If certain DCUMers are right about European vs US food…

[Anonymous]

Eating clean requires a lot of vigilance. Most people aren't mindful about what goes into their bodies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I struggle to understand this too, as a European who now lives here. I think it is down to American tastes, which aren’t the same as mine (I love cake but my recipes have literally half the sugar of an American one) and the increasing obesity in Europe is due to importing of more American foods which is changing the taste there.

This. It’s the added sugar. The food companies have figured out how to make their foods more addictive and don’t care about the consequences to people’s health. It’s capitalism. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy foods with added sugar or flavorings.

Too late. People know how much sugar is in stuff. It is right on the label. But they don’t care because they like it and will buy it anyway. Just look at hot cocoa bombs that are super popular right now. They have about 45-50 grams of sugar in them (just for the bomb, not the milk). But people LOVE them. I saw a lady at Trader Joe’s quite literally put 20 in her cart. Some Trader Joe’s have put signs out saying limit 5 per person. If you make your own hot cocoa it works out to be 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving or 15 grams. But people don’t want to do that

I don't think people do know how much sugar is in stuff. People don't read labels. People also underestimate how much sugar they eat in total, not least because they're not actively tracking their food intake.

In many cases it's hard to avoid sugar - for example, if you want to eat bread at all, good luck finding a brand that doesn't have sugar in it.

Bread has a comparatively small amount of sugar to other popular foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, juice).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I struggle to understand this too, as a European who now lives here. I think it is down to American tastes, which aren’t the same as mine (I love cake but my recipes have literally half the sugar of an American one) and the increasing obesity in Europe is due to importing of more American foods which is changing the taste there.

This. It’s the added sugar. The food companies have figured out how to make their foods more addictive and don’t care about the consequences to people’s health. It’s capitalism. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy foods with added sugar or flavorings.

Too late. People know how much sugar is in stuff. It is right on the label. But they don’t care because they like it and will buy it anyway. Just look at hot cocoa bombs that are super popular right now. They have about 45-50 grams of sugar in them (just for the bomb, not the milk). But people LOVE them. I saw a lady at Trader Joe’s quite literally put 20 in her cart. Some Trader Joe’s have put signs out saying limit 5 per person. If you make your own hot cocoa it works out to be 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving or 15 grams. But people don’t want to do that

I don't think people do know how much sugar is in stuff. People don't read labels. People also underestimate how much sugar they eat in total, not least because they're not actively tracking their food intake.

In many cases it's hard to avoid sugar - for example, if you want to eat bread at all, good luck finding a brand that doesn't have sugar in it.

Bread has a comparatively small amount of sugar to other popular foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, juice).

+1. Not to mention bread has never been the problem. Other countries have a cult of bread and eat it like 3 times a day and yet, people are skinnier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in my late 30s and have lived in Europe for about two years. I am hypothyroidism and have always struggled with my weight as a result. Here I have lost weight. I think food is far less preserved and much less sugar is added. I will say I can eat pastries, bread, pasta and desserts here much easier with feeling sick or noticing tighter jeans. I pretty much avoided these foods in the US.

I spent six weeks in the US over the summer and had diarrhea often. Sometimes like almost instantly after eating. It was worse when eating restaurant food. My husband who is thin and has no health issues has similar issues. There must be something in the food that destroys the gut, especially for those that aren’t used to it.

The other thing no one has mentioned is now lunch is usually the main meal of the day. Not in places like the UK but in Spain, France, Italy etc. I really think eating the majority of calories midday makes a difference.

Lastly I think Americans suffer more. People I know here have a much better relationship with food. They enjoy it and don’t seem to obsess or feel guilty. They eat bread and cheese and pasta but in smaller amounts too.

Eating the majority of food earlier in the day is usually considered healthier.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I struggle to understand this too, as a European who now lives here. I think it is down to American tastes, which aren’t the same as mine (I love cake but my recipes have literally half the sugar of an American one) and the increasing obesity in Europe is due to importing of more American foods which is changing the taste there.

This. It’s the added sugar. The food companies have figured out how to make their foods more addictive and don’t care about the consequences to people’s health. It’s capitalism. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy foods with added sugar or flavorings.

Too late. People know how much sugar is in stuff. It is right on the label. But they don’t care because they like it and will buy it anyway. Just look at hot cocoa bombs that are super popular right now. They have about 45-50 grams of sugar in them (just for the bomb, not the milk). But people LOVE them. I saw a lady at Trader Joe’s quite literally put 20 in her cart. Some Trader Joe’s have put signs out saying limit 5 per person. If you make your own hot cocoa it works out to be 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving or 15 grams. But people don’t want to do that

I don't think people do know how much sugar is in stuff. People don't read labels. People also underestimate how much sugar they eat in total, not least because they're not actively tracking their food intake.

In many cases it's hard to avoid sugar - for example, if you want to eat bread at all, good luck finding a brand that doesn't have sugar in it.

Bread has a comparatively small amount of sugar to other popular foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, juice).

Agree. Bread isn't the problem. And there are plenty of bread without any added sugar, but even the ones with sugar, it is a couple grams. It is the actually junk, snack foods, and portions that are the problem with American food. Not the "hidden" sugar, but the obvious sugar in plain sight plus constant snacks and super size everything. My kids school gives out Twix cereal bars and chocolate milk as the free breakfast options. They should be handing out white milk and apples

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Eating clean requires a lot of vigilance. Most people aren't mindful about what goes into their bodies.

There's no such thing as clean food and dirty food. This is just distorted pro-ana talk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m French. When we visit our families in Paris, we walk a lot more and don’t snack at all hours. The food is also less processed. So we eat less, and better.

Here, we’re running about, grabbing snacks anytime, and it’s harder to avoid crap food.

European here - agree with this. Also, American food (even the "heathy stuff") is so full of salt and sugar it messes with how we eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I struggle to understand this too, as a European who now lives here. I think it is down to American tastes, which aren’t the same as mine (I love cake but my recipes have literally half the sugar of an American one) and the increasing obesity in Europe is due to importing of more American foods which is changing the taste there.

This. It’s the added sugar. The food companies have figured out how to make their foods more addictive and don’t care about the consequences to people’s health. It’s capitalism. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy foods with added sugar or flavorings.

Too late. People know how much sugar is in stuff. It is right on the label. But they don’t care because they like it and will buy it anyway. Just look at hot cocoa bombs that are super popular right now. They have about 45-50 grams of sugar in them (just for the bomb, not the milk). But people LOVE them. I saw a lady at Trader Joe’s quite literally put 20 in her cart. Some Trader Joe’s have put signs out saying limit 5 per person. If you make your own hot cocoa it works out to be 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving or 15 grams. But people don’t want to do that

I don't think people do know how much sugar is in stuff. People don't read labels. People also underestimate how much sugar they eat in total, not least because they're not actively tracking their food intake.

In many cases it's hard to avoid sugar - for example, if you want to eat bread at all, good luck finding a brand that doesn't have sugar in it.

Bread has a comparatively small amount of sugar to other popular foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, juice).

+1. Not to mention bread has never been the problem. Other countries have a cult of bread and eat it like 3 times a day and yet, people are skinnier.

But bread in my home country tastes different than bread here. American bread reminds me of cake.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I struggle to understand this too, as a European who now lives here. I think it is down to American tastes, which aren’t the same as mine (I love cake but my recipes have literally half the sugar of an American one) and the increasing obesity in Europe is due to importing of more American foods which is changing the taste there.

This. It’s the added sugar. The food companies have figured out how to make their foods more addictive and don’t care about the consequences to people’s health. It’s capitalism. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy foods with added sugar or flavorings.

Too late. People know how much sugar is in stuff. It is right on the label. But they don’t care because they like it and will buy it anyway. Just look at hot cocoa bombs that are super popular right now. They have about 45-50 grams of sugar in them (just for the bomb, not the milk). But people LOVE them. I saw a lady at Trader Joe’s quite literally put 20 in her cart. Some Trader Joe’s have put signs out saying limit 5 per person. If you make your own hot cocoa it works out to be 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving or 15 grams. But people don’t want to do that

I don't think people do know how much sugar is in stuff. People don't read labels. People also underestimate how much sugar they eat in total, not least because they're not actively tracking their food intake.

In many cases it's hard to avoid sugar - for example, if you want to eat bread at all, good luck finding a brand that doesn't have sugar in it.

Bread has a comparatively small amount of sugar to other popular foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, juice).

+1. Not to mention bread has never been the problem. Other countries have a cult of bread and eat it like 3 times a day and yet, people are skinnier.

But bread in my home country tastes different than bread here. American bread reminds me of cake.

That's why they label it French bread or Italian bread to get you to think it's not cake

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I struggle to understand this too, as a European who now lives here. I think it is down to American tastes, which aren’t the same as mine (I love cake but my recipes have literally half the sugar of an American one) and the increasing obesity in Europe is due to importing of more American foods which is changing the taste there.

This. It’s the added sugar. The food companies have figured out how to make their foods more addictive and don’t care about the consequences to people’s health. It’s capitalism. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy foods with added sugar or flavorings.

Too late. People know how much sugar is in stuff. It is right on the label. But they don’t care because they like it and will buy it anyway. Just look at hot cocoa bombs that are super popular right now. They have about 45-50 grams of sugar in them (just for the bomb, not the milk). But people LOVE them. I saw a lady at Trader Joe’s quite literally put 20 in her cart. Some Trader Joe’s have put signs out saying limit 5 per person. If you make your own hot cocoa it works out to be 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving or 15 grams. But people don’t want to do that

I don't think people do know how much sugar is in stuff. People don't read labels. People also underestimate how much sugar they eat in total, not least because they're not actively tracking their food intake.

In many cases it's hard to avoid sugar - for example, if you want to eat bread at all, good luck finding a brand that doesn't have sugar in it.

Bread has a comparatively small amount of sugar to other popular foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, juice).

+1. Not to mention bread has never been the problem. Other countries have a cult of bread and eat it like 3 times a day and yet, people are skinnier.

But bread in my home country tastes different than bread here. American bread reminds me of cake.

Maybe if you buy generic grocery store bread. But there are so many bread options to pick from and good bakeries. It doesn’t need to be expensive either. I buy the Syrian pita bread from a middle eastern market and it is just whole wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and it is under $3 for 10 large pitas. There are so many options in America. Majority of people can eat very heathy if they wanted to- but they don’t

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I struggle to understand this too, as a European who now lives here. I think it is down to American tastes, which aren’t the same as mine (I love cake but my recipes have literally half the sugar of an American one) and the increasing obesity in Europe is due to importing of more American foods which is changing the taste there.

This. It’s the added sugar. The food companies have figured out how to make their foods more addictive and don’t care about the consequences to people’s health. It’s capitalism. Vote with your wallet and don’t buy foods with added sugar or flavorings.

Too late. People know how much sugar is in stuff. It is right on the label. But they don’t care because they like it and will buy it anyway. Just look at hot cocoa bombs that are super popular right now. They have about 45-50 grams of sugar in them (just for the bomb, not the milk). But people LOVE them. I saw a lady at Trader Joe’s quite literally put 20 in her cart. Some Trader Joe’s have put signs out saying limit 5 per person. If you make your own hot cocoa it works out to be 1 tablespoon of added sugar per serving or 15 grams. But people don’t want to do that

I don't think people do know how much sugar is in stuff. People don't read labels. People also underestimate how much sugar they eat in total, not least because they're not actively tracking their food intake.

In many cases it's hard to avoid sugar - for example, if you want to eat bread at all, good luck finding a brand that doesn't have sugar in it.

Bread has a comparatively small amount of sugar to other popular foods (breakfast cereals, snacks, juice).

+1. Not to mention bread has never been the problem. Other countries have a cult of bread and eat it like 3 times a day and yet, people are skinnier.

But bread in my home country tastes different than bread here. American bread reminds me of cake.

Maybe if you buy generic grocery store bread. But there are so many bread options to pick from and good bakeries. It doesn’t need to be expensive either. I buy the Syrian pita bread from a middle eastern market and it is just whole wheat flour, water, yeast, salt and it is under $3 for 10 large pitas. There are so many options in America. Majority of people can eat very heathy if they wanted to- but they don’t

Actually the bread it 1.75

[Anonymous]

I get our breads at Lidl. No sugar, exactly the same as the German versions in taste/texture. Of course, also like bread in Germany, you get 2 days max before a loaf isn’t good anymore, so I go almost every day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eating clean requires a lot of vigilance. Most people aren't mindful about what goes into their bodies.

There's no such thing as clean food and dirty food. This is just distorted pro-ana talk.

Eating clean as opposed to ultra processed food. What the heck is dirty food? You're weird for even thinking about pro'-ana talk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I get our breads at Lidl. No sugar, exactly the same as the German versions in taste/texture. Of course, also like bread in Germany, you get 2 days max before a loaf isn’t good anymore, so I go almost every day.

Those are awesome!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Eating clean requires a lot of vigilance. Most people aren't mindful about what goes into their bodies.

There's no such thing as clean food and dirty food. This is just distorted pro-ana talk.

Eating clean as opposed to ultra processed food. What the heck is dirty food? You're weird for even thinking about pro'-ana talk.

Sorry, PP is right.

You're referring to whole foods.