Food
“To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art.” La Rochefoucauld
Among the main factors of a student’s daily life is the care with food.
Food can be beneficial or harmful, it depends on the amount eaten, the time of consumption and the eating habits of each one.
Energy suppliers, memory stimulators, concentration allies… food can be a great help in school performance but can also potentiate the opposite effect if they are not well selected. This is because the consumption of certain foods before or during an activity that involves concentration, can cause the student to have pressure drops, stomach problems or may even make him more lethargic.
Food also influences the period of rest and sleep, allowing the brain to eliminate toxins accumulated in the body throughout the day, thus providing more space for new information to be recorded in memory.
Thus, the concern to offer the most suitable foods to each one, improving concentration, understanding and memorization for a fit brain, should be a constant on the university campus.
There are several options, both at FEUP and in the surroundings, at Campus da Asprela.
SASUP:
The Social Action Services of the University of Porto have, at the university centers, a set of food units (1 restaurant, 1 grill, 11 canteens, 6 snack bars) providing daily, on average, 4,000 quality meals at a social price.
Units at FEUP, Pole II:
Engineering Canteen
Engineering Grill
Other options at Pole II:
Dental Medicine Snack Bar
Sports Canteen
Sports Snack Bar
S. João Canteen
S. João Restaurant
More Info:
Prices, Menus
https://sigarra.up.pt/sasup/en/WEB_BASE.GERA_PAGINA?P_pagina=265412
Cafeteria and Snack Bars at FEUP:
Cafeteria:
The Cafeteria of FEUP, also called by students “Bar Verde” or “Bar de Minas” in addition to the meal in a plate, canteen type, has a snack service with several options that include soup, salads, sandwiches, fruits, etc.
Library Bar
It offers cold snacks, sandwiches, hamburgers, etc.
More Info:
https://sigarra.up.pt/feup/en/WEB_BASE.GERA_PAGINA?P_pagina=31556
Other Restaurants in the area:
There is also a shopping mall, Campus S. João, with a food court with several different options, within walking distance of the Faculty.
Mais Info:
https://www.campussaojoao.com/lojas/#restaurantes
Supermarkets:
If you want to purchase ingredients to be able to make your own meals at home, there are two options close to FEUP:
Continente – It was the first hypermarket chain in Portugal, of medium size, offering fresh products, from fishmongers, butchers, fruits, vegetables, bakeries, groceries, hygiene and cleaning.
More info:
It is 650 meters from FEUP, about 8 minutes walk (Continente Asprela)
Froiz – Spanish supermarket chain, of medium size and one offering fresh and frozen products, grocery, hygiene and cleaning.
More info:
It is 700 meters from FEUP, about 8 minutes walk (Campus São João)
• In addition to traditional Portuguese dishes, you can find, both at FEUP and in the restaurants of Pólo da Asprela, vegetarian options, as well as gluten-free ingredients in the nearest supermarkets
Curiosities:
Porto Gastronomy is the pure expression of the culture of its people.
Port wine, the icon of the city and the Douro region, is one of the oldest gastronomic examples of the Invicta city, being known worldwide.
Also with large hundreds of years, the Tripas à moda do Porto a typical Porto dish that emerged in times of difficulty for the people of Porto that started cooking pork tripes in a stew with beans to avoid hunger, but that have eternalized throughout history, being today considered the delicacy of the city. This name comes from the nickname for which the inhabitants of Porto are known – tripeiros – a denomination of which they are very proud, reflecting the strength and resilience of these people. More contemporary, but equally traditional in Porto is the Francesinha, a snack that quickly asserted itself, becoming an ex-libris of the city. These three gastronomic elements contribute to the affirmation of Porto’s authenticity, increasing the heritage of this metropolis.
The Portuguese love to sit at the table to eat and drink well, if possible in the company of family and friends and are proud of their cuisine.
Maybe that’s why, in Porto, several meals are eaten: breakfast, mid-morning, lunch, snack and dinner.
For breakfast there is traditionally bread, butter, cheese, ham, cakes, coffee, tea, milk or juice. In the middle of the morning and at lunch there is a break for fruit, a yogurt or a simple coffee.
At lunch and dinner there is soup, salad or vegetables, fish or meat, rice, potatoes, fruit, and coffee.
During lunch, most people have at least 1 hour of free time and a 15-minute break in the morning and afternoon for a snack.
On every corner there is a restaurant or a pastry shop, but don’t think that you just eat. Portuguese who are Portuguese like a good wine, but also a cold beer, especially if you go with some snacks at the end of the day.
And coffee is part of Portuguese culture. The Portuguese drink coffee for pleasure, but also as an excuse to meet friends and socialize. More than 80% of Portuguese drink coffee daily, 42.3% drink 2 coffees a day and 22.2% drink between 3 to 5 coffees daily. The Portuguese generally prefer to drink espresso.
