French Diet

French Diet

~Blog post #4~

April 20, 2015

By: Jenny Doyle

In France, people are taught at a young age to appreciate fine foods. They take great pride in their nation’s culinary reputation. They eat three meals a day with one snack at around 4 PM for the children. Starting with breakfast, in France, they typically just have a small cup of coffee and possibly a croissant. That is why it is called a “petit dejeuner” which means “little breakfast” in French. Next, Lunch is traditionally the biggest meal of the day. When time allows, it can go on for many hours, and includes wine. Usually the meal consists of an appetizer, a cheese platter, a soup or salad, a meat or fish, and to finish off this large meal, a dessert. For dinner, they usually just have a small meal. Typically it has only a few things like a sandwich, or yogurt and fruit. 
           Portions in France are very different then portions in the United States. While in the US, we typically have 3 average meals with snacking in between, in France you would be accustomed to having one extra large meal in the afternoon, and two small meals to start and end your day. Secondly, France eats much less processed food. While we will just stop on the way home from school or work and grab McDonalds, they have fresh cooked meals every day, and make sure to have a balanced breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Overall, in my opinion, France is much healthier than the United States. Not only do they eat just the right portions, but they eat fresh food, and they make sure to have a little bit of everything. It even tastes good!

"Eating Habits of Americans vs. French People and Europeans." Renegade Health. N.p., 11 July 2013. Web. 23 Apr. 2015.

Spanish Health

Spanish Health

Blog Post #4

April 20, 2015

Gracie Schofield

                The Spanish food pyramid is similar to ours, but yet it has some differences. The very main difference is that Spain has pastas, breads, and carbohydrates at the bottom of their chart. We have greens, vegetables and fruits at the bottom of our food chart. However, in Spain you don’t have as much processed and fast food restaurants. Everything you eat is commonly known for being fresh. Here in America, people can go out to eat for all three meals in one day. In Spain, that is almost never heard of. They have fresh fish, meats, vegetables, fruits, dairy, etc. at almost every single meal. They are known for the freshness of their food and the flavor filled way that they create their dishes.

 

                In America, foods are loaded with grease, fats, carbohydrates, sugars, salts, etc. It is so easy to get lost in what you are eating forget about the facts behind it. In Spain, they try to make it a well known practice to get the flavor for their meals and dishes from fresh foods. Spain is known for being much healthier as a whole than America.

In the book, Like Water For Chocolate, every chapter shows a new recipe. It constantly shows what the women of the kitchen have to go through to make sure that their meals are as fresh as they can be. I think that the characters in the book, mainly Nacha and Tita, reiterated the fact that Spanish food is as fresh as it can be.

Below are some examples of their everyday meals that are made fresh…

          

 

 

 

Grilled Tomato Gazpacho

Baked Cod with Chorizo & White Beans

Pinto Bean & Andouille Sausage Stew

 

http://www.eufic.org/article/en/expid/food-based-dietary-guidelines-in-europe/

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/collections/healthy_spanish_recipes

Healthy Hawaiians

Jack Brennan

Healthy Hawaiians

     Hawaiian food is actually very healthy in it's own regards. Especially compared to the food most of America eats. One reason is because of how isolated it is, and also because of the many natural resources they have to eat: fish, pineapples, coconuts, etc. Hawaiians traditionally consume a lot fish and pineapple and coconut. These foods are all relatively healthy and good for you. Fish are very good for your heart, and are all natural obviously. Pineapples are a great source of vitamin C which is good when you live in Hawaii because you are always in the sun. Coconuts are even used in medicine and other healthy alterations like: coconut water and coconut oil. These Hawaiians aren't perfect when it comes to food though, but they aren't necessarily to blame. Hawaiians are big into spam because they don't have a ton of livestock on the island and the Europeans really got them into the consumption of spam (classic Westerners). One serving of spam contains a fourth of the daily fats that you are supposed to eat and over a third of the trans fats. A lot of Americans are starting to catch on with the Hawaiians when it comes to Coconuts. Coconut water and oil is becoming increasingly more popular both for its sweet taste and for its nutritional benefits. Between the great food and the fact that they don't live in Illinois weather its no wonder these people live such happy, long lives.

A British Diet

A British Diet

Blog Post #4

April 19, 2015

Ben Bruskin

With great food sometimes comes great sickliness. This is sometimes true for British Food. Like American food, British food is filled with unhealthy goodness. A woman in the UK, who ate quite a healthy diet switched to the typical diet of a British woman for one week and gained five pounds extra weight during that week. The British diet is filled with hearty comfort foods which might in the long run make you a bit uncomfortable. The point with eating unhealthy foods though is to eat them in moderation, after why over eat them? You'll be too used to all the unhealthy food and won't find it good anymore! Some of the best but most unhealthy British dishes include Fish and Chips, Pigs in blankets, and Toad in the Hole. All of these foods either involve something fried, or something with sausage--or both! They are so good though, especially Fish and Chips which I could eat all day. There is nothing like fried cod and french fries with some malt vinegar to wash them down. The United Kingdom has obviously seen a shift in diet in the past couple of years as I think the rest of the modern world has. People are concerned about their health both around the world and in the UK. Something interesting to touch on that is a very important part of the UK diet is the pub culture in the UK. Beer has been a staple of the British diet for hundreds of years ever since before people knew how to make clean drinking water. Before people knew how to make clean water, beer was the main drink for Britons. Beer was considered clean and healthy to drink. Obviously we know now that water is much more healthy than beer but people in the UK still love their beer. The UK has a very lenient drinking policy compared to the US and even to other European countries. In United Kingdom, you can drink at five years old at home with your parents and a meal, beer or wine. At age 16 you can consume beer, wine or cider on a licensed premise with a meal and then at 18 you have full drinking freedom. Beer has become a important part to British culture thanks in part to this lax drinking law. One day I was walking around London at 10am and saw passed a cafe with people sitting outside drinking their beer-- warm! Having beer at that early hour and warm is totally normal in the UK. Most people in the UK have Pub that they go to every Sunday to have a meal and a pint. These pubs become like second homes for the patrons of them. Everyone knows everyone and everyone has a nice Sunday afternoon. All this beer has obviously lead to a higher tolerance for most people in the UK, but also health problems for some. Beer is high in calorie, so people must watch what they drink and again make sure to do everything in moderation. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2395430/Amanda-Hamilton-How-eating-average-British-womans-diet-1-week-ruined-figure.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legal_drinking_age

A typical Briton drinking beer at a pub. 

Toad in the hole-- this is Harry Style's favorite dish. 

My favorite Fish and Chips with mushy peas!

Pigs in a Blanket. 

This pub is in a very cool part of London called Shepard's Corner. It is a hidden corner in London with cobblestone streets. Very 18th century English. When I went, I felt like I had stepped back in time.