bread with chouriço. The 2026 edition is announced for 6–15 November. Scope, method and limitations Observation period 2026 local festival edition Population or sample Tradition and offerings of a local fair in Portimão, Algarve; not a sample of Portuguese households. Geographic scope Portimão, Parque de Feiras e Exposições;2026 edition dates and foods documented by the municipality. Definition and method Description and calendar published by the municipal authority, updated in July 2026; documentation of a local cultural practice. Comparison limitations Partial local example: no measure of attendance or national consumption. Saint Martin’s Day is fixed, while the fair’s date range varies by edition; this does not cover the entire Portuguese festive calendar.

Coverage in progress

The editorial guide for this country is in preparation. You can already explore its recipes; regional attributions are added when documented.

Guide available in other languages: Español

Places and communities

One country, many cuisines

An initial selection of regions to explore. Culinary boundaries may differ from administrative divisions.

Portugal

Alentejo

Portugal

Algarve

Portugal

Oporto y su entorno

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