Moved to America, now struggling to get under control
Replies
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How did it go in Mississippi?lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
That's what I say when my father comes round my house and claims he can't find anything.lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
I fail to see how discussing pitfalls has anything to do with not taking responsibility.bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
Ah. So have you been to Australia or not?bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
How do you find Australian and/or UK food compares then, in your visits there and here, then?bigmuneymfp wrote: »I moved here from AU and found the same thing. The food is quite different, portion sizes and hard to find healthy alternatives. I also found everything, well nearly everything has high fructose corn syrup which is not good for the waist line. Plus all the hidden sugar and salt in foods. Even the bread tastes sweet compared to what we are used to.
It took no time to put it on and even longer to take it off. My advice, read the labels on everything, if you don't know what it is then avoid it.
Complete bs
It's irrelevant you can buy anything you want in the US
Let's recap. A poster describes their experiences with adjusting to US food culture, and made suggestions for how the OP could adjust too, as have others. Recommendations have all basically been to be mindful during shopping, without allowing yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security by knowledge of the calorie counts in an equivalent product elsewhere, as they always are on this kind of thread.
I think reducing all that to "complete bs" reflects very poorly on you.
Another bs post, take responsibility, count calories, don't get fat, it's simple
Claiming that it's difficult to find low cal food in a place like Denver seems questionable to me.
I live in Chicago which is likely less health conscious than Denver, and it's incredibly simple if one wants to do it.
"Dad, the kitchen scissors are right in front of you", I say... But they're not where he would put them, so, he genuinely struggles. We won't even get on to my cousin's American husband, who cannot handle roundabouts.
Grocery stores are not all arranged the same way, so I have to look around when going to a new one sometimes, especially if it's much bigger than one I'm used to. But that's WAY different than claiming that stuff is not there, and you can ask a question of the people who work there.
As for quick serve restaurants, that's easy too. It's not like she's in the middle of nowhere (speaking of which, I had to find stuff that was diet-friendly in the middle of Mississippi this weekend). ;-)
Anyway, she said that she struggled to find what she wanted. The thread may have turned into "how dare Brits claim the US only sells..." but it isn't what she said. She didn't castigate the nation for a lack of New Covent Garden soups!
It's just an OP from someone a bit confused by being confronted by a food culture at odds with what she grew up with, whose habits and associations aren't serving her in a new environment. Denver may be wonderful, but clearly supermarket provision doesn't mimick the style and contents of a British chilled aisle closely enough for the OP to proceed as she did. I'm sure it has lots to offer of its own though.
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HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
How did it go in Mississippi?lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
That's what I say when my father comes round my house and claims he can't find anything.lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
I fail to see how discussing pitfalls has anything to do with not taking responsibility.bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
Ah. So have you been to Australia or not?bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
How do you find Australian and/or UK food compares then, in your visits there and here, then?bigmuneymfp wrote: »I moved here from AU and found the same thing. The food is quite different, portion sizes and hard to find healthy alternatives. I also found everything, well nearly everything has high fructose corn syrup which is not good for the waist line. Plus all the hidden sugar and salt in foods. Even the bread tastes sweet compared to what we are used to.
It took no time to put it on and even longer to take it off. My advice, read the labels on everything, if you don't know what it is then avoid it.
Complete bs
It's irrelevant you can buy anything you want in the US
Let's recap. A poster describes their experiences with adjusting to US food culture, and made suggestions for how the OP could adjust too, as have others. Recommendations have all basically been to be mindful during shopping, without allowing yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security by knowledge of the calorie counts in an equivalent product elsewhere, as they always are on this kind of thread.
I think reducing all that to "complete bs" reflects very poorly on you.
Another bs post, take responsibility, count calories, don't get fat, it's simple
Claiming that it's difficult to find low cal food in a place like Denver seems questionable to me.
I live in Chicago which is likely less health conscious than Denver, and it's incredibly simple if one wants to do it.
"Dad, the kitchen scissors are right in front of you", I say... But they're not where he would put them, so, he genuinely struggles. We won't even get on to my cousin's American husband, who cannot handle roundabouts.
Grocery stores are not all arranged the same way, so I have to look around when going to a new one sometimes, especially if it's much bigger than one I'm used to. But that's WAY different than claiming that stuff is not there, and you can ask a question of the people who work there.
As for quick serve restaurants, that's easy too. It's not like she's in the middle of nowhere (speaking of which, I had to find stuff that was diet-friendly in the middle of Mississippi this weekend). ;-)
It was harder than what I'm used to, but I found stuff that was workable.Anyway, she said that she struggled to find what she wanted. The thread may have turned into "how dare Brits claim the US only sells..." but it isn't what she said. She didn't castigate the nation for a lack of New Covent Garden soups!
I think you and I read the post differently. I did not see her as saying "hey, where do you find X, Y, and Z in Denver" but claiming that we do not have reasonable calorie things at all (which is simply not true in Denver). I took that from her saying that it was easy to find it in the UK (not "I can't find it" but "you can" do X in the UK and not the US) and -- importantly -- claiming that it was much easier to maintain weight in the UK when that didn't really square with the facts. She hit her highest weight in the UK, lost it, maintained easily for a while and then started to struggle and seemed to be blaming the US, but IMO finding it harder when time goes on is a common issue without a move too, no?
But could be we are (I am) being too defensive, I admit it. I'm getting used to people claiming the US lacks healthy food and the like (which is false) so probably a bit too over it.
I think we could give better advice if she'd be really specific about what she likes and where she's looked.1 -
HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
How did it go in Mississippi?lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
That's what I say when my father comes round my house and claims he can't find anything.lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
I fail to see how discussing pitfalls has anything to do with not taking responsibility.bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
Ah. So have you been to Australia or not?bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
How do you find Australian and/or UK food compares then, in your visits there and here, then?bigmuneymfp wrote: »I moved here from AU and found the same thing. The food is quite different, portion sizes and hard to find healthy alternatives. I also found everything, well nearly everything has high fructose corn syrup which is not good for the waist line. Plus all the hidden sugar and salt in foods. Even the bread tastes sweet compared to what we are used to.
It took no time to put it on and even longer to take it off. My advice, read the labels on everything, if you don't know what it is then avoid it.
Complete bs
It's irrelevant you can buy anything you want in the US
Let's recap. A poster describes their experiences with adjusting to US food culture, and made suggestions for how the OP could adjust too, as have others. Recommendations have all basically been to be mindful during shopping, without allowing yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security by knowledge of the calorie counts in an equivalent product elsewhere, as they always are on this kind of thread.
I think reducing all that to "complete bs" reflects very poorly on you.
Another bs post, take responsibility, count calories, don't get fat, it's simple
Claiming that it's difficult to find low cal food in a place like Denver seems questionable to me.
I live in Chicago which is likely less health conscious than Denver, and it's incredibly simple if one wants to do it.
"Dad, the kitchen scissors are right in front of you", I say... But they're not where he would put them, so, he genuinely struggles. We won't even get on to my cousin's American husband, who cannot handle roundabouts.
Grocery stores are not all arranged the same way, so I have to look around when going to a new one sometimes, especially if it's much bigger than one I'm used to. But that's WAY different than claiming that stuff is not there, and you can ask a question of the people who work there.
As for quick serve restaurants, that's easy too. It's not like she's in the middle of nowhere (speaking of which, I had to find stuff that was diet-friendly in the middle of Mississippi this weekend). ;-)
Anyway, she said that she struggled to find what she wanted. The thread may have turned into "how dare Brits claim the US only sells..." but it isn't what she said. She didn't castigate the nation for a lack of New Covent Garden soups!
It's just an OP from someone a bit confused by being confronted by a food culture at odds with what she grew up with, whose habits and associations aren't serving her in a new environment. Denver may be wonderful, but clearly supermarket provision doesn't mimick the style and contents of a British chilled aisle closely enough for the OP to proceed as she did. I'm sure it has lots to offer of its own though.
There can be huge differences just between regional chains in the US, too. I sorely miss my Krogers in the South, and never get tired of walking into a Wegman's if I'm in New Jersey, but am not really impressed by most of the Safeways that I've found out in California. I had to search to find a decent store in Kansas (Dillon's, if you're wondering), but will automatically go to a Fry's if I find one when I'm in AZ. They all have the same basic groceries, but the layouts, variety, and quality of specific types of items can vary greatly. I can only imagine how much different it would be going from one country to another.1 -
My parents have a big Safeway and I actually like it quite a bit. Part of the issue is that I'm used to a small city grocery store and so theirs seems big by comparison.
I always get freaked by a Costco.
TJ's and WF's have their own layouts (although they differ store to store).
Denver would have a variety of different grocery store options, as well as probably a number of local options.
But if I could not find something I would ask (or being me just keep walking around until I happened on it). I wouldn't assume that the country had no options fit for people watching their weight (especially since there has to be a subculture of very health and weight conscious folks in Denver).1 -
A lot differently, yes. Probably because although I don't know Denver, I know what she means about soup options. I think we have similar eating habits. I am a forgetful idiot, so end up far from home without my prelogged packed lunch frequently. However, thus far, it has never been a problem, because I just find a supermarket and buy a soup or curry in a plastic tub from the cabinet by the door. UK supermarkets do a roaring trade in these, clearly.lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
How did it go in Mississippi?lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
That's what I say when my father comes round my house and claims he can't find anything.lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
I fail to see how discussing pitfalls has anything to do with not taking responsibility.bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
Ah. So have you been to Australia or not?bigmuneymfp wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »
How do you find Australian and/or UK food compares then, in your visits there and here, then?bigmuneymfp wrote: »I moved here from AU and found the same thing. The food is quite different, portion sizes and hard to find healthy alternatives. I also found everything, well nearly everything has high fructose corn syrup which is not good for the waist line. Plus all the hidden sugar and salt in foods. Even the bread tastes sweet compared to what we are used to.
It took no time to put it on and even longer to take it off. My advice, read the labels on everything, if you don't know what it is then avoid it.
Complete bs
It's irrelevant you can buy anything you want in the US
Let's recap. A poster describes their experiences with adjusting to US food culture, and made suggestions for how the OP could adjust too, as have others. Recommendations have all basically been to be mindful during shopping, without allowing yourself to be lulled into a false sense of security by knowledge of the calorie counts in an equivalent product elsewhere, as they always are on this kind of thread.
I think reducing all that to "complete bs" reflects very poorly on you.
Another bs post, take responsibility, count calories, don't get fat, it's simple
Claiming that it's difficult to find low cal food in a place like Denver seems questionable to me.
I live in Chicago which is likely less health conscious than Denver, and it's incredibly simple if one wants to do it.
"Dad, the kitchen scissors are right in front of you", I say... But they're not where he would put them, so, he genuinely struggles. We won't even get on to my cousin's American husband, who cannot handle roundabouts.
Grocery stores are not all arranged the same way, so I have to look around when going to a new one sometimes, especially if it's much bigger than one I'm used to. But that's WAY different than claiming that stuff is not there, and you can ask a question of the people who work there.
As for quick serve restaurants, that's easy too. It's not like she's in the middle of nowhere (speaking of which, I had to find stuff that was diet-friendly in the middle of Mississippi this weekend). ;-)
It was harder than what I'm used to, but I found stuff that was workable.Anyway, she said that she struggled to find what she wanted. The thread may have turned into "how dare Brits claim the US only sells..." but it isn't what she said. She didn't castigate the nation for a lack of New Covent Garden soups!
I think you and I read the post differently. I did not see her as saying "hey, where do you find X, Y, and Z in Denver" but claiming that we do not have reasonable calorie things at all (which is simply not true in Denver). I took that from her saying that it was easy to find it in the UK (not "I can't find it" but "you can" do X in the UK and not the US) and -- importantly -- claiming that it was much easier to maintain weight in the UK when that didn't really square with the facts. She hit her highest weight in the UK, lost it, maintained easily for a while and then started to struggle and seemed to be blaming the US, but IMO finding it harder when time goes on is a common issue without a move too, no?
But could be we are (I am) being too defensive, I admit it. I'm getting used to people claiming the US lacks healthy food and the like (which is false) so probably a bit too over it.
I think we could give better advice if she'd be really specific about what she likes and where she's looked.
Dunno what I'd do if I was somewhere where those cabinets weren't a thing. That would be a huge culture shock, all on its own.
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HeliumIsNoble wrote: »Probably because although I don't know Denver, I know what she means about soup options. I think we have similar eating habits. I am a forgetful idiot, so end up far from home without my prelogged packed lunch frequently. However, thus far, it has never been a problem, because I just find a supermarket and buy a soup or curry in a plastic tub from the cabinet by the door. UK supermarkets do a roaring trade in these, clearly.
Every supermarket I've been in has soup options like that. So do quick serve restaurants, of course.
Probably curry is more rare (here I'd assume curry was high cal unless it was something like a low cal frozen meal), so certainly our premade stuff would be different (but there would be lower cal options available).
There's also normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store IME. I would not try to buy one (or any food other than maybe a protein bar) at a gas station, but I would hope gas station cuisine does not define us.0 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »My parents have a big Safeway and I actually like it quite a bit. Part of the issue is that I'm used to a small city grocery store and so theirs seems big by comparison.
I always get freaked by a Costco.
TJ's and WF's have their own layouts (although they differ store to store).
Denver would have a variety of different grocery store options, as well as probably a number of local options.
But if I could not find something I would ask (or being me just keep walking around until I happened on it). I wouldn't assume that the country had no options fit for people watching their weight (especially since there has to be a subculture of very health and weight conscious folks in Denver).
Definitely agree! I have no issues asking for help finding products, but I know that many people do. Denver is sure to have a variety of places to shop from and probably more options than OP even imagines, it's just going to take time to process all of that and figure out where her 'go-to' places will be.
I'm kind of envious, lol. I live 30 minutes to the closest Safeway (which is also the only grocery in town), and would LOVE options!1 -
Denver is sure to have a variety of places to shop from and probably more options than OP even imagines, it's just going to take time to process all of that and figure out where her 'go-to' places will be.
Totally agree with this, and probably she'll still miss some of the things that she can't get, as they will be different. Your taste buds get formed on certain things, after all.
(I just hate the "you can't get healthy food in the US" meme or, perhaps "the only thing available in the US is oversized junk." If OP did not mean it like that, I apologize to her for interpreting it that way.)1 -
It also can be more embarrassing to ask for help and/or directions if your accent marks you out as a marauding tourist.
Soooooo... hang on. Hold the phones. Curry is not really part of US culture to the same extent, is it?
If this is the case, the OP needs your leniency. She may well be suffering from ACD- Acute Curry Deficiency. She will not be responsible for her actions while she is going through withdrawal!5 -
I don't know where you are at but if someone, a perfect stranger especially a stranger with an accent, asked for assistance or directions I would cut them huge slack. I want to treat people the way I want to be treated. I think most people do.HeliumIsNoble wrote: »It also can be more embarrassing to ask for help and/or directions if your accent marks you out as a marauding tourist.
Soooooo... hang on. Hold the phones. Curry is not really part of US culture to the same extent, is it?
If this is the case, the OP needs your leniency. She may well be suffering from ACD- Acute Curry Deficiency. She will not be responsible for her actions while she is going through withdrawal!1 -
I am from the UK and I read the OP as someone just a bit lost in another country. We get so used to our own shopping cultures that faced with different options/packaging/sizing, it can all be a bit daunting.
OP I understand that it can be a pain to have to spend ages reading labels in supermarkets. Maybe you can check the products online. If any of the stores deliver they should give nutritional info on their websites like our supermarkets do. That way you can peruse the foodstuffs and make a list of the ones best for you.
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Just because portions sizes are larger in the US doesn't mean you have to eat the entire portion.4
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In my opinion it's what your used to. It takes time to adapt to a new country/ culture etc. for those of you that are born and bred in the US how about some consideration for others that are not used to it. If the shoe was on the other foot do you think we would be as nasty???
Only need to adapt to the location of foods in the grocery stores that are new to you. I've been to Germany twice ... I overate the first visit because it was all new and wanted to try everything but lost weight on my second visit as I knew better to not over eat.
It is very easy to find healthier and smaller potions in the U.S., even in the small town I live in.
Eat less, move more is simple4 -
manderson27 wrote: »I am from the UK and I read the OP as someone just a bit lost in another country. We get so used to our own shopping cultures that faced with different options/packaging/sizing, it can all be a bit daunting.
OP I understand that it can be a pain to have to spend ages reading labels in supermarkets. Maybe you can check the products online. If any of the stores deliver they should give nutritional info on their websites like our supermarkets do. That way you can peruse the foodstuffs and make a list of the ones best for you.
I understand the idea of feeling lost in a country new to you or any place really, but she did say she's been here over 2 years .... I think she's had time to research proper shopping places and learn portion control3 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »Probably because although I don't know Denver, I know what she means about soup options. I think we have similar eating habits. I am a forgetful idiot, so end up far from home without my prelogged packed lunch frequently. However, thus far, it has never been a problem, because I just find a supermarket and buy a soup or curry in a plastic tub from the cabinet by the door. UK supermarkets do a roaring trade in these, clearly.
Every supermarket I've been in has soup options like that. So do quick serve restaurants, of course.
Probably curry is more rare (here I'd assume curry was high cal unless it was something like a low cal frozen meal), so certainly our premade stuff would be different (but there would be lower cal options available).
There's also normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store IME. I would not try to buy one (or any food other than maybe a protein bar) at a gas station, but I would hope gas station cuisine does not define us.
Where do you live that there is normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store? That is certainly not true where I live. There are a couple of brand new grocery stores in ritzy suburbs that have it, but it's the exception, not the rule.0 -
rheddmobile wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »Probably because although I don't know Denver, I know what she means about soup options. I think we have similar eating habits. I am a forgetful idiot, so end up far from home without my prelogged packed lunch frequently. However, thus far, it has never been a problem, because I just find a supermarket and buy a soup or curry in a plastic tub from the cabinet by the door. UK supermarkets do a roaring trade in these, clearly.
Every supermarket I've been in has soup options like that. So do quick serve restaurants, of course.
Probably curry is more rare (here I'd assume curry was high cal unless it was something like a low cal frozen meal), so certainly our premade stuff would be different (but there would be lower cal options available).
There's also normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store IME. I would not try to buy one (or any food other than maybe a protein bar) at a gas station, but I would hope gas station cuisine does not define us.
Where do you live that there is normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store? That is certainly not true where I live. There are a couple of brand new grocery stores in ritzy suburbs that have it, but it's the exception, not the rule.
FWIW, I live in a mid-sized town in Kansas. Every Dillons in town has a sushi bar and the nearest HyVee just added one.0 -
diannethegeek wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »Probably because although I don't know Denver, I know what she means about soup options. I think we have similar eating habits. I am a forgetful idiot, so end up far from home without my prelogged packed lunch frequently. However, thus far, it has never been a problem, because I just find a supermarket and buy a soup or curry in a plastic tub from the cabinet by the door. UK supermarkets do a roaring trade in these, clearly.
Every supermarket I've been in has soup options like that. So do quick serve restaurants, of course.
Probably curry is more rare (here I'd assume curry was high cal unless it was something like a low cal frozen meal), so certainly our premade stuff would be different (but there would be lower cal options available).
There's also normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store IME. I would not try to buy one (or any food other than maybe a protein bar) at a gas station, but I would hope gas station cuisine does not define us.
Where do you live that there is normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store? That is certainly not true where I live. There are a couple of brand new grocery stores in ritzy suburbs that have it, but it's the exception, not the rule.
FWIW, I live in a mid-sized town in Kansas. Every Dillons in town has a sushi bar and the nearest HyVee just added one.
FT Riley Kansas, I was there once and omg the winters there... unruly lol sorry I know off topic but damn traumatically cold field training had taken place there haha.0 -
rheddmobile wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »Probably because although I don't know Denver, I know what she means about soup options. I think we have similar eating habits. I am a forgetful idiot, so end up far from home without my prelogged packed lunch frequently. However, thus far, it has never been a problem, because I just find a supermarket and buy a soup or curry in a plastic tub from the cabinet by the door. UK supermarkets do a roaring trade in these, clearly.
Every supermarket I've been in has soup options like that. So do quick serve restaurants, of course.
Probably curry is more rare (here I'd assume curry was high cal unless it was something like a low cal frozen meal), so certainly our premade stuff would be different (but there would be lower cal options available).
There's also normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store IME. I would not try to buy one (or any food other than maybe a protein bar) at a gas station, but I would hope gas station cuisine does not define us.
Where do you live that there is normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store? That is certainly not true where I live. There are a couple of brand new grocery stores in ritzy suburbs that have it, but it's the exception, not the rule.
Chicago.
My parents live in the 'burbs of Portland and it was there too.0 -
HeliumIsNoble wrote: »It also can be more embarrassing to ask for help and/or directions if your accent marks you out as a marauding tourist.
Americans usually love people with British accents. A friend of mine used to work for a UK-based firm and the management would joke about how they loved to come to the US since the accent would give them credit for extra perceived IQ points and sophistication.1 -
A lot of restaurants have salads on the menu that you can add chicken or shrimp to for an extra fee. If the restaurant also has a side dish of grilled veggies, I order that and ask for the add-on chicken. Then I don't have all the extra calories of salad dressing and other non-veggie toppings. I always ask how the veggies are prepared though, whether they have olive oil, butter or something else on them.0
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GeriBeck19 wrote: »I haven't read through the other replies, but want to share the experience of our 17 yr old foreign exchange student. She became sick after eating our American diet for a few days upon her arrival. She was so concerned about her abdominal pain that we made a trip to the ER, but everything checked out fine. Our diets are crap, I'm afraid, compared to other countries and our proportions hideous! But, you can make health choices if you're disciplined. I have to watch calories like crazy and still have a very difficult time keeping what I consume within my calorie limit WHEN I eat out. It's so much easier to prepare simple meals at home and grill or bake your meat and pare it with tons of veggies. You can do it! And look for simple recipes of the Internet to add variety. I'm not a big fish eater, but with great recipes, I have become one. Good luck!
It's actually pretty normal to have stomach issues after a long trip.2 -
I was at work and didn't have time to look things up. Cyclamate is the name of the sweetener. But I'm not going to respond to the rest since this thread has moved so much.
Organic doesn't mean no pesticides, sometimes they use more toxic pesticides, it's just the source of the ingredients.I can sympathise with you as I noticed while living in the US it is almost impossible to buy healthy convenience foods. We take for granted the fact we can pop into an M&S attached to a petrol station and buy a 150cal five bean salad or fresh sushi. In the US there are no healthy fast foods. You have to go to cafes inside Whole Foods or pack your own food from home.
For eating out my husband and I would ALWAYS split a meal...with him being twice my size he'd eat about two thirds and I'd eat a third and we'd both be satiated. I did like Panera though because you can buy half salads and half sandwiches. They do this because people are encouraged to have a half salad with a soup or a half sandwich. I'd just buy a half salad or half sandwich and eat that by itself. Don't fall for the Oanera ploy of do you want a pastry for only $1 more? (Noooooo)
In the US the portion sizes are massive but over time, they don't look so massive you get desensitised into thinking you're starving yourself. Scientific studies have also shown that if you are presented with more food, you'll eat more food so that is why splitting a meal or just ordering a half size up front is you best bet to not overeat. Too, some restaurants have menus for senior citizens that tend to be smaller sized and lower calorie...i.e. Two egg omelette instead of the standard ridiculously huge three or four egg omelette. I've asked if I can order them before and usually the restaurant will let you. At times, if my husband and I don't want the same meal, we'll each order an appetiser and a side salad as our meal which works too. Follow just the portioning rules on cheat days..make cheat days be about eating what you want but not overeating/gorging on whatever you want.
While portion sizes in many US restaurants are very large, the sentences bolded above are just completely wrong. I can go into my Lowe's foods grocery store here in NC and find a salad bar with a good selection of vegetables and fruits (as well as some higher calorie options). There are pre-made salads, both low and high calorie, with a selection of lower and higher calorie dressings. Most of our fast food restaurants have lower calorie options (ex. baked potato and side salad at Wendys; egg white sandwiches at MacDonalds; etc). It may take a little more work at first, but it is possible to make better choices.
Sorry, when in the US I ate only organic food so your sources didn't even come to mind. I have a bit of a prejudice against non organic food in the US because the production of it uses additives, pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics that are outlawed as unsafe here in the UK.
And there is stuff that is legal in the U.K. That is illegal in the US.
I know organic doesn't mean zero peticides. Where did I ever say that? "Toxic" is a relative concept. Yes some organic pesticides may be more "toxic" but what matters is how much of said pesticide do you actually ingest..Ingesting a lot of a less toxic pesticide can be worse than a trace amount of a more toxic one.
I don't know of anything that is legal in the UK that is illegal in the US in terms of food additives, pesticides, herbicides, hormones and antibiotics due to safety standards. Care to name a few things?
There actually is an artificial sweetener that is legal in the U.K., but illegal here. Haggis is not allowed here, raw milk is mostly banned here.
But the thing is that we don't ban something here unless it is proven to cause problems, and many pesticides that are banned, this is true in both countries, are banned not because they hurt people, but because they hurt native wildlife, plants and insects. And those that are used must have little to no trace left on the produce when it is harvested. There are entire labs dealing with these things.
Hormones are rarely used in the US for animal agriculture anymore. Just go look at all the dairy, it's rare that you see something that doesn't say hormone free. And it's because farmers found that they didn't help their bottom line, not because the government told them to.
I'm sorry but haggis and milk are foods not a food additive, pesticide, herbicide, hormone or antibiotic. I am sure you know the difference and are just flailing about a bit. You failed to name this "artificial sweetener" so how can I verify your statement?
In fact, you've not named a single food additive, pesticide, herbicide, hormone or antibiotic that is legal in the UK but banned in the US due to safety standards. So, without further ado, I'm calling BS on your assertion. ⛳️
I think you're a little misinformed on the hormone and antibiotic usage in the US vs the UK. There is a big difference.
The UK doesn't ban things unless theyre proven to cause problems, we just have what is called the precautionary principle where we test things before putting it into the food production chain instead of using our populace and ecosystem as guinea pigs.
Now you can wave your
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When someone is first trying to change habits, it can be a bit overwhelming to find the right strategies. Asking the community for suggestions is a great idea. If you can find and use 5 -6 suggestions from this thread, it can help get you started and sustain you while you hunt for other healthy options that appeal to you. The challenge lies in changing your mind about what is appealing. You can do it if you're determined and believe in your own resilience.3 -
diannethegeek wrote: »rheddmobile wrote: »lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »Probably because although I don't know Denver, I know what she means about soup options. I think we have similar eating habits. I am a forgetful idiot, so end up far from home without my prelogged packed lunch frequently. However, thus far, it has never been a problem, because I just find a supermarket and buy a soup or curry in a plastic tub from the cabinet by the door. UK supermarkets do a roaring trade in these, clearly.
Every supermarket I've been in has soup options like that. So do quick serve restaurants, of course.
Probably curry is more rare (here I'd assume curry was high cal unless it was something like a low cal frozen meal), so certainly our premade stuff would be different (but there would be lower cal options available).
There's also normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store IME. I would not try to buy one (or any food other than maybe a protein bar) at a gas station, but I would hope gas station cuisine does not define us.
Where do you live that there is normally sushi and sashimi in a grocery store? That is certainly not true where I live. There are a couple of brand new grocery stores in ritzy suburbs that have it, but it's the exception, not the rule.
FWIW, I live in a mid-sized town in Kansas. Every Dillons in town has a sushi bar and the nearest HyVee just added one.
I'm jealous. Dillons didn't have them when I lived there, but it was my favorite grocery store even if it wasn't quite like California grocery stores.0 -
I found the complete opposite. We holidayed in the US for a month, from Australia, and had absolutely no issues eating healthily when eating out or buying ingredients from the supermarkets (to prepare warm meals in a small studio apartment, or cold from ingredients and preprepared options we stored in hotel room fridges.)
I found there to be heaps of options, moreso than here. The supermarkets were full of so many weird and wonderful things, with a greater variety of low-cal foods, and better grab-and-go options.
Sure, there's also a huge range on the other end of the spectrum, and overeating would be easy if you didn't pay attention to what you were consuming - it's up to you to make the right choices.2 -
When I moved to US I found foods more different from UK than I expected...example bread is sweet - took me a long time to discover that UK bread is more like sour dough. Being a northerner in Texas, I also missed meat pies and of course the variety of curries
. When I first arrived there seemed an overwhelming choice of foods and things that looked the same (like the bread) but were quite different in content. That to me is part of the enjoyment of moving to a different culture and I guess I was like a kid in a sweet shop trying all the goodies. However, it's not just the food that's different and when you emigrate, you are trying to get to grips with a whole other set of changes (driving, accommodation, healthcare, work to name a few) so it's easy for nutrition to slip. In addition, the clothes sizes are way different ( when I first moved it was 1size different so UK 12 was US 10, a few yrs later, it was 2 sizes different)..so it's easy to think that you're not even gaining without a scale. I ate out a lot at first because of circumstances and the fact that it was cheaper than in the U.K. so a bonus. It's surprising how quickly you adjust to larger portions! Took me a while to realise it was socially acceptable to ask to take home leftovers but that made a big difference. I also got to the point where I preferred home made from scratch meals to the pre packaged stuff. Once I adjusted, I actually found it just as easy to keep the weight down as in the uk. It's hard to resist a fresh pancake stack covered in maple syrup with bacon though...now I'm back in the UK that's the thing I miss most. My advice...set a goal, get a food scale, weigh everything fill up on veg and only eat snacks that fir in your goal. If you like soup, get a slow cooker and pile in the veg. 6 -
lemurcat12 wrote: »HeliumIsNoble wrote: »It also can be more embarrassing to ask for help and/or directions if your accent marks you out as a marauding tourist.
Americans usually love people with British accents. A friend of mine used to work for a UK-based firm and the management would joke about how they loved to come to the US since the accent would give them credit for extra perceived IQ points and sophistication.
I went through a Dunkin Donuts drive through the other day and ordered a coffee. The young lass said "Um, could you say that again please?" I apologized to her for my accent, and she said, "oh I understood you perfectly, I just wanted to hear it again. It's like I'm talking to the Queen of England." (I don't think the Queen has a broad Yorkshire accent, but it made my day.)5 -
CharlieBeansmomTracey wrote: »I can sympathise with you as I noticed while living in the US it is almost impossible to buy healthy convenience foods. We take for granted the fact we can pop into an M&S attached to a petrol station and buy a 150cal five bean salad or fresh sushi. In the US there are no healthy fast foods. You have to go to cafes inside Whole Foods or pack your own food from home.
For eating out my husband and I would ALWAYS split a meal...with him being twice my size he'd eat about two thirds and I'd eat a third and we'd both be satiated. I did like Panera though because you can buy half salads and half sandwiches. They do this because people are encouraged to have a half salad with a soup or a half sandwich. I'd just buy a half salad or half sandwich and eat that by itself. Don't fall for the Oanera ploy of do you want a pastry for only $1 more? (Noooooo)
In the US the portion sizes are massive but over time, they don't look so massive you get desensitised into thinking you're starving yourself. Scientific studies have also shown that if you are presented with more food, you'll eat more food so that is why splitting a meal or just ordering a half size up front is you best bet to not overeat. Too, some restaurants have menus for senior citizens that tend to be smaller sized and lower calorie...i.e. Two egg omelette instead of the standard ridiculously huge three or four egg omelette. I've asked if I can order them before and usually the restaurant will let you. At times, if my husband and I don't want the same meal, we'll each order an appetiser and a side salad as our meal which works too. Follow just the portioning rules on cheat days..make cheat days be about eating what you want but not overeating/gorging on whatever you want.
if you think our portion sizes are big now you should have seen them 20-30 years ago. most things that are prepackaged here have SHRUNK in size.we used to be able to supersize at mcdonalds,they dont do that now,but its still all about calories in vs calories out.I have never been to a gas station here in the us where they sell fresh sushi.he fast food restaurants in the us most of them do have healthier options,its not all "bad" foods
American portion sizes are HUGE, I can't imagine what they were years ago.
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OP, as a European living in US I can understand what you are saying. Everything is bigger here. I can't imagine what portion size looks like in Texas. Lol. There has to be some truth behind the statistics that show that more than 50% of people in US are overweight. But there's overweight people everywhere.
All that means is that it takes a little more work, but it's doable. You just have to adjust your portion size.2 -
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