Combination meal facts for kids
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A combination meal (or combo meal) is a meal that usually comes with several food items and a drink. You often find them at fast food places, but other restaurants sell them too. Sometimes, combo meals cost less than buying each item separately, but not always. It can also mean picking different foods from a menu to make your own meal.
For example, the casado is a popular lunch combo meal in Costa Rica and Panama.
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What is a Combo Meal?
Most fast food combo meals include a main item like a hamburger, a side dish like fries, and a drink like a soft drink. Other types of restaurants, such as fast-casual restaurants, also offer these meals.
Combo meals might be cheaper than buying each item separately. This can make people want to buy them, especially if they are trying to save money. Studies show that some people buy combo meals even if they don't save money. This is because they feel like they are getting a good deal. It's also easier and faster to order a combo meal by its number than to pick out each item. Sometimes, combo meals also encourage people to get larger portions of food.
A combo meal can also be when you choose different dishes from a menu and put them together on one plate. Some fast food combo meals can have more than 1,300 calories. Fast food places often let you order bigger portions within a combo meal, like "supersizing" your order.
History of Combo Meals
In the United States, combo meals were very popular in restaurants and homes in the early 1930s.
Combo Meals in Latin America
In Costa Rica and Panama, a combo meal is called a casado, which means "married." It's a common lunch dish in both countries.
In Costa Rica, a casado usually has a meat dish, rice, beans, and salads. It might also include fried plantains, noodles, and tomatoes. People often use the term plato del día (plate of the day) to mean the same thing as casado.
In Panama, a casado typically includes a main dish, rice, beans, and cabbage. There's also something called the plato executive (executive plate). This is a fixed-price lunch menu offered in some nicer restaurants, similar to the casado.
Combo Meals in Spain
In Spain, the combo meal is known as plato combinado. It's a common meal in bars and restaurants across the country. These meals are popular because they are affordable and can be cooked quickly.
A plato combinado often has a main item like grilled steak, hamburgers, or breaded cutlets. It can also have seafood like fried calamari or grilled squid, or other fried foods like croquettes. It usually comes with a side dish of salad or French fries, and sometimes a fried egg.
These meals became popular after the Spanish Civil War. At that time, the government introduced a "single-dish day" to help with the war effort. Later, during the "Spanish miracle" when many tourists visited, the plato combinado was designed to offer consistent meals at set prices. Even though tourists didn't love them, local people did. This might be because they reminded people of American-style diners, which were trendy in the 1950s and 1960s.
Even though they are popular, plato combinado meals are sometimes seen as unhealthy and old-fashioned. This is because many of the foods are deep-fried, and the ingredients are often frozen and not the best quality. They are similar to meals you might find in cafes or "greasy spoons" in other countries.
See also
In Spanish: Plato combinado para niños
