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Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 10:52 am
by Mr Gus


No trade deal thankyou very much!

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:14 am
by Stinsy
I traveled to the US frequently from 90s-2010. Both for holidays and for work. The food was always fantastic. A friend went earlier this year and reported back a huge downturn. His (four star) hotel breakfast consisted mainly of multi-coloured cereal, he chose scrambled eggs-on-toast and was provided with inedible rubbery eggs swimming in fat upon what could only be described as "cake" served on a paper plate...

Something has gone very wrong with food in America, and as with many such things we're not far behind. I eat mainly meat, eggs and dairy that I try very hard to buy direct form the farmer. Food miles are kept as short as I can reasonably achieve and I avoid processed/packaged foods as far as possible.

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:19 am
by Windbag
Something has gone very wrong with food in America, and as with many such things we're not far behind. I eat mainly meat, eggs and dairy that I try very hard to buy direct form the farmer. Food miles are kept as short as I can reasonably achieve and I avoid processed/packaged foods as far as possible.
Quite agree. We eat as naturally as possible, I fry in fat. Waste little. And make our own. But it does make eating out really difficult....

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:54 am
by Bugtownboy
We follow a similar strategy to others - since we’ve gone more plant based, try and grow as much as poss.

Do find when we eat out or go on holiday, our digestive system protests a bit.

Gut health is so important to overall physical and mental health. Putting crap into your guts is asking for short and long term health problems.

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 12:21 pm
by Stinsy
Bugtownboy wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 11:54 am We follow a similar strategy to others - since we’ve gone more plant based, try and grow as much as poss.

Do find when we eat out or go on holiday, our digestive system protests a bit.

Gut health is so important to overall physical and mental health. Putting crap into your guts is asking for short and long term health problems.

I think that eating less meat is only a good idea if you replace the meat with locally sourced, vegetables (obviously home-grown is best of all). I've known people swap meat for processed/packaged foods and suffer poor health as a result. A low-meat or meat-free diet isn't "healthy" by default.

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 12:33 pm
by Mr Gus
Point being if lower quality welfare standards eu regs rejected it then it's got to be bad.

If you watch this episode, find "perdue" within the programme then put another 2+2 together as to vested interests.

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 3:30 pm
by Windbag
I don't even think less meat less is a good idea.. Better meat & good fats.

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 5:22 pm
by Stinsy
Windbag wrote: Mon Apr 10, 2023 3:30 pm I don't even think less meat less is a good idea.. Better meat & good fats.
+1 (although I respect those on here who eat less or no meat).

Vegetable oil in particular is horrible for health. Cutting out vegetable oil completely and swapping to butter/drippin gives noticeable health improvements in a few weeks.

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 5:28 pm
by Windbag
Sorry. Missed that. I also respect anyone's individual choices.

Re: Despatches "Dirty secrets of american food"

Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2023 7:32 pm
by Mr Gus
I prefer eat less sh1te meats (geeral reduction) & eat better quality meats just less often, & fill the gaps with a tonne more veggies & veg alternates (the beyond burger is our beef mainstay nowadays, need to find a decent chicken & pork alternative)

Morrisons used to do a damn tasty paneer veggie curry (not seen since covid) that stuff really helped me not miss a meat based curry ..having about 7 layers of flavour really helped, the containers from which I'm still using for cooked stuff storage

Oils, put wife off cheap oil processing by showing her a video or two of the many fold bleaching so now it's hopefully better quality sunflower oil, olive oil & butter whilst she does have some lab sludge (margarine) it's infrequent.

She watched the Despatches after we were shopping the other day, a conversation with animal husbandry examples led me to track down the "fattening" ranch pens for US "approved" beef ...shocked & that's doubtless another way she'll approach meat & tweak her shopping approach.

I'm more than a bit miffed that mackerel is back on the unsustainable list, I gave up tuna for that 20+ years ago for coastal mackerel where possible (canned is a different result altogether) ..food choices, how different life would be to be as blind as many consumers seem to be.