This common term for a satisfying and filling repast (as in “three square meals a day”) leads many amateur etymologisers towards origins based on a literal reading of the words: Sailors used to eat off wooden boards; these were square in shape and were usually not filled with food.

Why is it called 3 square meals?

One good meal is called a square meal but we also have the phrase, three square meals. ... The most common claims that sailors aboard ship had their meals served to them on square wooden trays or plates, that they either carried back to their bunks, where the plates could be stored easily, or that were stored elsewhere.

Why is a meal called Square?

The term square meal is a nautical term from the days of old sailing ships. Any significant meals (usually the last one of the day) would be eaten off a square-shaped wooden plate, which also served as the tray. A decent meal on board became known as a square meal.