American food choices

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  • skypie23
    skypie23 Posts: 38
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    I disagree really., as a single parent on benefits in the UK living in a deprived area, it would be far, far cheaper for me to buy crap.

    I could go to iceland and buy reformed meat products, huge bags of sausages, chicken nuggets, frozen chips and potato smiley etc far cheaper than what I do buy. White processed bread and processed cheeses etc are all cheaper than healthy wholemeal and fresh foods. There are lots of frozen food shops like this in my local town and nowhere that sells healthy food except for overpriced holland and barrets.

    I'm not saying it is as bad as USA here, but I would hold off the praise.
  • Grumpelina
    Grumpelina Posts: 56 Member
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    Chicken Tikka Masala is thought to have been invented in Britain, actually!
  • kirstiey
    kirstiey Posts: 243
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    I love this thread, some really good points! I am certainly not patting the UK on the back for its healthy options! It just seems even more difficult in the US due to the sheer competitiveness of the fast food / convenience food industry and the obvious demand for this kind of food.

    I agree cheap processed food is diabolical and is a crime to be sold more cheaply than local fresh food. I sympathyse with those on low incomes and those with families to feed, when you are bombarded with BOGOF's and bulk deals that kids want to eat and your budget can afford, it must be difficult if not impossible to make "good" choices if you are being denied them due to prohibitive prices!

    As for chicken Tikka Masala and chips - How dare you insult the holy grail of Britishness!!!!! It is the UK equivalent of a pancake stack with maple syrup and bacon! Yummers!
  • kirstiey
    kirstiey Posts: 243
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    In at Number 3! The worlds fattest countries...

    # 1 United States: 30.6%
    # 2 Mexico: 24.2%
    # 3 United Kingdom: 23%
    # 4 Slovakia: 22.4%
    # 5 Greece: 21.9%
    # 6 Australia: 21.7%
    # 7 New Zealand: 20.9%
    # 8 Hungary: 18.8%
    # 9 Luxembourg: 18.4%
    # 10 Czech Republic: 14.8%
    # 11 Canada: 14.3%
    # 12 Spain: 13.1%
    # 13 Ireland: 13%
    # 14 Germany: 12.9%
    = 15 Portugal: 12.8%
    = 15 Finland: 12.8%
    # 17 Iceland: 12.4%
    # 18 Turkey: 12%
    # 19 Belgium: 11.7%
    # 20 Netherlands: 10%
    # 21 Sweden: 9.7%
    # 22 Denmark: 9.5%
    # 23 France: 9.4%
    # 24 Austria: 9.1%
    # 25 Italy: 8.5%
    # 26 Norway: 8.3%
    # 27 Switzerland: 7.7%
    = 28 Japan: 3.2%
    = 28 Korea, South: 3.2%
  • irishblonde2011
    irishblonde2011 Posts: 618 Member
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    I will take number 13. I am moving to number 7 eek. I really thought australia would be lower.
    I still have dreams about the pizza i had in new york...back in 2004 :laugh:
  • kirstiey
    kirstiey Posts: 243
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    I know. I thought Ozzies were skinny! Shocked me. Japan didn't LOL
  • kirstiey
    kirstiey Posts: 243
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    !
  • gemco
    gemco Posts: 129
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    urgh, i find these threads shameful. i dont want to be a great big fat statistic! sadly imo of being skint in the uk is that crap is much much cheaper to buy. not takeaways so much, maccys is still dear and i can't imagine ever having one for dinner, they're a lunch on the go and i resent they're about the only option for that, along with greggs. but as far as supermarkets go you could buy a week of 'meals' from iceland for a few quid.
  • kr3851
    kr3851 Posts: 994 Member
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    I thought Aus had overtaken the US as the fattest nation? Or maybe they're just telling us that to scare us all into action... Anyhoo... it worked for me!!
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
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    You have hit the nail on the head there. That's capitalism for ya. A lush and beautiful country like the US importing most of its fresh fruit and veg is a total crime. The US government is not doing its citizens any favours if the poorest people with families are further disadvantaged as the best quality food is the most expensive. Crazy. Also you are right about fast food being expensive here. I only eat out / take away once a month due to this. Most of my friends do this a maximum of 4 times per month, where as it seems to be 2 or 3 times per week for many Pals. Tell you what is the killer here in the UK...The booze! empty calories!

    Yeah, the US should be putting more money into creating more farming jobs right here in the US. Especially with our unemployment rates and crumbling economy. It is sad that we import so many fresh fruits and vegetables when we have a HUGE country with so many possible places for new farms. My grandparents are farmers in Texas and they pretty much live in a ghost town now. There used to be many vegetable farms there back in the 50's-70's but now everyone is fleeing for the bigger cities. It's really sad! If you go in the typical American grocery store you'll find fruits and veggies from primarily Mexico and South America. That's why I try to always buy organic American produce and local if possible at farmers markets. It's important to support the economy of your local economy.

    We did it to ourselves. Farm subsidies make American grown crops too expensive for consumption (they get used as fuels and other stuff), so our food crops get imported from Mexico and South America because their produce is so cheap due to the fact that our over-supply wrecked the farming sectors or their economies.
  • Crystal817
    Crystal817 Posts: 2,021 Member
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    I guess I live in the small percentage of US that hasn't been over run with fast food places... yet. The town I grew up in doesn't have one fast food place and still doesn't. Vermont has also been named one of the fittest states in the US. Of course there is still tons of temptation everywhere! But I feel like I would have that problem anywhere. It's all about making smart choices no matter where you live. :smile:
  • Barneystinson
    Barneystinson Posts: 1,357 Member
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    If any of you have ever watched Arrested Development, there is an episode where the main character goes on a date with a British girl in "Wee Britian", which is a complete replica of a small UK town in the U.S. They have an American restaurant there and all they serve are huge plates of donuts, piles of fries, and basically unethically large portions of junk food. Then they gave them3-4 suitcase sized doggy bags per person when they left. It is pretty hilarious, but really sad that America is know for bad eating habits.

    Fat Ammie's !!

    I loved that show...
  • ilsie99
    ilsie99 Posts: 259
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    We did it to ourselves. Farm subsidies make American grown crops too expensive for consumption (they get used as fuels and other stuff), so our food crops get imported from Mexico and South America because their produce is so cheap due to the fact that our over-supply wrecked the farming sectors or their economies.

    Exactly. There are still LOTS of farmers and farmland in the US. The problemn is that government subsidies for corn and soybeans are so incredibly high that nobody wants to grow anything else. It's a very bad situation that's controlled by a handful of massive corporations lobbying the government.
  • BeHappyNHealthy
    BeHappyNHealthy Posts: 37
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    Hi Guys

    I think the most wonderful thing about MFP is the new American friends I have made. Looking at your diaries it makes me even more admiring of the weightloss of my Pals in the US.

    The US food choices are vast and too tempting, with many of them prepackaged, sweet treats or added calories and salt. Coupled with the fact it is much cheaper to eat out for you guys and you have much more of an array of affordable food places, I have absolutely no willpower at all and feel sure I couldn't lose any weight at all.

    Of course we have a range of food in the UK too, but I just don't feel so overwhelmed with choice and accessibility as I would in the US.

    So more power to you US MFP's - You are amazing!!!!

    I am so disgusted by the Western Diet that I have considered moving to a different country. It's not just the nutrition behind it, either. It's the immoral politics with the organizations that supply and monitor our food. There are a slew of problems with the food economy--GMOs, Subsidies, Packaged foods, fast food--it all disgusts me. However, it's good to know there are outlets. Farmers Markets have gone up 79% in the past ten years, organic food is 10X more plentiful now than in 1990. So, it's promising. I love looking to my UK friend's diets for tips too! It's interesting how different the food choices can be. I'm proud of all my MFP friends for resisting the temptations of the Western Diet and opting for a more healthy lifestyle. :)
  • BeHappyNHealthy
    BeHappyNHealthy Posts: 37
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    In at Number 3! The worlds fattest countries...

    # 1 United States: 30.6%
    # 2 Mexico: 24.2%
    # 3 United Kingdom: 23%
    # 4 Slovakia: 22.4%
    # 5 Greece: 21.9%
    # 6 Australia: 21.7%
    # 7 New Zealand: 20.9%
    # 8 Hungary: 18.8%
    # 9 Luxembourg: 18.4%
    # 10 Czech Republic: 14.8%
    # 11 Canada: 14.3%
    # 12 Spain: 13.1%
    # 13 Ireland: 13%
    # 14 Germany: 12.9%
    = 15 Portugal: 12.8%
    = 15 Finland: 12.8%
    # 17 Iceland: 12.4%
    # 18 Turkey: 12%
    # 19 Belgium: 11.7%
    # 20 Netherlands: 10%
    # 21 Sweden: 9.7%
    # 22 Denmark: 9.5%
    # 23 France: 9.4%
    # 24 Austria: 9.1%
    # 25 Italy: 8.5%
    # 26 Norway: 8.3%
    # 27 Switzerland: 7.7%
    = 28 Japan: 3.2%
    = 28 Korea, South: 3.2%

    There's a great documentary on the American Diet if it interests you called Killer at Large. Super interesting! Check it out! :)
  • TK421NotAtPost
    TK421NotAtPost Posts: 512 Member
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    IMHO, it really isn't the amount of fresh food vs. processed foods, or what foods are healthy vs. not healthy, etc...etc. It has more to do with the portion sizes embedded into each nation's culture. There is plenty of junk food in South Korea and there are also many different Western food chains that have established themselves there... Ever check the fat & calorie content on a box of instant ramen?

    Whenever I visit Korea, one of the main things I notice is just how small the portion sizes are over there. The difference is quite dramatic. Things might change over there too if they embrace the super-sized food portions that are a part of our culture here in the States.
  • jabbogurl
    jabbogurl Posts: 193
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    I'll agree with the food being really sweet in USA. When I take my step-daughter to a German bakery and such, she doesn't understand the dessert. It's not pure sugar. I tell her, its more about the actually flavor, but that is a huge culture shock for most people..........chocolate is not sugar.
  • irishblonde2011
    irishblonde2011 Posts: 618 Member
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    Alot of people will be moving to korea lol
  • kirstiey
    kirstiey Posts: 243
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    Really interesting debates my MFP friends. We have brains as well as beauty :happy:
  • theMightyAnt
    theMightyAnt Posts: 75
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    Interesting thread, to add to what was mentioned about fresh food prices in the UK being ridiculous. My sister recently told me that she takes her kids to McDonalds when out and about to SAVE MONEY! She knows it's a bad option but is really close to the breadline.
    Kids foods and fresh ingredients to make healthy alternatives are so extortionately priced here it really is a disgrace. Seeing someone who has devoted her life to her kids have to resort to fast food for cost is heart rending to see.

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