3 ms·
Everyone talks about sugar. But the real problem is food culture (or the lack of). American, and now many European diets now consist of either fast food, oven-r
by collaborative 5y ago
Everyone talks about sugar. But the real problem is food culture (or the lack of). American, and now many European diets now consist of either fast food, oven-ready food or fried food. I recently went shopping and had a look at the "healthy" aisle. I could only find supposedly healthy food consisting of extremely savory dishes -carbonara, paella, etc. This is no way to eat healthy
In many western countries, no one is willing to eat a plate of barely seasoned boiled potatoes, or of barely seasoned pulses, etc
Everything is meaty, savory, rich.
Edit: I see I caused a reaction. I will explain. We are training our taste, and our children's tastes, to expect an explosion of flavor in every bite. This is not healthy. It promotes ordering take-out food, buying ready-meals, etc. Food doesn't need to be complex. We have fallen to "recipe book" diets. For example, I am mediterranean. When I read mediterranean recipe books, I see the same meals we eat, but turbo-charged with flavor. You can see the same thing in Chinese take-outs, where you will rarely see the owner eat the loaded meals he sells. He'll sautee some bean sprouts and mix them with boiled rice
Our stomachs aren't nuclear reactors, but in the western world, they are trained to be
Recipe book meals are ok to eat twice a week. The rest of the week should include steamed veggies with olive oil and salt, boiled apple puree, lentil soup, chick peas with carrots, mash with cabbage and til, leek and potato cream, etc
- Arrath 5y agoHonest question, why the push for 'barely seasoned'? What are the dietary implications of a dash of pepper, paprika, garlic powder, turmeric, garam masala etc. if the salt and sugar is kept in check?
- Jtsummers 5y agoI think it's because people don't know how to cook. Seriously, adding those spices in has essentially no caloric effect on the meal (especially because many spices are strong enough you don't need to add a lot to have a massive effect on the flavor). The result, though, is that you can cook "the same thing" every day, but vary the spices and never get bored with chicken and vegetables or whatever it is you settle on.
- 00deadbeef 5y agoMeaty savoury dishes can be healthy. I really don’t understand what you think is wrong with them.
- sdrg822 5y agoSeasoning isn't the problem... Turmeric and cumin added to your pulses aren't going to give you metabolic diseases...
- nradov 5y agoThere is no reliable scientific evidence that diets high in meat increase the risk of diabetes. Rather the opposite. And there's certainly nothing wrong with seasoning. Healthy food doesn't need to be bland.
- wombatmobile 5y agoYou’re talking about processed food - anything that comes in a box, jar, or bottle. Those products all have brand names and each one has a product manager who wants to grow sales so they add sugar, salt, and fat to manipulate you into craving more. Healthy food is simple to understand - fresh vegetables, fresh fruits, nuts, grains, pulses, and meat. That’s it. It takes time to prepare and cook and the ingredients don’t stay fresh very long so you have to synchronise your shopping day by day. Who does that? Hardly any couples with kids and a full work schedule, particularly those working three minimum wages jobs. They buy convenience foods in boxes and jars from the supermarket, or fast foods from a drive through. Convenience ——> Diabetes
- collaborative 5y agoSee the meals I added in the edit. They are very simple, almost require no daily shopping. The only thing they require is hours of cooking, so your point is very valid. It's not just about sugar. We need to learn to enjoy to be in the kitchen. I have been stirring this lentil soup base for the part 20 mins (1 hour to go). It will be tasty! And simple https://ibb.co/M5KVLTH https://ibb.co/M5KVLTH