The American Agenda???
Replies
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So what you're saying is food in the UK is over priced?
It has got ridiculously expensive in the last year or so.
I think the main point is we don't get the freebies you guys do.....which leads to and/or encourages overeating.0 -
I believe another reason they can do it (charge so little/offer so many extras for free) is many states do not have the same minimum wage laws as the UK & most of Europe. Waiting staff in UK get around 10gbp an hour (our minimum wage is around 6gbp per hour but only very **** places would pay this) The overheads in employing staff in Uk is much higher, this is another reason why the "tipping" culture exists in USA. In UK tipping is optional, USA is pretty much mandatory regardless of level of service.
I remember being so surprised to find our breakfast bill higher at the little cafe down the street from our hotel in London... When I asked for an explanation, it was because we had chosen to sit at a table to eat our breakfast pastries rather than take them outside to eat.
yep many places have 2 prices, one for eat in one for take away.0 -
LOL... Agreed0
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ah capitalism
don'tcha love it /eyeroll
Wondering if the eyeroll is because you prefer being told how much you can eat and drink (think NYC mayor trying to limit your soda intake, or San Francisco trying to determine whether your kid can have a toy in their happy meal)... Personally, I'll take my country along with all its "issues" and yes, even its capitalism, I will call these mayors on their stupid ideas for my "betterment", and just be personally responsible... What a novel idea.
Just thinkin' there are countries out there where you might be more *comfortable* and not have to suffer so... I'll help you pack.
LOL... snarky but oh so right!0 -
The food industrial complex. You need to watch Food Inc, King Corn, and read The Omnivore's Dilemma and then you will begin to understand how messed up the american food environment is.0
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frankly the government doesn't need to be involved in our health thats your own personal choices that get someone obese in the first place read labels on the sides and get a carry out box take the rest home with you and if you ask for information from restraunts they will give it to you ive got a weird food allergy and if i ask about a particular sauce or whatever they will go check on it for meAnd yes, English are bad food folks too that's why I ate Indian when there. The USA is still one of the most overweight countries anywhere and corporations are more important than our health to the government!0 -
I was up in Folsom, (CA) a day ago and they had the 2 BigMac deal going on there. Saw it on some yellow banner posted on the roof of the building.I have yet to see 2 big macs for 99 cents... lol... just sayin
In fairness I didn't either but they kept on playing the advert on the radio
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And what I've seen in the UK is, the advertised meal is It. there are No substitutions. What the menu says, is what you get.Do they not have this in the UK?
Not at all. Free refills and the other things the OP mentioned are alien concepts to us(most of the time).0 -
Welcome to our world!
You should see the buffets at places like Golden Coral. All you can eat - one price. All you can eat??? My husband and I don't visit these places because we would have to pay an outrageous price for the one plate of food we can eat!
I was SOOOOO proud of myself for turning down going to Golden Corral for dinner last night. Up unti last week I would have been like Hell Yeah, lets go! and gorged myself until I had to waddle out.
Yes our serving sizes are insane compared to what they should be.0 -
Not necessarily directed at the OP, but generally: It is true that the portion sizes are huge. But the "Food Industrial Complex" is not making us fat in America. WE. ARE. Period. No one stuffs that extra anything down our gullets at gunpoint. I like a good Coke, but I also know that 5 refills will make me a whale. Everyone knows that, deep down.
But I suppose it makes some of us feel better to blame The Man rather than taking on an ounce of personal responsibility. "I have seen the enemy and it is us"...you know how this goes.0 -
So what you're saying is food in the UK is over priced?
It can be. I've taken my kids over a couple of times...My local Pizza Hut charges $10 for large pizzas...have eaten at Pizza Hut in both London and Aberdeen, Scotland...outrageously priced. Our local subway...$5 for 12" long sandwiches (limited selection) in the UK, they charge to toast it!
Wait! They charge to toast the bread???? I knew US was the cheapest place on earth for junk food (my dad used to be involved with the workers on ships at the port of Baltimore and we learned a lot from taking them to Walmart. lol) but that seems a little out there. I mean, it's still bread. You're just heating it up a bit. Wow.0 -
So what you're saying is food in the UK is over priced?
No not at all. A relatively healthy (sodium aside) chicken sandwich from Subway costs:
UK: £2.99 ($4.5)
USA: $3.95
Pretty similar
A Big Mac
UK: £2.49 ($3.9)
USA: $0.50
An eigth of the cost for the non healthy burger! (Granted it was a 'special' McD promotion; however there was always some sort of burger promotion going on)
The TGI meals were cheaper in USA but not by an awful lot - the major difference as I said, was the 'free' non-healthy giveaways.
"Here have as many fries and soda as you want. As well as any other fatty junk we can give you as well"0 -
This is just my two cents, feel free to ignore.
I used to be a buffet queen, and when you're talking Chinese... one trip could cost you up to 4,000 calories.
For 7.95
For 1.95 You can get some more calories mixed with fizz.
So with tax you're looking at 12 bucks for 4,000 calories.
I used to convince myself that it was cheaper this way then ordering from a standard Chinese restaurant.
What I realize now is that I DO NOT NEED 4k OF CALORIES IN ONE SITTING.
In the US there are projects and commercials and social programs explaining how bad fast food is for you. As long as you ignored the calories involved, that fried chicken sandwich looked pretty good. Oh and you know you have to have the fries...and the soda.
Personally I think the country eats out of boredom.
I'm one that used to do it...
I would get off work and be stressed and emotional and just...pissed off and then I'd go 'Oh I can get a double cheeseburger for a buck, that'll make me feel better.' At 11 at night...then go to bed and wonder why I was gaining.
I don't know how we got into that mentality? I know food is supposed to be comforting but why spend so much money on it when you just....well you know how food ends.
Yah it's a little jarbled, but I think about this a lot.0 -
op, thats why i don't eat out anymore. If i do on rare occasion, I straight up tell the waiter / waitress my order. MOST of them will make it right but when they don't they get to watch me correct it. Im not a prude, I just don't need the excess whit on it like a mountain of whipped cream. If i order fries and its HUGE even if i order a small, I only eat 5ish fries. At a family reunion last sat, I asked for a take home tray and got it. The waiter was shocked to see that probably half my food was there and I told them to toss it. They messed up big.
There is a reason we americans are big people.0 -
So what you're saying is food in the UK is over priced?
No not at all. A relatively healthy (sodium aside) chicken sandwich from Subway costs:
UK: £2.99 ($4.5)
USA: $3.95
Pretty similar
A Big Mac
UK: £2.49 ($3.9)
USA: $0.50
An eigth of the cost for the non healthy burger! (Granted it was a 'special' McD promotion; however there was always some sort of burger promotion going on)
The TGI meals were cheaper in USA but not by an awful lot - the major difference as I said, was the 'free' non-healthy giveaways.
"Here have as many fries and soda as you want. As well as any other fatty junk we can give you as well"
Didn't you say you were in FL? Where the hell in FL did you get a Big Mac for 50 cents?! I live in FL and you're lucky to get one on special for a two dollars!0 -
Its because the cost of living and food is cheap in the US, they could not afford to do this in the UK. Part of business is giving your customer the best value possible for their money to get repeat business. Its not some freaking conspiracy
Not true
Let me use TGIs as an example
The steaks, salads, burgers, alcoholic drinks, vegetable sides are all a 'similar' price in USA and UK
The best possible value for customer's money only extended to the worst 'extras' health wise. There was no free salads, free fruit or free chicken 'thrown in'. There was frree soda, free fries, free cream, free cheese0 -
Didn't you say you were in FL? Where the hell in FL did you get a Big Mac for 50 cents?! I live in FL and you're lucky to get one on special for a two dollars!
Like i said, I didn't
What we heard every single day on the radio (Naples 93.1) was a McDonalds advert saying that Big Macs were a dollar and they were 2 for one at the moment. So not 50 cents but 2 for a dollar - I didn't go to a McDs though so didn't see it myself0 -
There are healthier choice restraunts in the US they just aren't as popular.
Panera Bread is a great alternative from burgers and fries to homemade sammiches and soup.
Ruby Tuesday offers both burgers and salads(great salads btw and I hate salad so that's saying a lot)
An alternative to the Golden Corral fatty food buffet (they do have a salad section but why eat it when you have unlimited pizza, wings, mac and cheese, and steaks?) is called Sweet Tomatos.
You have to know what to look for and be willing to pay a bit extra for healthier things.0 -
Didn't you say you were in FL? Where the hell in FL did you get a Big Mac for 50 cents?! I live in FL and you're lucky to get one on special for a two dollars!
Like i said, I didn't
What we heard every single day on the radio (Naples 93.1) was a McDonalds advert saying that Big Macs were a dollar and they were 2 for one at the moment. So not 50 cents but 2 for a dollar - I didn't go to a McDs though so didn't see it myself
Ah, gotcha. Naples is probably why. In Tampa, they RARELY do that. I mean....like maybe on christmas when they all wanna go home and not be around frozen patties LOL0 -
op, thats why i don't eat out anymore. If i do on rare occasion, I straight up tell the waiter / waitress my order. MOST of them will make it right but when they don't they get to watch me correct it. Im not a prude, I just don't need the excess whit on it like a mountain of whipped cream. If i order fries and its HUGE even if i order a small, I only eat 5ish fries. At a family reunion last sat, I asked for a take home tray and got it. The waiter was shocked to see that probably half my food was there and I told them to toss it. They messed up big.
There is a reason we americans are big people.
I hate to see food go to waste. If I wasn't on holiday then I would have shown a lot more restraint but it's hard to leave a plateful of fries and a huge glass of untouched coke0 -
There are healthier choice restraunts in the US they just aren't as popular.
Panera Bread is a great alternative from burgers and fries to homemade sammiches and soup.
Ruby Tuesday offers both burgers and salads(great salads btw and I hate salad so that's saying a lot)
An alternative to the Golden Corral fatty food buffet (they do have a salad section but why eat it when you have unlimited pizza, wings, mac and cheese, and steaks?) is called Sweet Tomatos.
You have to know what to look for and be willing to pay a bit extra for healthier things.
I totally agree that if you want healthier food you have to pay more.
And I hate that...poor people need food too, and not to live off a can of chef boyardee because they can get 10 meals for ten dollars.
I used to eat salads from restaurants but the TGIF salad I liked had like 1300 calories without the dressing.
Must be veeeeery very careful.
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There are healthier choice restraunts in the US they just aren't as popular.
Panera Bread is a great alternative from burgers and fries to homemade sammiches and soup.
Ruby Tuesday offers both burgers and salads(great salads btw and I hate salad so that's saying a lot)
An alternative to the Golden Corral fatty food buffet (they do have a salad section but why eat it when you have unlimited pizza, wings, mac and cheese, and steaks?) is called Sweet Tomatos.
You have to know what to look for and be willing to pay a bit extra for healthier things.
Oh I'm sure there are healthy options if you look. Ruby Tuesdays was one of our favourites by the way and it was them that thought they were doing me a favour by giving me 2 sides of fries when I only asked for one! Thankfully I was always too full to ever try their HUGE desserts!0 -
Its because the cost of living and food is cheap in the US, they could not afford to do this in the UK. Part of business is giving your customer the best value possible for their money to get repeat business. Its not some freaking conspiracy
Not true
Let me use TGIs as an example
The steaks, salads, burgers, alcoholic drinks, vegetable sides are all a 'similar' price in USA and UK
The best possible value for customer's money only extended to the worst 'extras' health wise. There was no free salads, free fruit or free chicken 'thrown in'. There was frree soda, free fries, free cream, free cheese
Many restaurants include a salad as part of the meal...or "thrown in." My favorite, Texas Roadhouse, will do a caesar, house or other style of salad included in the price of a meal. It's endlessly customizable with types of dressings and toppings or lack thereof. They also will honor requests to leave the dressing on the side, etc. I substitute fruit for fries at Chik fil a all the time. Water is always free at most restaurants (and the movie theater!) McDonalds offers the option of grilled instead of battered chicken on a lot of their chicken sandwiches for free. Point being, the restaurants do have "free" healthy alternatives, but people must think and make choices about what they put in their own mouths...shocker.0 -
Please keep in mind you were in the US, where we have A LOT of land and farmers so food in general is cheaper here. Did you notice clothing and petrol was also cheaper? Or were you just harping on the fact that we have cheap food. I remember being in the UK and getting huge quantities of food when I'd go to a chippy, even at the pubs in London we got a huge plate of food, it's just cheaper here because we don't have to import everything.0
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There are healthier choice restraunts in the US they just aren't as popular.
Panera Bread is a great alternative from burgers and fries to homemade sammiches and soup.
Ruby Tuesday offers both burgers and salads(great salads btw and I hate salad so that's saying a lot)
An alternative to the Golden Corral fatty food buffet (they do have a salad section but why eat it when you have unlimited pizza, wings, mac and cheese, and steaks?) is called Sweet Tomatos.
You have to know what to look for and be willing to pay a bit extra for healthier things.
Oh I'm sure there are healthy options if you look. Ruby Tuesdays was one of our favourites by the way and it was them that thought they were doing me a favour by giving me 2 sides of fries when I only asked for one! Thankfully I was always too full to ever try their HUGE desserts!
Yes, they're guilty of doing that. When they ask me what two sides I want and I say fries, I specify I only want one order, (sometimes I'll say a half order) and then they give me a similar amount to what I was thinking. I'm amused that i can remember when salads were common courtesy in restaurants, now you have to pay extra for one.0 -
Uhhh... nobody forced you to eat that food.0
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Now do you understand the obesity epidemic in America??? 0
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Uhhh... nobody forced you to eat that food.
Lol
No! Of course not! Everything I ate was totally down to me - nobody to blame but myself - but if you read the original post I asked you to please try and ignore my disgraceful eating habits during the vacation and focus on the point I was making - have you missed that point?0 -
i noticed that when i went to visit my grandparents, i cant remember the name of the place ..sabrro maybe there a pizza joint, there big pop was legit a liter of pop with a straw! and free refils!
The promotions where endless to like for 2 dollars more get a larger drink and dessert ectect
due to the economy everyone wants the best bang for the buck so they "go big or go home"
explains obesity in my humble opinion..im from canada and we dont have things quit that bad but its deffintly on the rise, you need to be careful if going out.
Sabrro's pizza and breadsticks are nasty. I never eat there because I can't stand it.
Anyway, I can see where you guys are coming from. Whenever I eat at a fast food place, I typically either order salad (which is more expensive than a burger) or a kid's meal, because the kid's meal portions are right for me.0 -
Now do you understand the obesity epidemic in America???
Oh God yes! Our hotel was lovely - they offered free unlimted cookies (390 calories each) you were literally offered a warm cookie every time you went past reception - maybe 10 times a day
Everyone seems desperate for you to consume calories!
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g34467-d224314-r137309744-Doubletree_Suites_by_Hilton_Naples-Naples_Florida.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT0
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