What is meant by "the typical American diet?"

[Parrothead]

I've seen this phrase a couple of times this morning and am now wondering exactly what it means. Do you think it is portion size (super-size me mentality)? Or all the processed foods we see in the market? Or fast food? Or a combination of things?

 

And if you don't do the typical American diet, what do you do on those evenings were a home cooked meal is just one more thing on an already over full agenda? Around here our choice is fast food, fried food or pizza.

[regentrude]

I've seen this phrase a couple of times this morning and am now wondering exactly what it means. Do you think it is portion size (super-size me mentality)? Or all the processed foods we see in the market? Or fast food? Or a combination of things?

 

Coming from Europe, the things that strike me about the American diet, compared to what I know from home, are:

a lot of sugar (any baked goods)

a lot of fat (fried food, American pizza)

highly processed (pop tarts, boxed mixes..)

huge portions (restaurants)

low quality foods: low/non-fat cheese that tastes like plastic, artificial sweeteners, etc- or lots of extra sugar to compensate for the loss in taste due to the removal of all fat (yoghurt)

 

And if you don't do the typical American diet, what do you do on those evenings were a home cooked meal is just one more thing on an already over full agenda? Around here our choice is fast food, fried food or pizza.

We eat a German style dinner: bread (ideally a whole grain dark rye bread like at home), cheese, raw veggies/salad.

I do not cook on most evenings, we have our large meal at mid day.

Edited January 6, 2012 by regentrude

[Parrothead]

Coming from Europe, the things that strike me about the American diet, compared to what I know from home, are:

a lot of sugar

a lot of fat

highly processed

huge portions

or low quality foods: low/non-fat cheese that tastes like plastic, artificial sweeteners, etc- or lots of extra sugar to compensate for the loss in taste due to the removal of all fat (yoghurt)

 

We eat a German style dinner: bread (ideally a whole grain dark rye bread like at home), cheese, raw veggies/salad.

I do not cook on most evenings, we have our large meal at mid day.

Explain "a lot of fat" and "extra sugar to compensate for the loss in taste due to the removal of all the fat." Seems like a no win scenario. Food has too much fat, yet when the fat is taken out food tastes like plastic.

[regentrude]

Explain "a lot of fat" and "extra sugar to compensate for the loss in taste due to the removal of all the fat" are two different things? Seems like a no win scenario. Food has too much fat, yet when the fat is taken out food tastes like plastic.

 

No contradiction at all.

You can have natural fat, such as in cheese, and a full fat cheese or yoghurt just tastes good. You don't have to put in extra sugar to make it taste palatable.

OTOH, prepared foods often swim in fat: fried foods have extraordinary amounts, and American pizza is much greasier than the Italian version.

 

So, I prefer to eat a small piece of double cream camembert instead of a large low fat one. And I cook with little fat in my prepared foods and don't eat fried stuff.

[stripe]

Explain "a lot of fat" and "extra sugar to compensate for the loss in taste due to the removal of all the fat." Seems like a no win scenario. Food has too much fat, yet when the fat is taken out food tastes like plastic.

I think these are two separate categories.

 

Low fat salad dressings or low fat cookies are high in sugar

as well as

greasy foods that are commonly eaten such as a greasy burger + cheese + fries

 

I do not eat the typical American diet and am a bit tired of my kids' pediatrician really telling me ONLY one piece of dietary advice, which is, drink low fat milk not whole milk. I know the pediatrics assn has recommended that, but I think they assume everyone is eating sausages for breakfast and pizza + fries for lunch. I don't think you can point fingers at milk fat when you have no idea how much other fat a person is getting.

 

Fried foods are not all greasy, btw. Typically a doughnut only absorbs a small amount if fried at the right temperature. Something baked like a muffin or a croissant may have much more fat. However, that doesn't mean they are healthy.

[LuvingLife]

I have changed my meals from eating lots of fried food, greasy food, high fat, sugar and processed food to things that are more natural and organic. I do not eat packaged food anymore, no more fried food, and I stay away from greasy pizza (I make vegetarian pizza that tastes so good with a salad on the side or veggies).

 

The "typical American diet" I find to be very disgusting now that I see it from another point of view, I have adapted the European lifestyle which means I slow down and enjoy my meals, and walk or bike wherever I go. I don't starve myself anymore and I eat foods that some Americans would think to be dreadful but is actually good for you in small portions.

 

Americans have huge portions that are just not normal, I am doing the three course meal plan and it works so well! (Salad, crackers and then a small meal with water, I have lots weight!)

[Parrothead]

Okay, I see. Thanks for clarifying.

 

If you don't mind my asking, where do you get your whole grain dark rye bread?

[stripe]

I think the worst offender is these "quick and cheap" meals I see sometimes, that call for one carton sour cream, one can of soup, one package of shredded cheese, one package of sausage, and one package of tater tots, or whatever. Yech.

 

I watched a video on YouTube of a lady making a quick dinner to serve with brown rice. She chopped up half an onion and then added one pre-cooked chicken breast, one can of chili beans, one can of tomatoes with some flavoring, one container of salsa, one carton of (low fat!) sour cream, one package of cheese, and maybe something else I'm forgetting. It was highly entertaining in its own way.

[Night Elf]

I've seen this phrase a couple of times this morning and am now wondering exactly what it means. Do you think it is portion size (super-size me mentality)? Or all the processed foods we see in the market? Or fast food? Or a combination of things?

 

Yes, yes, and yes. My first thought when I hear that phrase are commercials. Fast foods and processed items. And the large portion sizes are important too because people want the most from their buck and a small satisying normal portion meal wouldn't be worth the price, unless the price was lowered. An analogy is that we should all be eating portion sizes like a Happy Meal, but instead, portion sizes like the Super Size Me Big Mac meal are more common. No, I don't mean to say we should all be eating McDonald's. I'm talking portion sizes. I ate at a restaurant the other night and the smallest steak they had was 7 oz. That's twice the size of a normal portion. But I cannot imagine a 3 oz. steak being presented on an adult plate. People would be outraged.

 

And if you don't do the typical American diet, what do you do on those evenings were a home cooked meal is just one more thing on an already over full agenda? Around here our choice is fast food, fried food or pizza.

 

We do not cook breakfast or lunch in our family. Those are individual choices and are prepared individually. DH usually eats leftovers from the previous night's dinner. I generally have soup or a sandwich. Our one big meal per day is dinner which we eat around 4:30pm. Whether we cook or bring something in, that is the one meal where most of us eat the same thing. If any of us doesn't want what is planned or if any of us get hungry later, we just forage in the kitchen like we do at breakfast or lunch.

[Parrothead]

 

Typical - high fat, high carb, highly processed, few vegetables

Meals we find to be typical in this area:

 

Spaghetti & meatballs or ziti (type of pasta covered with tomato sauce and topped with cheese) , white bread, no salad

 

takeout pizza and soda

 

chicken cutlet parmesan w/breaded zucchini

 

eggplant parmesan

 

cheeseburger & fries

 

sausage and meatball lasagna, no veggies in it or on the side, white italian or french bread

 

busy evenings for us:

we use the crockpot or cook the meal beforehand and reheat

 

This weeks busy night menu: ham & bean soup made earlier in the day & put on the stove warmer so people could partake as they arrived, with a garden salad waiting in the fridge.

 

Some nights we do have pizza. We plan ahead and have the crust already mixed and toppings in prep bowls & salad ready for dressing. First person home turns on the oven and preps the pizza...done in app 45 min.

I get the crockpot or alternate arrangements if one knows ahead of time one is not going to have time to cook.

 

What I'm wondering about is the unplanned too overwhelmed to cook evenings. For instance yesterday when my arm was so bad. I had planned savory meat and winter veggie pie for dinner but ended up at a restaurant having breakfast for dinner. I couldn't prepare a meal and dh didn't want to.

 

I like the brown bread with cheese and veggie idea. I just wonder about having fresh homemade bread available on short notice.

[GoVanGogh]

We eat a German style dinner: bread (ideally a whole grain dark rye bread like at home), cheese, raw veggies/salad.

We do something similar, except I am celiac and can't have the bread.

I make a simple 'raw' spread of fresh-made guacamole, with fresh veggies as dippers. (Red/yellow bell pepper, celery, Roma tomatoes cut in half, carrots, etc.) We will have a few slices of a nice cheese on the side.

We also eat a lot of salads.

You can build a very healthy sandwich in no time. (Well, I can't eat it, but my DH and DS can.) The market I shop at cooks their own deli meat and we add sliced tomatoes and spinach to the sandwich. I make a 'roll' with the meat and veggies inside a cheese slice.

Omelets/scrambled eggs also take little time to cook. (I was surprised at how much eggs are eaten in France.)

 

I do not eat the typical American diet and am a bit tired of my kids' pediatrician really telling me ONLY one piece of dietary advice, which is, drink low fat milk not whole milk. I know the pediatrics assn has recommended that, but I think they assume everyone is eating sausages for breakfast and pizza + fries for lunch. I don't think you can point fingers at milk fat when you have no idea how much other fat a person is getting.

:iagree:

We buy very little processed foods. I bake my child's snack foods and freeze so I can pull out a little at a time. He doesn't eat fast-food, ever. (Nor do we.) My son has always been on the very low end for weight, yet the only thing our pediatrician ever tells me is to make sure I don't feed DS whole-fat milk. :001_huh:

I really don't think whole-fat dairy products are that evil. I remember my great-grandfather putting cream on everything. He lived to be 90-some-years-old and was rail-thin all his life.

I know my own health stats - my cholesterol went down quite a bit when I gave up the vegetarian, low-fat, but lots of processed carbs diet.

[Parrothead]

I think the worst offender is these "quick and cheap" meals I see sometimes, that call for one carton sour cream, one can of soup, one package of shredded cheese, one package of sausage, and one package of tater tots, or whatever. Yech.

 

I watched a video on YouTube of a lady making a quick dinner to serve with brown rice. She chopped up half an onion and then added one pre-cooked chicken breast, one can of chili beans, one can of tomatoes with some flavoring, one container of salsa, one carton of (low fat!) sour cream, one package of cheese, and maybe something else I'm forgetting. It was highly entertaining in its own way.

I hope I don't offend anyone by this, but both of those meals sound disgusting. :D

[jplain]

To me it means a diet high in simple carbs and high in refined vegetable oil.

It is also a diet highly reliant on wheat, corn, and soy, either as main ingredients, additives, or as livestock fodder.

[Parrothead]

To me it means a diet high in simple carbs and high in refined vegetable oil.

It is also a diet highly reliant on wheat, corn, and soy, either as main ingredients, additives, or as livestock fodder.

That is a good point about the livestock fodder. Gives new meaning to "you are what you eat."

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

What I saw at my sons' school when I used to volunteer at lunch time is what I consider the typical American diet:

 

Hot school lunches:

pizza

chicken nuggets

french fries

tacos

turkey with mashed potatoes made out of a box and bright yellow gravy

cheesy breadsticks with sauce

the only vegetables available- nasty, dried out looking carrot and celery sticks

 

Lunches packed by parents:

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (all different qualities of ingredients)

processed lunch meat sandwiches

Uncrustables in little sealed plastic pouches

pop tarts

packets of cookies

packs of jello and pudding

"fruit" snacks

packets of chips, Doritos, Fritos, etc.

granola bars covered in chocolate

occasionally an apple or an orange

 

Exceptions:

 

There was a girl whose family was from India, and I always teased her about stealing her lunch. She had little containers of rice, some type of bean dish or curry, homemade bread, etc.

[Tigger]

USDA: Americans ate, in 2011, 1,996 pounds of food, or nearly one ton per person.

 

630 pounds of milk, yogurt, cheese and ice cream;

185 pounds of chicken, turkey, pork and beef per person;

wheat and other grains total 197 pounds;

273 pounds of fruit;

415 pounds of vegetables (more than half potatoes and corn, and corn isn't really a vegetable);

141 pounds of sweeteners (of which 42 pounds is corn syrup); and

85 pounds of fats

Totaling about 2700 calories per person.

 

That's basically the Standard American Diet (SAD).

[GoVanGogh]

I just wonder about having fresh homemade bread available on short notice.

The freezer.

We have a small family, so I bake, cut/divide down into small portions and freeze. They can be defrosted and warmed very quickly.

 

 

One thing I have noticed lately:

We have never had evening activities. I plan to be home by 4 or 5 p.m. so I have time to sit and rest for a bit before cooking supper. DH normally gets home around 6:30 and I try to have supper ready by then.

My son wanted to take a sport that required evening practices. Now we are gone two nights a week. My mentality changes completely on days that I know we won't be home to eat as a family.

I have always read how important it is to sit down and eat as a family. We always have, so I didn't 'get' the difference it can make.

I wonder if part of the "typical American diet" is that it is so rushed and served individually, not as a family.

[Soror]

Heavily processed

Tons of transfat/vegetable oils and/or low fat high sugar/ art. sweeteners

little fresh food

 

I think the paradox between low fat and trying to be healthier is because low fat isn't healthy or natural.

 

I think a lot has been lost in the ability to cook and a lot of people lead lives largely away from home. I had a girl over for supper once she was mid 20s at that time I think. I was making the main meal and had her making a salad, she put some whole lettuce leaves in a bowl. A lot of Americans have lost the taste for real food as well so even if they had time or even someone making real food they may or may not find it palatable. It takes a while to change your taste buds.

[Onceuponatime]

I lived in Europe for 3 years, about 25 years ago. One thing that I think is a really big factor is what Americans drink regularly with meals or throughout the day. Water, coffee, and alcholic beverages were all I saw adults drink. They did not drink fruit juices or milk. Soda was very expensive and was only bought as a treat when on vacation. However, the soda was made with real fruit juice, sugar, and carbonated water, no chemical ingredients, unless it was a cola. I don't know if it is still the same.

 

Here we drink multiple cups of coffe a day with sugar,milk, or a creamer. Some people even drink specialty coffees every day from coffee shops, which typically have as many calories as a meal. We (we as in Americans) also drink fruit drinks, sport drinks, and colas daily. These are often either high in calories and sugar or high in chemical additives.

 

Personally, I think switching to water as the main drink for adults would eliminate a whole host of problems.

 

Second, there is a myth that fast food/junk food is cheaper than real wholesome food (not necessarily organic). You can even make a typical fast food meal at home for less than the cost (per pound of food) than that of the restaurant meal. The problem is that it appears to cost more because you have to buy all the ingredients separately, store them and cook them. The initial outlay is more upfront, but in the long term you get more value for your money. You also burn more calories actually shopping, preparing the meal, and cleaning up.

 

It doesn't really take more time to make a quick healthy meal than it does to order and wait for a pizza. The problem is usually lack of initiative or not thinking ahead to when a quick meal will be needed. I am guilty of this as well.

Edited January 6, 2012 by Onceuponatime

[farouk]

I think it's all a reference to fast food, really. Hamburgers and fries (and infinite varieties thereof).

 

Obtained fast.

 

Eaten fast.

 

(Digested less fast.)

[HollyDay]

I've worked with nuitritionists for many years and have heard that phrase "typical American diet" quite a bit. From what I gather, it means a diet high in processed/prepackaged foods, sugar (or a substitute), poor fats rather than good quality healthy fats, salt, and low in fiber, fresh veggies, fresh fruits, and quality meats.

 

When I was keeping a food diary during both my pregnancies, the nuitritionists told me some horror stories of other diaries. Mine included fresh fruit, high quality meats, tons of quality fiber, organic cheeses/milk, etc. They said so many food logs included as their primary foods: hot dogs, processed cheese, soda, chips, "boxed" meals, fried fast food. If veggies were included, they were canned, nothing fresh.

[LibraryLover]

If I were dictator, I would revamp our commercial argicultural system. Humans can not live well on commercial soy and corn. The school lunch program is ridiculous in some (most?) places, although of course one finds truly lovely salad bars in wealtheir schools.

 

That said, I know many thoughtful people working to bring real food to folks. I personally know many people who are part of CSA programs. I'm sometimes surprised by who is participating. With half shares available, and generous CSA programs, it seems more people are interested. I really do see a renaissance-- some people are taking back their power and not submitting to the frozen food aisle or taking their kids to McD's frequently.

 

There are also many farms here donating thousands of pounds of furits and veggies to loal food banks and other programs. My youngest son works at a camp with a huge garden program, He and his campers pick food daily (each age group picks for 30-60 minutes). The kids are so proud to do this. This food is not sold. You can't buy it. It's 100% organic, and all of it is given away in the community through various programs. There are other farms in the area doing the same. All of the Farmer's Markets here accept food vouchers, which is a step in a good direction.

 

My mother's church runs a weekly mobile food distribution van in a nearby city. They do offer the homelesss guys cheese sandwiches and hot dogs, but there is other food as well, and my mother says parents with children are always asking for fruit. They are limited to bananas, apples, oranges and other easily stored foods, so no blueberries are distributed, but what they do offer is always appreciated. My mom also cares about nutrition, so she asks local places for whole wheat bread, canned beans, tuna etc. Once, a local healthfood store gave her a case of falafel mix-- and people took it. She tries to make it not be about poptarts.

 

There are some people doing good work, and it's a growing movement. The number of folks, even in cities, raising chickens is quite amazing to me, and urban gardens are becoming popular. Some communities even have waiting lists of folks wanting plots in community gardens.

Edited January 6, 2012 by LibraryLover

[regentrude]

If you don't mind my asking, where do you get your whole grain dark rye bread?

 

Aldi has packaged bread (Pumpernickel); Pumpernickel is a boiled bread that keeps once it is sealed, so these can be stocked up.

If I happen to travel to the city ( which happens rarely since it is 2 hours one way): Globals Foods.

 

Other than that: I buy rye flour, start a sourdough, and bake my own.

[farouk]

If I were dictator, I would revamp our commercial argicultural system. Humans can not live well on commercial soy and corn.

 

That said, I know many thoughtful people working to bring real food to folks. I personally know many part of CSA programs, and I really do see a renaissance of people taking back their power and not submitting to the frozen food aisle or taking their kids to McD's frequently.

 

There are also many farms here donating thousands of pounds of furits and veggies to loal food banks and other programs. My youngest son works at a camp with a huge garden program, He and his campers pick food daily (each age group picks for 30-60 minutes). This food is not sold. You can't buy it. It's 100% organic, and all of it is given away in the community through various programs. There are other farms in the area doing the same.

 

My mother's church runs a weekly mobile food distribution van in a nearby city. They do offer the old homelesss guys cheese sandwiches and hot dogs, but there is other food as well, and my mother says parents with children are always asking for fruit. They are limited to bananas, apples, oranges and other easily stored foods, so no blueberries or pomegrantes are distributed, but what they do offer always appreciated. My mom also cares about nutrition, so she asks local places for whole wheat bread, canned beans, tuna etc. Once, a local healthfood store gave her a case of falafel mix-- and people took it. She tries not to make it be about poptarts.

 

I do see somewhat of a food renaissance happening.

 

LibraryLover:

 

Dictator? fine, just look at some Federal officials. What people can eat, what people can do, what people can think, supposedly decided by them.

[Tigger]

I've worked with nuitritionists for many years and have heard that phrase "typical American diet" quite a bit. From what I gather, it means a diet high in processed/prepackaged foods, sugar (or a substitute), poor fats rather than good quality healthy fats, salt, and low in fiber, fresh veggies, fresh fruits, and quality meats.

 

When I was keeping a food diary during both my pregnancies, the nuitritionists told me some horror stories of other diaries. Mine included fresh fruit, high quality meats, tons of quality fiber, organic cheeses/milk, etc. They said so many food logs included as their primary foods: hot dogs, processed cheese, soda, chips, "boxed" meals, fried fast food. If veggies were included, they were canned, nothing fresh.

 

All one need do really, to see the American diet is walk through a grocery store - 80-90% of the "food" sits on a shelf, in a box, bag or jar, stable for years. Even the perimeter, which used to be mostly fresh foods, is now littered with highly processed "food" products. Heck, one grocery store here has an entire side of a frozen aisle, the whole length, just for pizza...the frozen vegetables take up just 20% of the other side! The highly-processed is what's for sale, so it's what the majority buy as their routine diet.

[elfgivas]

now that girls dance/sing/play the violin five nights a week, we have had to come up with options for meals that are fast, easy and nutritious.

 

main meal at noon.

lighter dinner.

 

one night a week, we eat salad in the car. emergency dinner is a roasted chicken from a grocery store, and fruit, then fruit and veggies when we get home.

 

we almost always have home made soup in the fridge, so it makes a fast evening snack/dinner.

 

fwiw,

ann

[Parrothead]

What I saw at my sons' school when I used to volunteer at lunch time is what I consider the typical American diet:

 

Hot school lunches:

pizza

chicken nuggets

french fries

tacos

turkey with mashed potatoes made out of a box and bright yellow gravy

cheesy breadsticks with sauce

the only vegetables available- nasty, dried out looking carrot and celery sticks

 

Lunches packed by parents:

peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (all different qualities of ingredients)

processed lunch meat sandwiches

Uncrustables in little sealed plastic pouches

pop tarts

packets of cookies

packs of jello and pudding

"fruit" snacks

packets of chips, Doritos, Fritos, etc.

granola bars covered in chocolate

occasionally an apple or an orange

 

Exceptions:

 

There was a girl whose family was from India, and I always teased her about stealing her lunch. She had little containers of rice, some type of bean dish or curry, homemade bread, etc.

The only things on your list that we eat are tacos and pizza. I will say my tacos have meat, real spring mix instead of iceberg, real cheese, sour cream and tomatoes. I would consider my tacos as a healthy meal.

[LibraryLover]

LibraryLover:

 

Dictator? fine, just look at some Federal officials. What people can eat, what people can do, what people can think, supposedly decided by them.

 

 

Ok then, Queen. But a real one, like QEI not QEII.

[farouk]

Ok then, Queen. But a real one, like QEI not QEII.

 

 

LL:

 

Umm: I wasn't talking about Queen Elizabeth I, but since you are, she did say that she didn't have a window on men's souls. (Quoted by George Bush Senior in his inaugural.)

 

But I guess I was referring to Federal officials trying to enforce 'political correctness'.

 

I guess, too, that it becomes circular, since a proportion of ppl will actually want to be told what to think, how to conform and what to eat for breakfast.

[Penelope]

Standard American Diet= dairy, meat, unhealthy fats, and added sugars make up the majority of calories, rather than being small additions to vegetable, fruit, and whole grains.

 

I also think of processed foods, and drinks other than water (milk, sport drinks, juice, Starbucks frappucinos).

 

And fast food.

 

Though it's possible to eat a terrible diet even without ever going out to eat.

 

Dinner when we don't feel like cooking: eggs, toast, frozen vegetables. Or canned low sodium soup that we have on hand for those times.

[LibraryLover]

If we are talking about food I don't think it's political correctness. I think it's money and politics, nothing more. I don't believe what they say because I don't believe it is based on science (just the almighty buck).

 

 

Yes. Although I think it started out with some people having good intentions (although not the "Go big or Go Home" Nixon hack), one being "Let's try to get food to everyone in the country, but on the cheap." America is a giant lab rat, if you will, for all manner of societal tests. :tongue_smilie:

 

We're failing the agricultural one at this point, although as I said in my first post, many positive things are happening. People are waking up.

Edited January 10, 2012 by LibraryLover

[Ohdanigirl]

Aldi has packaged bread (Pumpernickel); Pumpernickel is a boiled bread that keeps once it is sealed, so these can be stocked up.

If I happen to travel to the city ( which happens rarely since it is 2 hours one way): Globals Foods.

 

Other than that: I buy rye flour, start a sourdough, and bake my own.

 

Could you please share?

 

Also, I am surprised that all of your pediatricians keep saying, "don't drink whole milk." On my first visit, I was given a sheet to fill out with the meals that my child ate the day before. After taking a look at how much raw fruits and veggies they eat, and the lack of processed foods, the Dr. said they could drink whatever milk they wanted. In fact, on nutritionist told me that was actually better, and would give my dc more of what they need. The lowest my dc go is 2%.

 

I should point out that my dc rarely drink soda, eat chips, and would look at me cross eyed if ever attempted to serve them an instant boxed meal. They do like pop tarts, thanks to one of my BIL's, but even those only happen about once a year.

 

Danielle

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

The only things on your list that we eat are tacos and pizza. I will say my tacos have meat, real spring mix instead of iceberg, real cheese, sour cream and tomatoes. I would consider my tacos as a healthy meal.

 

I think you can make tacos AND pizza in a healthy way. The way they served them at school was disgusting. Fatty, corn-fed beef with chemical laden taco seasoning; unidentifiable cheese-food product; pink, mushy tomatoes; white-ish iceberg lettuce for the tacos. Thick, white dough, barely any sauce, and gobs of melted, plastic-y looking cheese for the pizza. Gross!

 

I make tacos, too. With pasture raised beef and organic spices, organic tomatoes, real cheese that I grate myself from cows that are treated humanely, crisp crunchy romaine lettuce, etc. I make homemade pizza crust, and have started experimenting with gluten free pizza crust. I mound fresh veggies on fresh sauce and sprinkle a mixture of tasty cheeses on top. Tastes good, has more nutrients and fewer calories than the regular pizza.

 

I think we need to get away from everything that is over processed and get back to eating more real foods.

[Parrothead]

I think you can make tacos AND pizza in a healthy way. The way they served them at school was disgusting. Fatty, corn-fed beef with chemical laden taco seasoning; unidentifiable cheese-food product; pink, mushy tomatoes; white-ish iceberg lettuce for the tacos. Thick, white dough, barely any sauce, and gobs of melted, plastic-y looking cheese for the pizza. Gross!

 

I make tacos, too. With pasture raised beef and organic spices, organic tomatoes, real cheese that I grate myself from cows that are treated humanely, crisp crunchy romaine lettuce, etc. I make homemade pizza crust, and have started experimenting with gluten free pizza crust. I mound fresh veggies on fresh sauce and sprinkle a mixture of tasty cheeses on top. Tastes good, has more nutrients and fewer calories than the regular pizza.

 

I think we need to get away from everything that is over processed and get back to eating more real foods.

:iagree:We've been on this journey for the past two years. Sometimes it is still difficult. If I don't have the week planned out ahead of time I get lost and fall back on either McD's and that lot or something like chili cheese fries made from canned chili.

 

I'm about to sit down and plan the menu for the week since this week we are going to experiment with vegetarian M-F. So I have to have the menu and ingredients in place .

[Parrothead]

Yes. Although I think it started out with some people having good intentions, one being "Let's try to get food to everyone in the country, but on the cheap." America is a giant lab rat, if you will, for all manner of societal tests. :tongue_smilie:

 

We're failing the agricultural one at this point, although as I said in my first post, many positive things are happening. People are waking up.

:iagree: I think we are failing a good many of the experiments. I don't know if it is because we are too big or simply too stubborn.

[Sun]

All one need do really, to see the American diet is walk through a grocery store - 80-90% of the "food" sits on a shelf, in a box, bag or jar, stable for years. Even the perimeter, which used to be mostly fresh foods, is now littered with highly processed "food" products. Heck, one grocery store here has an entire side of a frozen aisle, the whole length, just for pizza...the frozen vegetables take up just 20% of the other side! The highly-processed is what's for sale, so it's what the majority buy as their routine diet.

 

:iagree: A few times I've been traveling in areas of the States that only have the typical big American supermarket (Meijer, Safeway, Kroger, etc.). I've often been shocked at how little real food there is in these types of stores. All of the flour tortillas had chemical additives. All of the breads had chemical additives. Pretty much everything that wasn't produce was big-name brands. There were no artisan cheeses or breads. The produce didn't look great either (bred for looks, not flavor), but it was by far the best food available there. That's not at all how we normally eat, so we could really taste the difference. It all tasted fake and artificial.

 

I think many, many people in the States don't realize that the food to which they easily have access is often not of very good quality. Some of the big chain groceries have a better selection of additive-free, high-quality food, but many do not. It's very difficult to not eat a "standard American diet" when the only markets for miles around sell almost exclusively additive-laden foods and mass-market produce that's traveled thousands of miles to get there. In Europe, it would be very, very hard to find a grocery that does not sell bread without chemical additives!

 

Parrothead was wondering where you find whole-grain, artisan rye in a place like that. I end up making my own bread when I don't have access to breads that I like.

[justamouse]

We eat a German style dinner: bread (ideally a whole grain dark rye bread like at home), cheese, raw veggies/salad.

I do not cook on most evenings, we have our large meal at mid day.

 

I would love to do this-it would make life so much easier for us, but I have to ask, what about your Dh? Does he eat a large afternoon meal?

 

I guess Americans are still trying to have one meal together, and that is dinner, and it's held up as this Must Do. I don't disagree with it-Americans don't spend quality time together over meals-and that's the meal Society has chosen for us to embrace, for la familia.

 

So, how then does your Dh share in the larger family meals during the week if he's working?

 

 

Other than that: I buy rye flour, start a sourdough, and bake my own.

 

Please share-my starter needs to be used and I have a sack of rye. :001_smile:

 

Mine never tells me this, but I hear it all the time. I only buy whole milk. That's a bunch of hogwash IMO.

 

:iagree:

 

LL:

 

Umm: I wasn't talking about Queen Elizabeth I, but since you are, she did say that she didn't have a window on men's souls. (Quoted by George Bush Senior in his inaugural.)

 

But I guess I was referring to Federal officials trying to enforce 'political correctness'.

 

I guess, too, that it becomes circular, since a proportion of ppl will actually want to be told what to think, how to conform and what to eat for breakfast.

 

LL is one of the sweetest people on this board. Don't take everything she says so literally. She would totally be a benevolent dictator. :D

[Parrothead]

:iagree: A few times I've been traveling in areas of the States that only have the typical big American supermarket (Meijer, Safeway, Kroger, etc.). I've often been shocked at how little real food there is in these types of stores. All of the flour tortillas had chemical additives. All of the breads had chemical additives. Pretty much everything that wasn't produce was big-name brands. There were no artisan cheeses or breads. The produce didn't look great either (bred for looks, not flavor), but it was by far the best food available there. That's not at all how we normally eat, so we could really taste the difference. It all tasted fake and artificial.

 

I think many, many people in the States don't realize that the food to which they easily have access is often not of very good quality. Some of the big chain groceries have a better selection of additive-free, high-quality food, but many do not. It's very difficult to not eat a "standard American diet" when the only markets for miles around sell almost exclusively additive-laden foods and mass-market produce that's traveled thousands of miles to get there. In Europe, it would be very, very hard to find a grocery that does not sell bread without chemical additives!

 

Parrothead was wondering where you find whole-grain, artisan rye in a place like that. I end up making my own bread when I don't have access to breads that I like.

Shoot! It doesn't even have to be artisan rye. I'd be happy with a loaf of good sandwich rye.

 

I thought of another thing no one has mentioned yet: HFCS. That is so prevalent it is difficult to find foods without it.

[butterflymommy]

There is bad food everywhere-- all cuisines have some degree of fried and sugary foods. Most cuisines have meat. So it's not what the standard american diet is-- it's what it IS NOT. What it is not is fresh fruits, and leafy, cruciferous greens. Once you take the greens and fresh fruit out of a cuisine its quality, in terms of health, quickly plummets.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Shoot! It doesn't even have to be artisan rye. I'd be happy with a loaf of good sandwich rye.

 

I thought of another thing no one has mentioned yet: HFCS. That is so prevalent it is difficult to find foods without it.

 

Ditto HFCS. Yuck! I always chuckle when I see twizzlers or other candy touted as a "low fat food." Low fat? I'll give you that. Sugar isn't fat, and doesn't contain fat. Food? Really? That is the claim you are making with TWIZZLERS?

 

When my dc got WIC for a time we were encouraged to put butter or margarine on everything they eat. Yes, you read that right. My dds were borderline underweight. It is truly just genetics, they eat and eat. We eat lots of fruits, vegetables, beans made from dry, and whole dairy.

[regentrude]

I would love to do this-it would make life so much easier for us, but I have to ask, what about your Dh? Does he eat a large afternoon meal? So, how then does your Dh share in the larger family meals during the week if he's working?

 

 

DH and I both work.

On the days I am on campus till the afternoon, DH and I (and if we take the kids to work, they too) go eat at a soup/salad/sandwich place during our lunch hour. If I'm home, DH occasionally comes home for lunch; other days he goes eat with colleagues.

If I can be home for lunch, I cook; on some days DD cooks when I'm at work and the kids did not come with us.

 

Back in Germany, most larger companies have a cafeteria where employees would eat a reasonably priced warm meal at midday; this is the typical way to eat. In my home state, kids can get a hot midday meal (and I mean a real cooked meal, not fast food) at school.

 

I guess Americans are still trying to have one meal together, and that is dinner, and it's held up as this Must Do

 

We have breakfast together each day. We also have dinner together - only we usually do not COOK. That does not mean we can't eat together!

 

 

Please share-my starter needs to be used and I have a sack of rye. :001_smile:

 

 

I just mix a handfull of rye flour with water, put in a screw top jar, let sit for two-three days until it ferments.

Then I mix it with 2 lbs of flour (a bit more than half rye, the rest whole wheat, some salt), 2 cups of water (or more for consistency). I am still experimenting with the regime of how long to let the dough rise, when to form loaves, etc. I usually play it by ear and see if the dough has increased in size. I form two loaves and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour (put a cup of water into the oven and moisten the top of the breads so a crust forms.)

[CalicoKat]

Shoot! It doesn't even have to be artisan rye. I'd be happy with a loaf of good sandwich rye.

 

I thought of another thing no one has mentioned yet: HFCS. That is so prevalent it is difficult to find foods without it.

 

 

... and food coloring.

[justamouse]

DH and I both work.

On the days I am on campus till the afternoon, DH and I (and if we take the kids to work, they too) go eat at a soup/salad/sandwich place during our lunch hour. If I'm home, DH occasionally comes home for lunch; other days he goes eat with colleagues.

If I can be home for lunch, I cook; on some days DD cooks when I'm at work and the kids did not come with us.

 

I'm sorry, I forgot you worked, too.

Back in Germany, most larger companies have a cafeteria where employees would eat a reasonably priced warm meal at midday; this is the typical way to eat. In my home state, kids can get a hot midday meal (and I mean a real cooked meal, not fast food) at school.

 

That sounds heavenly.

 

We have breakfast together each day. We also have dinner together - only we usually do not COOK. That does not mean we can't eat together!

 

Ahh, see, that's the difference. The American Dinner would be the big, sit down family meal and you all see just eating together as an enjoyable thing-rightly so! But even the school/social ads here are all about the 'family dinner' and you get this Norman Rockwell picture in your head of, what would be your lunch?

 

Now, see if I didn't cook dinner, Dh, who works through his lunch while he eats (no, I cannot get him to break that habit, and it's a huge problem in enacting something like a European lunch) would feel as if he never had one, good meal that day. But, last night we did have salad, soup and cheese. :001_smile:

 

 

I just mix a handfull of rye flour with water, put in a screw top jar, let sit for two-three days until it ferments.

Then I mix it with 2 lbs of flour (a bit more than half rye, the rest whole wheat, some salt), 2 cups of water (or more for consistency). I am still experimenting with the regime of how long to let the dough rise, when to form loaves, etc. I usually play it by ear and see if the dough has increased in size. I form two loaves and bake for 40 minutes to 1 hour (put a cup of water into the oven and moisten the top of the breads so a crust forms.)

 

Thank you!

[momto2Cs]

I recently overhauled my own diet, and that meant I ended up overhauling everyone's diet at home since I do the shopping, and the majority of the cooking.

 

We eat a lot of leafy greens. My kids drink raw, whole milk. We use good butter and good oils (usually olive) for cooking. We get pastured eggs from the same place as our milk. I started using recipes from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day (awesome book btw!). We buy grass fed beef, pork and chicken from the egg/milk lady, good wild fish, etc.

 

I've been experimenting with lighter dinners too. Lots of brothy soups, or salad meals, often with bread and real cheese (i.e. not the lowfat stuff or anything labeled "cheese food product").

 

I used to work in a grocery store, for years, and noticed a huge difference in what people bought depending on their cultural background. For example, and I do not mean this in any racist way, Mexican families buy a lot of chicken, beans, tomatoes, corn tortillas, onions, and peppers, while a lot of the "white" families I saw bought a lot more processed foods.

 

I think a main problem with the S.A.D. can be exemplified by my favorite personal horror story from grocery work: I heard a little girl ask her mom once for a bag of apples, and the mom actually said "No. I'm already buying you cookies."

[Laura Corin]

I get the crockpot or alternate arrangements if one knows ahead of time one is not going to have time to cook.

 

 

Plain omelette (olive oil) with toast and veggies (frozen if nothing fresh available)

Pasta with tomato sauce (from a jar, but just containing tomato, onion, garlic and herbs) and a veggie

Home made puttanesca sauce (all ingredients always available, easy to assemble) with pasta and a veggie

Fish sticks (uncoloured, no saturated fat), frozen corn and a veggie

 

All the above with whatever fruit we have on hand.

 

What I first noticed about American cooking was portion size, large amount of meat, small amount of veg and reliance on packages. The British diet is nothing to write home about though... Standard American supermarkets have a much narrower range of produce (apples often = red or green in the ones I've visited) than in comparable UK ones.

 

Laura

[msjones]

I get the crockpot or alternate arrangements if one knows ahead of time one is not going to have time to cook.

 

What I'm wondering about is the unplanned too overwhelmed to cook evenings. For instance yesterday when my arm was so bad. I had planned savory meat and winter veggie pie for dinner but ended up at a restaurant having breakfast for dinner. I couldn't prepare a meal and dh didn't want to.

 

I like the brown bread with cheese and veggie idea. I just wonder about having fresh homemade bread available on short notice.

 

We keep tortillas in the fridge, so on a desperate night, we'll have bean/cheese/jalapeno quesadillas. I also keep cooked brown rice in the fridge so we can make burritos or just beans and rice. My family likes brown rice (cooked with half water and half chicken broth) with canned beans (black or pinto) and salsa topped with a little cheese. I sometimes add steamed broccoli or carrots. Very little cooking for that -- just microwaving.

[Jenny in Florida]

I've seen this phrase a couple of times this morning and am now wondering exactly what it means. Do you think it is portion size (super-size me mentality)? Or all the processed foods we see in the market? Or fast food? Or a combination of things?

 

I think of those things, meals based primarily on large slabs of animal protein with few or no fresh produce and a dearth of complex carbs with lots of fat and sugar and salt.

 

And if you don't do the typical American diet, what do you do on those evenings were a home cooked meal is just one more thing on an already over full agenda? Around here our choice is fast food, fried food or pizza.

 

We eat a German style dinner: bread (ideally a whole grain dark rye bread like at home), cheese, raw veggies/salad.

 

We do similar meals. Last night, for example, we had baked potatoes with toppings of choice alongside bowls of cherry tomatoes, red grapes, strawberries, olives and carrot sticks. Because I had some left over from another meal, I also put out some home-made rolls.

 

I always keep black beans and refried beans in the freezer, which can be the basis of a quick meal.

 

I can also usually toss together a quick meal of pasta and a salad. It doesn't take any longer to put that one the table than to go out and buy a pizza or wait for one to be delivered.

[Jenny in Florida]

I think you can make tacos AND pizza in a healthy way.

 

Tacos in my family include:

- Seasoned black beans

- Lettuce

- Tomatoes

- Fresh cilantro

- Corn niblets

- Diced onion

 

Pizza is:

- Home-made dough stretched thin and baked until crispy

- Home-made marinara sauce

- Fresh tomatoes

- Sauteed bell peppers and onions

- Whatever other toppings people fell like adding

 

We pretty much always eat salad with pizza, too.

 

So, sure, it's entirely possible to make much healthier versions of those items.

[Jenny in Florida]

I would love to do this-it would make life so much easier for us, but I have to ask, what about your Dh? Does he eat a large afternoon meal?

 

I know this wasn't addressed to me, but we often do similar meals.

 

Sometimes, my husband eats lunch at work. Sometimes, he's too busy. A nice bread alongside fresh veggies, especially if I put out little bowls of olive oil for dipping the bread, is one of his favorite meals.

[Parrothead]

Plain omelette (olive oil) with toast and veggies (frozen if nothing fresh available)

Pasta with tomato sauce (from a jar, but just containing tomato, onion, garlic and herbs) and a veggie

Home made puttanesca sauce (all ingredients always available, easy to assemble) with pasta and a veggie

Fish sticks (uncoloured, no saturated fat), frozen corn and a veggie

 

All the above with whatever fruit we have on hand.

 

What I first noticed about American cooking was portion size, large amount of meat, small amount of veg and reliance on packages. The British diet is nothing to write home about though... Standard American supermarkets have a much narrower range of produce (apples often = red or green in the ones I've visited) than in comparable UK ones.

 

Laura

Okay, what color are apples other than red or green? I know they can be yellow. Any other colors?