単語"meal"は無くても良い？　最適な使い方は？

meal は日本語の「食事」と、ほぼ同じ感覚で使います。food (食べ物) と置き換えても良い状況が多いかもしれませんが、meal でないと変になってしまう場合が、確かに存在します。

以下のような文には、meal を使います。

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.

After a long day of hiking, they were eager to sit down for a hearty meal.

He likes to have a light meal before exercising.

It's important to have balanced meals to maintain good health.

The meal plan at the university includes three meals a day, seven days a week.

The university introduced a new sustainable meal plan to reduce food waste on campus.

Meal times are often the best opportunities for students to unwind and relax.

She usually grabs a quick meal between lectures.