5 ms·

> the typical western diet is universally bad As if there is a "western" diet. Even just remaining in Europe, the typical diet in Italy has nothing to do with

> the typical western diet is universally bad As if there is a "western" diet. Even just remaining in Europe, the typical diet in Italy has nothing to do with the typical diet in Germany. And while southern countries and northern countries tend to have more similar diets, even between them they have big differences. Same goes for "eastern diets". China and India, to pick just two, have completely different diets. Criticize overcompsuntion of low quality food all you want when it occurs, but I think that broad-stroke generalizations like "western diet bad" are not useful.

dagw 8y ago
typical diet in Italy has nothing to do with the typical diet in Germany. That's not really true. Both build a lot of their meals around a boiled starch, a grilled or fried protein and a vegetable dish, often prepared separately. It is not uncommon that this dish is primarily made up of raw vegetables. The starch and protein component almost always makes up the bulk of the meal. Both use a lot of dairy based sauces and/or a sauce made by thickening a meat stock (either pre-made or by de-glazing the pan they fired their protein in). Bread and other baked goods are a common component in many meals in both counties, often served with vegetable or dairy fat.
- leereeves 8y ago
  Is there any (national or regional) diet that isn't based around a starch, a protein, and vegetables, with the starch and protein making up the bulk of the meal?
  - keymone 8y ago
    Ketogenic?
    - deleted 8y ago
      [deleted]
    - anoncake 8y ago
      Is that a national or regional diet anywhere?
  - CamTin 8y ago
    The traditional Inuit diet is obviously much much lighter on starches and vegetables.
- rypskar 8y ago
  >>a grilled or fried protein I don't know where calling meat "protein" come from, but for me it seems so wrong. There are other sources of protein and more than protein in meat. So why not call meat for meat? I am almost sure you talk about meat, but could also be cheese or another natural protein source, since grilling or frying a protein shake will probably not be a great success.
  - allwein 8y ago
    They said protein because that would also include such things as tofu, fish, and eggs; none of which are commonly called "meat". You're being overly restrictive by trying to move to the term meat.
    - rypskar 8y ago
      ok, so a protein source, or a source of protein, would cover it. Might be me getting old, but the term "a protein" rubs me the wrong way
      - amanaplanacanal 8y ago
        It's just another example of an English word having multiple meanings. The listener (or reader) has to divine which one was intended by context. Much like the word "organic". Protein is used this way quite a bit when talking about diet.
lm28469 8y ago
Go anywhere in Europe or in the US, people eat basically the same things. Globalisation took care of it, there might be some local variants, especially in rural areas, but in big cities there is close to no differences between NY, SF, London, Paris, Athens and Berlin. At the end of the day >50% of people in Europe and in the US are overweight or obese. Every country adopting our diets are following the trend, have a look at Latin america and Maghreb. We can argue all day long about the details but it doesn't change the facts that we're fucking up in major ways. I'm not talking about traditional dishes that take 24 hours to prepare and that you eat once a month when you visit your grandma, I'm talking about what people actually put in their mouth days in days out, and it's frozen junk, fast food, over processed meat, excessive amount of carbs, etc ... Damn, my colleagues can't stop asking me why I eat "so healthy" but I just eat fresh food / things I cook myself. There are 300-400 people in my office, we're literally ~20 to do that. - http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/obesity/data-and-statistics http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-dis... - http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/11/alert-hunger-obesity-rise-latin-america-third-year-row/ http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/11/alert-hunger-obesity-rise-lat...

dagw 8y ago

typical diet in Italy has nothing to do with the typical diet in Germany. That's not really true. Both build a lot of their meals around a boiled starch, a grilled or fried protein and a vegetable dish, often prepared separately. It is not uncommon that this dish is primarily made up of raw vegetables. The starch and protein component almost always makes up the bulk of the meal. Both use a lot of dairy based sauces and/or a sauce made by thickening a meat stock (either pre-made or by de-glazing the pan they fired their protein in). Bread and other baked goods are a common component in many meals in both counties, often served with vegetable or dairy fat.

leereeves 8y ago
Is there any (national or regional) diet that isn't based around a starch, a protein, and vegetables, with the starch and protein making up the bulk of the meal?
- keymone 8y ago
  Ketogenic?
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - anoncake 8y ago
    Is that a national or regional diet anywhere?
- CamTin 8y ago
  The traditional Inuit diet is obviously much much lighter on starches and vegetables.
rypskar 8y ago
>>a grilled or fried protein I don't know where calling meat "protein" come from, but for me it seems so wrong. There are other sources of protein and more than protein in meat. So why not call meat for meat? I am almost sure you talk about meat, but could also be cheese or another natural protein source, since grilling or frying a protein shake will probably not be a great success.
- allwein 8y ago
  They said protein because that would also include such things as tofu, fish, and eggs; none of which are commonly called "meat". You're being overly restrictive by trying to move to the term meat.
  - rypskar 8y ago
    ok, so a protein source, or a source of protein, would cover it. Might be me getting old, but the term "a protein" rubs me the wrong way
    - amanaplanacanal 8y ago
      It's just another example of an English word having multiple meanings. The listener (or reader) has to divine which one was intended by context. Much like the word "organic". Protein is used this way quite a bit when talking about diet.

lm28469 8y ago

Go anywhere in Europe or in the US, people eat basically the same things. Globalisation took care of it, there might be some local variants, especially in rural areas, but in big cities there is close to no differences between NY, SF, London, Paris, Athens and Berlin. At the end of the day >50% of people in Europe and in the US are overweight or obese. Every country adopting our diets are following the trend, have a look at Latin america and Maghreb. We can argue all day long about the details but it doesn't change the facts that we're fucking up in major ways. I'm not talking about traditional dishes that take 24 hours to prepare and that you eat once a month when you visit your grandma, I'm talking about what people actually put in their mouth days in days out, and it's frozen junk, fast food, over processed meat, excessive amount of carbs, etc ... Damn, my colleagues can't stop asking me why I eat "so healthy" but I just eat fresh food / things I cook myself. There are 300-400 people in my office, we're literally ~20 to do that. - http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-diseases/obesity/data-and-statistics http://www.euro.who.int/en/health-topics/noncommunicable-dis... - http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/11/alert-hunger-obesity-rise-latin-america-third-year-row/ http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/11/alert-hunger-obesity-rise-lat...