Food In America Vs. India

I've been here less than a month and judging by the way my pants fit, I've probably lost a good 10 pounds or so. Really I'm not eating less but I've started to realize some of the key differences between the two countries which might be contributing to my weight loss.

1)The Heat – While it's not particularly about the food per se, the heat in this country has a lot to do with the food combinations that go on in India. For example, onions apparently are good for you in the heat. You'll find onions in almost all of the food. Scary, I'm learning to eat them. Still can't consume onions by their lonesome but I can eat fresh onions mixed with other food. Not only that, the heat causes people to eat less and drink more. Water is everywhere. And although soft drinks are too, the variety is limited and the caloric value is actually less per serving than in the US. Go figure. People drink Coke for a special occasion, not 8 cans a day everyday (you know who you are).

2)Preservatives – Wow. I couldn't figure out why all packaged foods have expiration dates. ALL. Even dry soup packets, which would last an eternity in the US, have expiration dates. Then, I started looking at the ingredient list of the packages. Amazingly, I can pronounce every single ingredient in the package. No preservatives or weird chemical names. I'm willing to bet that the chemical makeup of the foods in the US is the reason why obesity is such a huge problem. I'm still eating. Since my Delhi Belly has corrected itself, I've been eating more. Yet, my pants are continually growing and my belt needs some new holes because it's getting too big.

3)Knowledge is Power – You won't find every other commercial on the TV some new drug promising to correct everything that's wrong with you at the expense of some new problem (side effects). At the same time, Diabetes is a problem in this country. And judging by the amount of road-side advertisements, sugar-free products, etc that this country has, it is either a very big problem, or this country is making sure that people are aware of the dangers of Diabetes. Not only that, it seems like India is going out of it's way to provide enough information so one doesn't have to rely on 10 different Diabetes drugs to live.

4)Dining Out – I'm not sure if it's because I'm trying to be health conscious or if the portions are really out of control, but one dish at a restaurant is about four servings. While I usually share orders with others or take 4 days to consume, I've also noticed others doing the same when out (i.e. sharing). I remember going to Goa Sizzlers (which is like a sizzler platter). For some reason, the four of us (Rahul, Sid, Shweta, and I) ordered our own platters while every other table only had one or two for the tables. We realized when the food came, that it was just way too much. We should have ordered two sizzlers for the four of us. Even then, there still would have been left-overs. What's even better, the only fast food in this country is KFC, McDonald's, and Subway. However, it's really not fast food. There's no drive-thru windows. You have to go in and order your food, sit down, and eat. Or order for delivery. I've yet to visit any of these establishments because we have them back home and I'd rather have good food. I guess I should try one some day just for more comparison. All restaurants I've visited use more fresh ingredients, less frozen reconstituted crap.

5)Fresh Foods – The chicken isn't force fed grain. The chicken eggs are amazing. Mutton, pork, sea food...they're all fresh(er) and less engineered. It's obvious when you taste the food. Produce is usually local too. It's like when you buy local fruits back home and bite into that crispy apple.

I really wish the US would take a cue from other countries and learn to rely less on the drug companies and more on the farming communities for food choices. I'm happy that there is a movement in the United States for co-op farming or farming markets but I wish that it was more main-stream and less expensive so those who have health concerns can enjoy eating right.