Managing meals in Türkiye

Cheryl Moderator

Member since 15 October 2018

CherylModerator21 November 2025 09:28:56

14940

Hello everyone,

Managing meals day-to-day can sometimes be a real mental challenge, even more so when you land in a new environment, with different schedules, habits or ingredients. How do you manage your meal routine as an expat in Türkiye? We invite you to share your experience in order to help fellow expats and soon-to-be expats.

What are the main changes you have made to your meal routine since settling in Türkiye?

Did you face any challenges to adapt to new meal habits?

Do you cook fresh meals everyday or do you meal prep? Why?

If you live with your family, do you prepare meals for everyone for school or work? Are canteens available?

Do you usually eat out for lunch or dinner or do you prefer eating at home?

What surprised you the most about meals in Türkiye, either in terms of habits, timing, portions, meal composition, food culture, etc.?

Share your insights, experience and meal routines!

Thank you for your contribution.

Cheryl
Expat.com Team

Gino_C Serial expat

Member since 21 May 2021

Gino_CSerial expat23 November 2025 03:14:02

209

I'm a soon-to-be expat American with Turkish heritage, I have a lot of experience in Turkish cuisine and by far, restaurant food in Türkiye is much more tastier, much less costly and healthier and nutritious than what is available here. Consequently, I plan to eat out a lot more. I especially enjoy the "home cooked" traditional dishes, what Turkish people call "Sulu yemekler". We are especially much more inclined to eat out in Türkiye because we rarely eat out in the U.S. for the stated reasons above.

For sure, I will also be taking advantage of the weekly neighborhood fruit and vegetable farmers markets when I want to prepare meals/salads at home. The produce is very fresh, high quality and inexpensive. The variety of baked goods and cheeses are also the items I look forward to enjoying.

Our primary concern is the amount of pesticide residue in foods and the options available for organic alternatives. I intend to research this after I make my move.