Growing Up Black...Eating

socalrunner59

I think it's a southern way of life. I grew up on the west coast and we eat very differently here. For some 8 yrs I lived in Virginia and found the style of eating very rich and heavy. Weight was never an issue for me until I moved to the south. Despite running and going to the gym, I gained more than 70 pounds living there.

My grandmother was a southerner; her family came out of Arkansas and Kentucky. Dinners at grandma's were BIG. Oh but I miss those southern Christmas dinners. And the holiday sweets! Fruit cakes soaked in rum for 2 months before Christmas. Rumballs, raisin cookies, ginger cookies, sugar cookies. Oh dear, I want a plate of creamy grits with melted salty butter.

I always say southern grandmas don't think anything is fit to eat unless it fried in fat, slathered in butter, and sprinkled with just a bit of sugar.

oolou

I'm currently living in France and food is a big thing here. I think the main difference is that the portions are expected to be small in comparison - and if it's a feast type occasion, you have more courses rather than increasing the portions.

It's quite different to the way I was brought up when the large main course was a plate covered in food, and you literally couldn't see the plate for all the food heaped onto it.

cross2bear

I think its because food is love and hospitality, and we all want more of that. My eastern European background family also piled on the cabbage rolls (stomach rolls!) bread, potatoes - the food that was available to them at different times of year, and fuelled their far more active lifestyles. We dont live like that, and food from around the world is far more available to us all year round - we are spoiled for choice. And of course I think there is still a bit of our primitive nature lurking under our skin - still the urge to gorge in case the next meal is a long way off.

RAinWA

My husband grew up on Southern cooking and I still try to make some of his favorites (sometimes). He actually have me a copy of White Trash Cooking - said it contained all his comfort food recipes!

CattOfTheGarage

Zipp237 wrote: »

Corn bread is always good. We all have our favorite things to do with it, but there is no bad thing. Always, always good. I'm shocked that you see it so rarely up north. Better that way for them. One less thing to overeat, but how it didn't catch on, I don't know.

It's a climate thing. Northerly climates lend themselves to hard, high protein wheat, so cultures in that area tend to favour yeast bread. Southern climates can't produce high protein wheat so tend towards flatbreads, quick breads and other grains such as maize and rice. You see this worldwide, usually as a wheat/rice divide between North and South. (in the southern hemisphere obviously the directions are reversed).

So cornbread, a quick bread made of a non-wheat grain, becomes a southern staple, but in the North, the staple is yeast bread. And we all like to try other traditions, but long-standing cultural habits die hard. Here in Scotland we can easily get other grains now, but oats, in the form of porridge, oatcakes, muesli and steamed puddings, are still a staple most of us won't do without.

1shedev

I fit my cornbread into my calories cause I'm not gonna give it up forever. Southern cooking rules.

sheermomentum

tierraajon wrote: »

I know it happens in the south and in other cultures, however you guys me being a AA female who has noticed this among people in my community. no offense you guys! But I love all the feedback!

I'm curious what kinds of foods are bobbing up in your memories here. Please share that! I know that a lot of foods that people call "soul food" here in the north were just called "food" by my Southern grandparents and related folk...yeah, the cornbread, the fried EVERYTHING, the sweet tea, the fatty pork in the greens, the 6 sides at every meal, etc. I think this was a great diet for my field-working grandparents and mom, not so much for me. My parents didn't adapt this diet when they moved into a less active, less rural lifestyle, BUT, there are great lightened-up versions of just about everything. We just have to adapt these wonderful tastes to our lifestyle, and also adapt our lifestyle to work in these meals.

RainaProske

Although I was born in CA, I was reared by southern parents from MS, and until I was 8-1/2, we had plenty of both money and food. What you described in your opening post, @tierraajon , was the way we ate, with the addition of gigantic globules of greasy pork fat in the lima beans, fatback, pork chops, etc. (No wonder I only eat kosher now! ) Once we moved to Mississippi, food was scarce, because we became poor, but had we been able to, we would have continued to eat that way, without caution.

And dare someone to die down South! Those wakes were exercises in epicurean delight!

Once I married and was out of the house, I discovered food and put on weight very quickly. I then had the money, but I had no discipline nor knowledge that I needed it! Yes, I have type 2 diabetes, but 1've lost 123 pounds and now weigh 115, having gained back a couple pounds over the last 2-3 days.

But you people have broken my heart! I hated cornbread as a child but have always believed I could find a cornbread recipe I would like. High calories? Is it? Just when I was going to try seeing if I would like Johnny Cakes? I think I am going to cry!

Maxematics

This is an interesting thread. It seems like a lot of it is southern eating and all, but I've noticed that ethnicity does play a part in things. I could be wrong, but aside from the south, how many white families poke fun at relatives for being too thin or praise them for getting "thick"? My mom is white, but my father is Korean and Puerto Rican. Growing up I had half of his family telling me to watch my weight while the other half was telling me I needed to get thick in my boobs/butt/thighs. When I was at my Abuela's house, I was pretty much force fed copious amounts of high calorie food. I know all people don't fit into the same mold, but I've noticed this consistently within my family or the families of any of my black and/or latinx friends.

dbanks80

I am African American and I think it is an entire cultural thing as I love many great cultural foods. It's also old school way of thinking. My mom and dad are born and raised in New Orleans they grew up eat whatever you want. Family/friend fellowship. If you come over and don't eat what is offered they are offended!

They have every medical issue possible high blood pressure , diabetes etc. They are a walking pharmacy. As long as they have meds to control their condition they think they don't have to change their diet. I try to talk to them about healthier eating and other healthier options they don't care. Hard to teach old dog new tricks I guess.

nefudaboss

Im from Detroit, Mi I agree cause my white friends ate grilled chicken and veggies and rice, their plates were 1 serving size. they were always healthy whereas my grandma would get angry if I don't finish the whole plate but it's like 4 serving sizes. Now I eat so clean all my black friends are asking me how do I deal with the starving I'm like I'm not starving I'm eating the serving sizes and correct amount of protein and carbs fat I'm never hungry

Bxqtie116

My grandparents were from the south and although we didn't eat huge amounts of food on a daily basis, whenever we visited relatives in the summer, the dinner table looked like Thanksgiving. Not just one day, this was everyday. I look at my family members now and can see why ALL of us are overweight or obese.

Once I made the decision to live a healthier lifestyle, I see things differently. We're so accustomed to eating until we're stuffed instead of eating until we're satisfied. That is something that I'm learning now and realize you don't need the large portions of food to satisfy your hunger.

RainaProske

For some reason, the system won't let me "friend" you, @tierraajon jon . . . .

lenoresdream

Maxematics wrote: »

This is an interesting thread. It seems like a lot of it is southern eating and all, but I've noticed that ethnicity does play a part in things. I could be wrong, but aside from the south, how many white families poke fun at relatives for being too thin or praise them for getting "thick"? My mom is white, but my father is Korean and Puerto Rican. Growing up I had half of his family telling me to watch my weight while the other half was telling me I needed to get thick in my boobs/butt/thighs. When I was at my Abuela's house, I was pretty much force fed copious amounts of high calorie food. I know all people don't fit into the same mold, but I've noticed this consistently within my family or the families of any of my black and/or latinx friends.

Sicilian families and Portuguese families are the same. I once had a great laugh with my friend who is child of mexixan immigrants and another friend who is black about how similar our childhoods and families were. It's uncanny.

It's a shame more people don't discuss it and embrace the comraderie.

Being a child of people from "the old country" is very different.

We talked a lot about how we felt so distant from our generations long American peers (especially the Anglo-Saxon white kids) and friends. It's really so different. Light years away from each other.

But I'd never trade it for the world. I love teaching the friends I make about my cultures and seeing their reactions to when I bring them to a Sicilian gathering, holiday or party.

And yes, lord do we eat.

"Nonna, (Italian for grandmother) really I'm full."
"Okay! (Nonna adds two more spoonfuls of spaghetti and meatballs to my plate.)"

And you never dreamed of refusing to eat Nonna's food lol! Very few of my family are skinny, we're all overweight. Nonna's good cooking

You always get picked on for being fat then they spoon another helping on your plate. Then they tell cousin Joey he's too thin and make him an extra plate, with double scoops.

DebSozo

It must be something about grandmas. My grandma in VA was always trying to fatten us up with hearty food at family gatherings, and my Scandinavian grandma did the same thing with the smorgasbords. So. Much. Food.

shadowfax_c11

OMG Chicken friend steak, biscuits and gravy. All of the yummy foods you have down there are hard to resist. I think most cultures do have their food challenges. In Pittsburg we have Pierogies and sausages and sandwiches and salads with french fries on them. Growing up in your culture and with the food can certainly be a challenge.

I didn't really have a culture growing up as my family was very dysfunctional. I grew up poor so for me comfort food for me is lots of potatoes, pasta, rice, cheap plentiful carbs. And McDonald's cheeseburgers because my mom worked for a McD's and would bring home all of the unsold food for us to eat at the end of the day.

Sjs8906

I'm not black but I am from the South and while the food is delicious and the family and fellowship is great, it is definitely a really unhealthy way of eating. Like you said, every big family meal (holidays, after church on Sundays, etc) would consist of 3 or 4 meats, more sides than you can count (many of them containing fatty pork), biscuits/cornbread (the cornbread is often fried), and sweet tea. And everyone in my family is overweight. Some of them weren't always overweight but it's caught up with most of them.

It's challenging because there is an emotional connection to this type of food. It's called "comfort" food for a reason, and for those who grew up eating this way there's a deeper connection because it contains really fond memories. My grandmas are really the only ones who cook this way any more in my family (my parents aren't big cooks) and when they're gone these types of meals will be gone too.

My grandmother grew up really poor and learned to make do with whatever she had to feed her family, and I think a lot of that comes across in the way she cooks now. She wants to make sure NO ONE is hungry in her house...children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren get second and third helpings, no arguing lol. If she can't do much else for you (in terms of money or buying things), she can damn well make sure you're not hungry. I think this may kind of be the case in a lot of Southern households because the South has been traditionally a poorer area.

I've moved away now and my husband and I don't eat this way in our household, but I know how to make a few of my favorite dishes from Grandma's recipes and break them out every once in a while. I think it's good to keep the culture and tradition alive but it's unhealthy to eat that way all the time.

JustMissTracy

Maxematics wrote: »

This is an interesting thread. It seems like a lot of it is southern eating and all, but I've noticed that ethnicity does play a part in things. I could be wrong, but aside from the south, how many white families poke fun at relatives for being too thin or praise them for getting "thick"? My mom is white, but my father is Korean and Puerto Rican. Growing up I had half of his family telling me to watch my weight while the other half was telling me I needed to get thick in my boobs/butt/thighs. When I was at my Abuela's house, I was pretty much force fed copious amounts of high calorie food. I know all people don't fit into the same mold, but I've noticed this consistently within my family or the families of any of my black and/or latinx friends.

I'm about as white as you can get, and my family is always on me for being "too thin", even when I was 180 lbs. ..every shared meal has at least one comment, along with a guilt trip.

Verdenal

tierraajon wrote: »

Is it just me or is it really an issue that our African American households grow up eating big meals all the time. Its what we know especially being from the south. A standard meal consist of a meat, two or three sides, and either cornbeard, biscuit or bread slice. Drink sweet tea and kool-aid. Don't let it be Sunday dinner, then you can expect at least 3 meats, 5-6 sides and both cornbread and rolls. We value the family fellowship time but it would be a lot easier as an adult to eat right if we grew up learning about things such as carbs, calories and sugar intake. This could be the reason why so many in the african american community suffer from Type 2 Diabetes. Lets break this habit and educate or black children on healthy eating habits. Yes it costs more to eat healthy but I have found that there are low cost options.

Also you guys, lets stay in touch. I appreciate the comments and replies but if you would like just send me a friend request if you to are on a journey to weightloss and healthy living!

I think it could be a Southern thing. I'm black, from the North, and we ate a variety of foods in normal-sized portions. No one was overweight. Some members of my family have Type 2 Diabetes now, but they let themselves get fat. It wasn't on soul food, though.

I really hate the stereotype that all black women think that being big and fat is sexy. Not how I was raised.

ksz1104

I think for Black Americans it is a combination of genetics, diet, and culture. I know my husband, who is African American, has two health issues, high blood pressure and kidney disease, that are more prevalent in black people. What I have observed being an "outsider", as a member of a predominantly black organization, having black family members, etc, is I think its about community education. My Eastern Star sisters will talk about all kinds of things about food and other things and I'm just like, who in the world told you that? There are so many economic, social and cultural dynamics that go into this, girl, we could talk all day about it, hold our own class!