6 ms·

> Further, many Americans are 1-2 generations removed from "the farm" and are still heavily influenced by habits like "three square meals per day" that made gre

> Further, many Americans are 1-2 generations removed from "the farm" and are still heavily influenced by habits like "three square meals per day" that made great sense on the farm and make no sense at all in the city. Meh, Americans snack all the time. French people are anal about their meal structures and times and we’re not fat.

llsf 6y ago
I concur. I am French living in US. And I do not snack at all. I only have 3 meals a day. And I try hard to get a lighter dinner (dinners here are generally too big for me). I don't like to go to parties with an empty stomach, because of the poor choice of food there (chips, salsa, cake, cookies, etc.). If I go with an empty stomach, I know I would not resist, and I would feel sick and bloated later, high on sugar & salt, and dehydrated with alcohol. Just don't snack.
- keithnz 6y ago
  portion size is generally way way way too big in the US. I always put on weight when I visit the US.
- heyoni 6y ago
  One time I went to a restaurant in upstate New York and I swear to god, I ordered the chicken and an entire roasted chicken arrived on a plate! The mashed potatoes came in a second plate and I spent the first 15 minutes laughing at how ridiculous it all was. Oh, and my meal without drinks was like $16.
  - namdnay 6y ago
    I agree that portions are ridiculous, but do Keep in mind that in most lower-end restaurants the customer expectation is to have enough for a doggy bag
    - bambataa 6y ago
      Doesnt that just mean you are going to have two or three unhealthy meals instead of one?
nradov 6y ago
It's weird how HN commenters consider free office snacks as an employee "benefit" and complain when they're taken away. I'd rather the company not put any snacks out and remove the temptation. For most of us that work at computers all day we really don't need extra snacks.
- acct776 6y ago
  The bigger and unhealthier you are, the less motivated you may be to get up and leave your desk. Or...to quit and become a lumberjack, etc.

llsf 6y ago

I concur. I am French living in US. And I do not snack at all. I only have 3 meals a day. And I try hard to get a lighter dinner (dinners here are generally too big for me). I don't like to go to parties with an empty stomach, because of the poor choice of food there (chips, salsa, cake, cookies, etc.). If I go with an empty stomach, I know I would not resist, and I would feel sick and bloated later, high on sugar & salt, and dehydrated with alcohol. Just don't snack.

keithnz 6y ago
portion size is generally way way way too big in the US. I always put on weight when I visit the US.
heyoni 6y ago
One time I went to a restaurant in upstate New York and I swear to god, I ordered the chicken and an entire roasted chicken arrived on a plate! The mashed potatoes came in a second plate and I spent the first 15 minutes laughing at how ridiculous it all was. Oh, and my meal without drinks was like $16.
- namdnay 6y ago
  I agree that portions are ridiculous, but do Keep in mind that in most lower-end restaurants the customer expectation is to have enough for a doggy bag
  - bambataa 6y ago
    Doesnt that just mean you are going to have two or three unhealthy meals instead of one?

nradov 6y ago

It's weird how HN commenters consider free office snacks as an employee "benefit" and complain when they're taken away. I'd rather the company not put any snacks out and remove the temptation. For most of us that work at computers all day we really don't need extra snacks.

acct776 6y ago
The bigger and unhealthier you are, the less motivated you may be to get up and leave your desk. Or...to quit and become a lumberjack, etc.