They eat at home?
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My biggest surprise in visiting Europe
- Thread starter The Lamp
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They eat at home?
Are you serious?
I mean I'm kind of jealous at how leisurely French people get to live their lives in general, but in the U.S. all bets are off in terms of regularity. Your work shift might be during lunch. Your job might have a meeting that interrupts lunch. Your classes might be from 8-5 pm on Tuesday and Thursday. You might have been trapped on a plane for 6 hours that didn't serve food or food you could enjoy. There are plenty of reasons to try to find somewhere to eat at any hour.
PdotMichael
Banned
Looking how related obesity is to income, education etc.. Sure, there are places in the USA which even have a lower obesity rate than places in Europe.
But the obesity rate is higher tjrough all social classes with comperable factors in the USA compared to their European counterparts.
I'd rather dump croutons in my coffee than taint it with sugar cubes
Of course germans user Biergartens, especially in Bavaria. Also: the Döner you get in Germany is german food. Turkish immigrants developed it here in Germany from the original Döner. It's the best meal on the planet. That's a fact.
I see. That might be true.
Ha! UKGaf here and this is a funny thread. Such cliche 'Ignorant American' generalisation.
For one, as already noted multiple times, hotel/hostel food catering to tourists is hardly indicative of the eating habits of the local populatation.
Two, portion sizes. I've travelled in America, it was awesome and I loved it, but the portion sizes were way above sensible. Portion sizes in Europe are a lot more appropriate. I bought some fudge in Texas and the girl have me a 2lb box of the stuff, it lasted like 2 weeks. Our culture is less based on car worship, we move around under our own steam more. From my time in America, it was often painfully clear that I wasn't meant to walk very much, the intent appeared to be I drive everywhere, even between adjacent retail places where no option existed to easily skip between the two. Very odd.
Three, yep free tap water. Just ask. Not iced water, not bottled water, tap. Free! Whilst we're making sweeping generalisations I expect you got 'touristed' as you swaggered in wearing your khakis and fanny pack asking to use the restroom.
For one, as already noted multiple times, hotel/hostel food catering to tourists is hardly indicative of the eating habits of the local populatation.
Two, portion sizes. I've travelled in America, it was awesome and I loved it, but the portion sizes were way above sensible. Portion sizes in Europe are a lot more appropriate. I bought some fudge in Texas and the girl have me a 2lb box of the stuff, it lasted like 2 weeks. Our culture is less based on car worship, we move around under our own steam more. From my time in America, it was often painfully clear that I wasn't meant to walk very much, the intent appeared to be I drive everywhere, even between adjacent retail places where no option existed to easily skip between the two. Very odd.
Three, yep free tap water. Just ask. Not iced water, not bottled water, tap. Free! Whilst we're making sweeping generalisations I expect you got 'touristed' as you swaggered in wearing your khakis and fanny pack asking to use the restroom.
It probably stem from the work culture in America which is really alien to me. Reading most of Gaf I feel like they are expected to literally die just to work a bit more.
Gurgelhals
Member
So much this. I mean, I actually like the idea that you get free tap water in American restaurants without having to ask, but what's the point if you cannot drink that shit because of that disgusting chlorine? Ugh...
And then, of course, I can't bring myself to order unchlorinated bottled water in these situations, because I don't want to come across as a snob, lol.
Yeah, this is very true too. I'd say the average European diet is better than the average North American diet.
Do you think Germans are each and every day at a biergarten? That's like saying every American eats at McDonald's 7 times a week.
Yes, also.
Americans don't? I won't deny that there is a lot of smoking going on, but I don't believe america is free of that. I've seen an episode of Mad Men.
Did he say that? People don't usually go into a restaurant every day. People usually eat at home. In Germany at least.
They don't have kioks? This is terrible.
It's like you're literally telling me what I pointed out in my first post. I'm really not seeing your point.
The water thing has to vary by country because in Prague, bartenders got fucking angry at me when I asked for tap water, and at restaurants they refused every time.
In Germany, I couldn't get tap water. Either they played dumb when I said I didn't want mineral water or they just didn't want to serve it.
Finally in Spain I got free water, and some places in France.
Just keep this in mind:
And 'carbs make you fat' is a goddamn lie. The real thing is not WHAT you're eating, is HOW MUCH you're eating.
Italy and our pasta\pizza\pane(bread) obsession while being the second lowest obesity nation in the EU kind of proves it.
And 'carbs make you fat' is a goddamn lie. The real thing is not WHAT you're eating, is HOW MUCH you're eating.
Italy and our pasta\pizza\pane(bread) obsession while being the second lowest obesity nation in the EU kind of proves it.
What an intelligent and observant traveller you are.
The not getting free / tap water is a thing though in Germany, I must admit and I hate it too after having spent some time in Asia.
The not getting free / tap water is a thing though in Germany, I must admit and I hate it too after having spent some time in Asia.
What? "Europeans"? Why did you even travel?
Well youre basically going into a restaurant and are ordering toilet water.
Faynwulf
Member
So? They also speak German in Austria and Switzerland. That doesn't make them German.
A Biergarten is not a "German" restaurant. Because there is not one big German Style. People eat different in every Bundesland. If anything a Biergarten is Bavarian. It is a place to get drunk, obviously you will only get fat foods there.
Where I live this is a traditional Breakfast:
The difference in quantity of Americans smoking and Europeans smoking is like night and day. And some European countries still have lax or no laws on public smoking, like Czech. In Czech like every third person in every restaurant, bar, club, street and shop smoked. I know very few people in my circle in America who even smoke. Most people I meet here do.
You know it's cultural when people actually bring friends ash tray souvenirs back from cities they visit. I had never heard of that until I got here. You just don't do that in America.
When I visited Paris, I saw a lot of remarkable little delis in their metro stations selling sandwiches and baked goods. God, those were everywhere and all looked and smelled amazing. There were also fruit vendors as well.
In contrast, this is what we have in New York.
In contrast, this is what we have in New York.
Candy. Sugary drinks, And newspapers.
PdotMichael
Banned
Pretty sure, your point was that if you exclude the fat hot spots in the USA you would get a comperable obesity rate to Europe.
Which is well not true, if even the highest income and best educated groups in the USA have a higher obesity rate than in Europe.
Just keep this in mind:
And 'carbs make you fat' is a goddamn lie. The real thing is not WHAT you're eating, is HOW MUCH you're eating.
Italy and our pastapizzapane(bread) obsession while being the second lowest obesity nation in the EU kind of proves it.
Actually it's more like the type of carbs you're eating. Your food has almost no simple or refined carbs like fructose. American bread and pasta is chock full of it.
There's a lot of fat fuckas in the UK to be fair. I live in Loughborough, which is full of Uni jicks, and still they're all on fat scooters here.
In France we'd say England is chubby though, not fat!
PdotMichael
Banned
Actually it's just calories.
family_guy
Member
I love Dutch pancakes. I'd move to Amsterdam in a heartbeat.
Wait....wherever I go I always get water o drink. Nothing else. They won't let you do this in places in Europe?
SomedayTheFire
Member
Never been refused free water in a European restaurant. Only place I have been is Orlando, which fair enough tourist trap and not exactly speaking for all of America.
Actually its not.
Your body will handle the calories from fructose differently than it will from fat or protein, and your body will utilize the calories from simple carbs at a different rate than the calories from complex carbs.
I do love American food though, they really know how to do junk food. I had a 1/3 pounder in McDonalds, who knew such a thing existed! Massive and lovely. But after 3 weeks, even I was craving something salady.
Also, anecdotal, but I bought a shiny red Apple at JFK for the trip, forgot to eat it and found it in my bag a week later. It sat on my desk at work for over 2 months before even vaguely starting to go rotten. No word of a lie, terrifying.
Also, anecdotal, but I bought a shiny red Apple at JFK for the trip, forgot to eat it and found it in my bag a week later. It sat on my desk at work for over 2 months before even vaguely starting to go rotten. No word of a lie, terrifying.
But why go to a restaurant? When i'm working late(which i often do) i go home and cook me some food or i'm too lazy and just eat something fast like bread or something. Going to eat at a restaurant or some other place every other day would destroy my bank account.
Good point. I wish the subway had fresh baked goods here :[
don't mess with Europe-GAF
Also it's freaking time consuming.
SomedayTheFire
Member
Just to clear something up for me op, by restaurant do you mean an actual restaurant where you sit down, get served by a waiter etc. Or a small one where you go in order and pre pay at a register?
Darren870
Member
It's because America has an always on attitude. Always working, always busy, always doing something. Where the rest of the world is more relaxed.
Same reason you get 10 vacation days in the US, while the rest of the world gets 20+.
The difference is, after eating all that shit, the European walks and expends energy. I have friends in America who will literally drive to the convenience store at the end of their block 
Japan has a lot of shit too, surprisingly, but I ate like a champ. You're always walking station to station and up and down so many stairs that everything seems to balance out.
Japan has a lot of shit too, surprisingly, but I ate like a champ. You're always walking station to station and up and down so many stairs that everything seems to balance out.
I know. I hate that part of our culture. My friend has been working 80 hours a week all year and is finally getting a 10 day vacation with me next month
Europeans just like the fact they can drink, smoke, and eat as much as they want and stay skinny.
Sure I'm generalizing a bit
, but I know EuroGAF can handle it. I have to put up with a lot of generalizations for being a Texan.Ab-so-fucking-lutely boss!!!!
SomedayTheFire
Member
That terrifies me, ex co worker moved to America and had to fight to get 14 days holiday, while we all get 25.
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