UK vs. US portions and nutrition
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Gregg's, Gregg's everywhere!
Oh god the bread in America upset me SO MUCH. Massive nope. How do people eat sandwiches?! Lovely bit of cheese, lovely bit of meat, surrounded by sugary awfulness.0 -
Depending where in England you go the names of the meals can catch you out. Older or more traditional may call the meal times breakfast dinner and tea. Rather than breakfast lunch and dinner. So be careful as dinner can actually be at two times of the day.
I originally come from Yorkshire and still call my midday meal dinner. It totally confused my friends at times.0 -
Thank you all for the responses! I'll be in Cheltenham, but visiting my boyfriend in London pretty frequently, so I'll have to drag him along to one of the farmers' markets a few times. Thankfully (for my diet's sake), my home school has a rule against drinking alcohol, so I won't be drinking while I'm over there. I've been making my tea the "proper English way" the boyfriend taught me, but I found out I put way too much sugar into it--gotta change that.
This sounds weird, but are there things like Splenda over there? Just no-calorie sweetners in general?0 -
Yep - Splenda, Sweetex, Canderel... we have all the usual synthetic artificial sweeteners
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LittleNell107 wrote: »Yep - Splenda, Sweetex, Canderel... we have all the usual synthetic artificial sweeteners
Phew!
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shannonbun wrote: »LittleNell107 wrote: »Yep - Splenda, Sweetex, Canderel... we have all the usual synthetic artificial sweeteners
Phew!
Hehe - I think you'll find most things will be strangely odd, yet vaguely familiar at the same time - that's certainly what I find when I'm over in the US.
ETA: including the language!0 -
You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.0
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I'm an ex-pat originally from Cheltenham
For me it always depends on who I'm staying with about how I eat. There is less eating out overall, but just as much processed crap as there is here. When I stay with my parents I eat pretty healthy because they buy fresh produce, grow their own veggies, shop at Waitrose, (although Waitrose sells plenty of crap as well). When I stay with other family members I tend to eat more processed stuff. But, there is a lot more home cooking in general. Takeaways and eating out is a lot more expensive than it is in the U.S. I've lived in the U.S. for 20 years and I still can't take the bread here (or the bacon or baked beans). I still prefer English food.
If you are in Cheltenham, there is a Greggs on the bath road (and in town), and there are a lot of pubs that now offer great food and is just as cheap as Weatherspoons. They also have all the big supermarket chains, so you will have a lot of choice.0 -
Actual potion size isn't an issue (though is different), you're basically eating an amount that fits in your calories, though get a sandwich at a restaurant in the US and you get so much more for example. It's more the database on here, pint sizes are different, as well as gallons for a start0
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lisafrancis888 wrote: »You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.
Please don't waste your calories... English fish and chips are terrible! (even the supposed "best" fish and chips around the country...)0 -
shannonbun wrote: »Thank you all for the responses! I'll be in Cheltenham, but visiting my boyfriend in London pretty frequently, so I'll have to drag him along to one of the farmers' markets a few times. Thankfully (for my diet's sake), my home school has a rule against drinking alcohol, so I won't be drinking while I'm over there. I've been making my tea the "proper English way" the boyfriend taught me, but I found out I put way too much sugar into it--gotta change that.
This sounds weird, but are there things like Splenda over there? Just no-calorie sweetners in general?
You aren't going to a third world country,haha. Perhaps take supplies of your favourites, or arrange to have them sent over.... Even if they have the same product made by the same company it may not be the same recipe. (English Cadbury chocolate is nothing like Australian Cadbury chocolate for example...)
They have Wholefoods! The first one opened in London when I was there, it was heaven0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »lisafrancis888 wrote: »You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.
Please don't waste your calories... English fish and chips are terrible! (even the supposed "best" fish and chips around the country...)
You are so very wrong.0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »lisafrancis888 wrote: »You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.
Please don't waste your calories... English fish and chips are terrible! (even the supposed "best" fish and chips around the country...)
What?! That's so wrong. Our fish and chips is spectacular ha ha ha.
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »shannonbun wrote: »Thank you all for the responses! I'll be in Cheltenham, but visiting my boyfriend in London pretty frequently, so I'll have to drag him along to one of the farmers' markets a few times. Thankfully (for my diet's sake), my home school has a rule against drinking alcohol, so I won't be drinking while I'm over there. I've been making my tea the "proper English way" the boyfriend taught me, but I found out I put way too much sugar into it--gotta change that.
This sounds weird, but are there things like Splenda over there? Just no-calorie sweetners in general?
You aren't going to a third world country,haha. Perhaps take supplies of your favourites, or arrange to have them sent over.... Even if they have the same product made by the same company it may not be the same recipe. (English Cadbury chocolate is nothing like Australian Cadbury chocolate for example...)
They have Wholefoods! The first one opened in London when I was there, it was heaven
English Cadbury was the finest milk chocolate in the world until the lousy Kraft bought it and ruined it. Humph.
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Iron_Feline wrote: »livingleanlivingclean wrote: »lisafrancis888 wrote: »You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.
Please don't waste your calories... English fish and chips are terrible! (even the supposed "best" fish and chips around the country...)
You are so very wrong.
Exactly.0 -
Have any of you been to Australia and tried fish and chips here? So much better.0
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Have any of you been to Australia and tried fish and chips here? So much better.
Nope. I'm happy with British Fish and Chips. If I went to Australia I'd be eating different to at home lol0 -
livingleanlivingclean wrote: »lisafrancis888 wrote: »You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.
Please don't waste your calories... English fish and chips are terrible! (even the supposed "best" fish and chips around the country...)
Not near us there not. Yes some of them or crap but 2 restaurants are lovely, take it from someone who isn't a batter or chip fan0 -
shannonbun wrote: »Thank you all for the responses! I'll be in Cheltenham, but visiting my boyfriend in London pretty frequently, so I'll have to drag him along to one of the farmers' markets a few times. Thankfully (for my diet's sake), my home school has a rule against drinking alcohol, so I won't be drinking while I'm over there. I've been making my tea the "proper English way" the boyfriend taught me, but I found out I put way too much sugar into it--gotta change that.
Cheltenham is a beautiful town! How many sugars is too many? I put 2 in my cuppa
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Gregg's, Gregg's everywhere!
Oh god the bread in America upset me SO MUCH. Massive nope. How do people eat sandwiches?! Lovely bit of cheese, lovely bit of meat, surrounded by sugary awfulness.
You must have not looked very hard or shopped very well....
OP, most of my wife's family lives in the UK so we get out there every year or two...food portions are pretty much on par with the U.S. If you're in London or other big cities, there's a huge variety of food...I've had some of the best Indian food of my life in London.
Whether it's higher calorie or not is going to depend on your choices...I live in the U.S. and I don't eat crap...I eat awesome, nutritious foods that are going to be available here as well as there. You could eat fast food here every day just as you could go to a chip shop every day there (or the same exact fast food chains we have here)...there are nutritious options available here just as there are nutritious options available there...it just comes down to your decision making.0 -
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You might have to make some adjustments in terms of how you measure portion size. For one thing, the UK uses the metric system for most things except for distance and speed. Maybe you're already weighing your food in grams instead of ounces, but if not, you likely will. Also, most people measure their weight in stones instead of pounds or kilos -- yes, it takes a bit of adjustment, but you can convert. Tablespoons and ounces are slightly different in the UK than in the US. And, if you drink, be aware that a US pint is 16oz but an imperial pint (used in the UK) is 20oz. Makes a big difference when you're adding up those beer calories at the end of a night out on the pub!
ETA: Just saw your post above that you don't drink. Well, that'll make things easier for you.0 -
I find it strange relying on answers when you haven't experienced it yourself. Everyone will have different opinions and you're the only one who can compare it to what you're used to.
You don't have to eat everything served to you, so the portion size is irrelevant.
You can eat food when you want to eat food. why does it matter? The timing as others have posted earlier on are almost exactly the same.
Yes kcal is the same thing as calorie. If anything it will be easier to count calories because the UK has both more accurate calorie information AND it is done by weight not "serving size about x chips".
Is the food more or less healthy? What kind of question is that... You can get the most disgustingly terrible food in the US and you can also get fresh, low calorie, healthy food. I imagine it all depends on what you choose to cook and where you choose to eat. This is essentially within you control.... The UK has varied options just like the US does. It isn't some fantastical land where the food is somehow much lower calorie, in the perfect portions, at the perfect time, with the perfect ingredients. It is what you make of it. (The UK has an obesity rate of 62% in adults of both sexes; so take that as you will.)
The only real difference will be culturally which can't be conveyed through an online forum. It's something you'll pick up once you're there.
That and they have less variety of both "healthy" pre-packaged items and "unhealthy" prepackaged items. Again, this will depend on where you go and should be played by ear.
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cwolfman13 wrote: »Gregg's, Gregg's everywhere!
Oh god the bread in America upset me SO MUCH. Massive nope. How do people eat sandwiches?! Lovely bit of cheese, lovely bit of meat, surrounded by sugary awfulness.
You must have not looked very hard or shopped very well....
OP, most of my wife's family lives in the UK so we get out there every year or two...food portions are pretty much on par with the U.S. If you're in London or other big cities, there's a huge variety of food...I've had some of the best Indian food of my life in London.
Whether it's higher calorie or not is going to depend on your choices...I live in the U.S. and I don't eat crap...I eat awesome, nutritious foods that are going to be available here as well as there. You could eat fast food here every day just as you could go to a chip shop every day there (or the same exact fast food chains we have here)...there are nutritious options available here just as there are nutritious options available there...it just comes down to your decision making.
Yes!0 -
Those rolls are a very different recipe than packaged sandwich bread, thankfully.
And no wonder you think all the food here is greasy, though being a Philly native, I salute your food choice.
You were here 4 days. It's a BIG country.
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Yes, and yes I have and no, have to disagree with you there!livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Have any of you been to Australia and tried fish and chips here? So much better.
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mamapeach910 wrote: »
Those rolls are a very different recipe than packaged sandwich bread, thankfully.
And no wonder you think all the food here is greasy, though being a Philly native, I salute your food choice.
You were here 4 days. It's a BIG country.
Oh Mama you may have thought my opinion on American food was negative... Hell no. I came for the massive plates and greasy stuff. I scoffed massive pizzas and donuts and hot dogs and Philly cheesesteak. I'd weigh 6 million stone if I lived in America. They do "Bad" so damn gooooooood. Ha ha ha!
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Yes, and yes I have and no, have to disagree with you there!livingleanlivingclean wrote: »Have any of you been to Australia and tried fish and chips here? So much better.
Then we can agree to disagree
I wouldn't go out of my way for F&C in the UK!
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livingleanlivingclean wrote: »scottacular wrote: »I used to work in a pub/restaurant chain and our breakfasts could be anywhere from 1000 to 2000 calories, so if you're eating out, be wary. If you're ever in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, see how many branches of Greggs (kind of a bakery version of McDonalds) you can see. If you go more than a couple of minutes without seeing one, you're not in Newcastle anymore.
Greggs are everywhere,arent they? My husband lived in the UK before I knew him and lived off food from there! Haha...
@livingleanlivingclean Just about, I think they're even reasonably popular in Belgium now. They gave us Belgian chocolate, and we apparently gave them greasy pasties and sausage rolls in return. You're welcome, Belgium.scottacular wrote: »I used to work in a pub/restaurant chain and our breakfasts could be anywhere from 1000 to 2000 calories, so if you're eating out, be wary. If you're ever in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, see how many branches of Greggs (kind of a bakery version of McDonalds) you can see. If you go more than a couple of minutes without seeing one, you're not in Newcastle anymore.
I love that there's even one in Newcastle station!
I usually use Cooplands or Thomas's. Greggs do seem to have bigger portions of everything - thicker slices of bread, bigger sandwiches, bigger sausage rolls, bigger doughnuts, etc. Not the most calorie-conscious of bakeries! Thomas's do a lovely low-GI bread - I imagine it's high calorie, but it's delicious!
@Vailara I guess when you come into Newcastle on a train, you need that Greggs confirmation that you're in Newcastle.MarziPanda95 wrote: »scottacular wrote: »I used to work in a pub/restaurant chain and our breakfasts could be anywhere from 1000 to 2000 calories, so if you're eating out, be wary. If you're ever in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, see how many branches of Greggs (kind of a bakery version of McDonalds) you can see. If you go more than a couple of minutes without seeing one, you're not in Newcastle anymore.
In Derby we have two Greggs within a few yards of each other... and then another one like a hundred yards away in the shopping centre! They're everywhere!
Also, for those talking about baps/cobs/bread rolls/breadcakes/barms/etc... let's not start that debate! I'm at university in Derby, right in the middle of the country, and my class have spent hours arguing over which is right...
@MarziPanda95 I've counted at least 12 in Newcastle city centre alone, and Newcastle city centre is quite compact. Personally, I think they should just have one big Greggs uber-store. Something that rivals Eldon Square and St James' Park in size. It would be a tourist attraction.0 -
As an additional tip, the place I used to work was JD Wetherspoon, so I'd recommend the chicken pepper skewers. They're about 400-500 calories, you get a lot of protein with them, the chicken is quite chunky, you get a side salad, the peri peri sauce comes in a separate dish, and you can choose to have them with basmati rice or not. Or even chips if you like.0
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