The American Agenda???

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  • pamperedlinny
    pamperedlinny Posts: 1,558 Member
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    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.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    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"
  • TinGirl314
    TinGirl314 Posts: 430 Member
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    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.
  • Akious
    Akious Posts: 71
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    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.
  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
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    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!
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    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
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    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
  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
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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.
  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
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    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 LOL
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    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 coke
  • TinGirl314
    TinGirl314 Posts: 430 Member
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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.

    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. :)
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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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!
  • pudadough
    pudadough Posts: 1,271 Member
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    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.
  • jus_in_bello
    jus_in_bello Posts: 326 Member
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    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.
  • innocenceportrayed
    innocenceportrayed Posts: 569 Member
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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.
  • roachhaley
    roachhaley Posts: 978 Member
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    Uhhh... nobody forced you to eat that food.
  • rachelrb85
    rachelrb85 Posts: 579 Member
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    Now do you understand the obesity epidemic in America??? :wink:
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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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?
  • KaleidoscopeEyes1056
    KaleidoscopeEyes1056 Posts: 2,996 Member
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    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.
  • Wonderob
    Wonderob Posts: 1,372 Member
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    Now do you understand the obesity epidemic in America??? :wink:

    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_CONT