UK vs. US portions and nutrition

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Replies

  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    I used to work in a pub/restaurant chain and our breakfasts could be anywhere from 1000 to 2000 calories, so if you're eating out, be wary. If you're ever in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, see how many branches of Greggs (kind of a bakery version of McDonalds) you can see. If you go more than a couple of minutes without seeing one, you're not in Newcastle anymore.

    Greggs are everywhere,arent they? My husband lived in the UK before I knew him and lived off food from there! Haha...
  • Yagisama
    Yagisama Posts: 592 Member
    1. Portion sizes are smaller. It's the same in Germany (where I lived when I was young). Soda? You get 6 or 8 ounce cups sometimes.
    2. 1 kcal = 1000 calories (with a small c) = 1 Calorie (with a capital C)
    3. I've never encountered anything that led me to believe there are differences between the UK and US
    4. Nope. It would rage from about the same to slightly better. There is so much variation it's hard to really say. Nutrition information is easier to come by and the numbers are more accurate. (In the US for example, if the Calories are under a certain number (~5?) then the manufacturer can claim 0 since it's within tolerance.




  • wizzybeth
    wizzybeth Posts: 3,573 Member
    I want to go.
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,449 Member
    I used to work in a pub/restaurant chain and our breakfasts could be anywhere from 1000 to 2000 calories, so if you're eating out, be wary. If you're ever in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, see how many branches of Greggs (kind of a bakery version of McDonalds) you can see. If you go more than a couple of minutes without seeing one, you're not in Newcastle anymore.

    I love that there's even one in Newcastle station!

    I usually use Cooplands or Thomas's. Greggs do seem to have bigger portions of everything - thicker slices of bread, bigger sandwiches, bigger sausage rolls, bigger doughnuts, etc. Not the most calorie-conscious of bakeries! Thomas's do a lovely low-GI bread - I imagine it's high calorie, but it's delicious!
  • amandarunning
    amandarunning Posts: 306 Member
    Portions generally smaller when eating out - which is still less a regular occurrence than in the US. Choice of fast foods and coffee more limited. As ever though we follow the US and these things are changing along with waistlines! Oh and refills not so common...otherwise much the same except our bacon is better as is our chocolate - imho :-)

    Oh and chips here are your fries but usually fatter!
  • Tubbs216
    Tubbs216 Posts: 6,597 Member
    aimeerace wrote: »
    This thread has made me think that perhaps I'm living on some strange far flung planet in another galaxy...

    Don't worry, we do have food on planet Britland. Most of it is edible but not all. We eat what we want when we are hungry (or bored), pretty much like the rest of the world.

    We only eat crumpets and drink tea. That's all the world thinks we consume! Ha ha
    When we go back to visit family (have lived in Canada for 12 years now - dual citizens) tea, various bread-type products like scones and, yes, crumpets seem to be a major part of our diets. As well as fish and chips and decent curries! You can't deny there's lots of tea!

  • MarziPanda95
    MarziPanda95 Posts: 1,326 Member
    I used to work in a pub/restaurant chain and our breakfasts could be anywhere from 1000 to 2000 calories, so if you're eating out, be wary. If you're ever in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, see how many branches of Greggs (kind of a bakery version of McDonalds) you can see. If you go more than a couple of minutes without seeing one, you're not in Newcastle anymore.

    In Derby we have two Greggs within a few yards of each other... and then another one like a hundred yards away in the shopping centre! They're everywhere!

    Also, for those talking about baps/cobs/bread rolls/breadcakes/barms/etc... let's not start that debate! I'm at university in Derby, right in the middle of the country, and my class have spent hours arguing over which is right... ;)
  • phill_143
    phill_143 Posts: 64 Member
    I live in the UK and worked in Michigan in the US for a few months (not sure how representative that is of the states?).
    There were a few differences I noticed:

    - Portion sizes when I ate out were larger in Michigan - maybe as much as double
    - Food seemed to have a lot more sugar in than I'd find in similar items in the UK - e.g. bread tasted sweet, chocolate was far too sweet to eat and coffee seemed to be automatically pre-sweetened. I couldn't get over that sweet bread! I thought I must have picked up brioche or something by mistake, but I tried a few different brands and it all tasted like that.
    - There was a lot less variety of fruit/veg available than I'd see in supermarkets in the UK (but I suspect this was because I was in a poorer town and would not generally be the case in the US)
    - It was harder to cycle places (the town was designed more for driving, so things were further apart) and I didn't see any cycle lanes

    I'd say it's probably more expensive to eat out in the UK - but don't forget staff wages are already factored into the price, so tipping isn't required to the same extent it's expected in the US.

    On a non-food note, people were really nice in Michigan! I went into a Wendy's (which we don't have in the UK, as far as I'm aware) - I mentioned to someone in the queue that I'd never been to one before - and ended up being bought three ice creams by different people :)

    Depends where you are in the UK, of course, but I'd suggest portions would tend to be smaller, food might have a little less added sugar and more towns are navigable via bike or on-foot.
    And, yes kcal=calorie

    Enjoy your visit! :)
  • 999tigger
    999tigger Posts: 5,235 Member
    edited April 2015
    Theres nothing to get alarmed about. Even if portion sizes are smaller (thats a good thing for diets) then people cna have 2 portions. The UK has its own ovesity problem.

    I dont think mealtimes are hat formal or different. People tned to eat when they like, bit if you are studying and in halls then they will tell you the formal meal times, just like a canteen. Id huess breakfast 7-9am, lunch 12-1:30ish and dinner 5-7ish. Thats only relevant because in halls you will have paid for those meals. Cooking for yourself then you eat what you like.

    You will get a complete selection of food and you can eat healthy or junk just like anywhere else. If you are in halls then you have to go with the food they prepare.

    As a side note you might like

    http://www.amazon.com/Watching-English-Hidden-Rules-Behaviour/dp/0340818867
    http://www.amazon.com/Notes-Small-Island-Bill-Bryson/dp/0380727501/ref=pd_sim_b_5?ie=UTF8&refRID=0EY2JJTSZ351RCBSXPRN

    Heh @ Greggs

  • LittleNell107
    LittleNell107 Posts: 71 Member
    Haha - @phill_143 you just said EXACTLY everything I was going to say... right down to the "everything is much sweeter in the US, especially the bread" comment! I'm a Brit but I've been all over the US for work and every time I forget and see a nice piece of bread - then take a bite and it's like a mouthful of sugar!

    To the OP, I would say expect portions to generally be smaller and many foods (bread, milk, juice (orange, etc.), chocolate, yoghurt, etc.) to taste less sweet. There's a really good selection of fresh produce in all reasonably sized supermarkets - aimeerace has listed a few good examples above.

    I too would offer a word of caution about the drinking "culture" as well - there's a lot of what I believe in the US would called "hard liquor", and many UK drinks contain a lot more alcohol by volume than US equivalents. Also US "keggers" or "tailgating" are nothing compared to UK drinking sessions in some cases (btw tailgating means something else in the UK - it means driving way too close to the back of the car in front ;) )

    "snip"

    Also, for those talking about baps/cobs/bread rolls/breadcakes/barms/etc... let's not start that debate! I'm at university in Derby, right in the middle of the country, and my class have spent hours arguing over which is right... ;)

    You forgot "oven bottoms" LOL - that used to get me every time when I lived in Preston!
  • samgamgee
    samgamgee Posts: 398 Member
    Gregg's, Gregg's everywhere!

    Oh god the bread in America upset me SO MUCH. Massive nope. How do people eat sandwiches?! Lovely bit of cheese, lovely bit of meat, surrounded by sugary awfulness.
  • lisafrancis888
    lisafrancis888 Posts: 119 Member
    Depending where in England you go the names of the meals can catch you out. Older or more traditional may call the meal times breakfast dinner and tea. Rather than breakfast lunch and dinner. So be careful as dinner can actually be at two times of the day.
    I originally come from Yorkshire and still call my midday meal dinner. It totally confused my friends at times.
  • shannonbun
    shannonbun Posts: 168 Member
    Thank you all for the responses! I'll be in Cheltenham, but visiting my boyfriend in London pretty frequently, so I'll have to drag him along to one of the farmers' markets a few times. Thankfully (for my diet's sake), my home school has a rule against drinking alcohol, so I won't be drinking while I'm over there. I've been making my tea the "proper English way" the boyfriend taught me, but I found out I put way too much sugar into it--gotta change that.

    This sounds weird, but are there things like Splenda over there? Just no-calorie sweetners in general?
  • LittleNell107
    LittleNell107 Posts: 71 Member
    Yep - Splenda, Sweetex, Canderel... we have all the usual synthetic artificial sweeteners ;)
  • shannonbun
    shannonbun Posts: 168 Member
    Yep - Splenda, Sweetex, Canderel... we have all the usual synthetic artificial sweeteners ;)

    Phew! :)
  • LittleNell107
    LittleNell107 Posts: 71 Member
    edited April 2015
    shannonbun wrote: »
    Yep - Splenda, Sweetex, Canderel... we have all the usual synthetic artificial sweeteners ;)

    Phew! :)

    Hehe - I think you'll find most things will be strangely odd, yet vaguely familiar at the same time - that's certainly what I find when I'm over in the US. :)

    ETA: including the language!
  • lisafrancis888
    lisafrancis888 Posts: 119 Member
    You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.
  • ea15792
    ea15792 Posts: 14 Member
    I'm an ex-pat originally from Cheltenham :)

    For me it always depends on who I'm staying with about how I eat. There is less eating out overall, but just as much processed crap as there is here. When I stay with my parents I eat pretty healthy because they buy fresh produce, grow their own veggies, shop at Waitrose, (although Waitrose sells plenty of crap as well). When I stay with other family members I tend to eat more processed stuff. But, there is a lot more home cooking in general. Takeaways and eating out is a lot more expensive than it is in the U.S. I've lived in the U.S. for 20 years and I still can't take the bread here (or the bacon or baked beans). I still prefer English food.

    If you are in Cheltenham, there is a Greggs on the bath road (and in town), and there are a lot of pubs that now offer great food and is just as cheap as Weatherspoons. They also have all the big supermarket chains, so you will have a lot of choice.
  • debrag12
    debrag12 Posts: 1,071 Member
    edited April 2015
    Actual potion size isn't an issue (though is different), you're basically eating an amount that fits in your calories, though get a sandwich at a restaurant in the US and you get so much more for example. It's more the database on here, pint sizes are different, as well as gallons for a start
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,752 Member
    You've got to try Fish and chips from the chip shop. It will hurt the waistline but once in a while won't hurt. Put plenty of salt and vinegar on.

    Please don't waste your calories... English fish and chips are terrible! (even the supposed "best" fish and chips around the country...)