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[ssltech]

Jon Hodgson wrote

...many people think of McDonalds as something special, to aspire to when you're a bit flush.

Hmmmmm...

"Flush" and "McDonalds" in the same sentence.

Truly, food for thought!



(Wasn't it 'Jasper Carrott' who said "the first time I bought a Big Mac, I looked inside the carton it came in, and I thought:

"Hang on... Someone's eaten this BEFORE me!!!")

"Bog mac".

[bblackwood]

Jon Hodgson wrote on Fri, 19 March 2010 06:29

The sad thing for me is that in placs like Thailand, where you can get delicious healthy food really cheap all over the place, freshly cooked to order, many people think of McDonalds as something special, to aspire to when you're a bit flush.

Grass s greener and all that.

Fact is, we produce more than enough fresh, healthy food in the US that everyone here could cheaply eat it, but due to a variety of issues the price is kept artificially high. It's sad, really, but wealth certainly makes it easier to eat well nowadays in the US.

That being said, when I was younger (newly married) I couldn't afford much, but we found ways to eat healthy on a very limited budget. It can be done, but it takes a lot of diligence, where that really ought to be the easiest way to eat...

[Electric Warrior]

Jon Hodgson wrote on Fri, 19 March 2010 12:29

Electric Warrior wrote on Thu, 18 March 2010 14:11 It adds up to about 2600 kcal for me with breakfast, a large meal for lunch and a regular meal for dinner. 2200 if I have diet coke instead of regular. Less if I go for a salad instead of fries. If I remember correctly from the movie, portions in the US are larger, at least the sugar laden drinks are (their regular looked like a uk larage). Even thinking about three meals a day in McDonalds makes me nauseus, I've often wondered where they get the plastic cows their 100% beef patties seem to be made from.

True, I just looked it up. Large beverages here are 0,5l (17fl.oz.) as opposed to 0,95l (32fl.oz.) in the US. And we usually don't get free refills.

I guess freezing takes away much from the beef's flavour.

[Daniel Farris]

Electric Warrior wrote on Thu, 18 March 2010 14:11

I guess freezing takes away much from the beef's flavour.

That and the outrageous levels of homogenization.

I read somewhere that in a single burger, you could be eating beef from as many as a thousand cows.

DF

[grantis]

Daniel Farris wrote on Fri, 19 March 2010 10:52

Electric Warrior wrote on Thu, 18 March 2010 14:11 I guess freezing takes away much from the beef's flavour. That and the outrageous levels of homogenization. I read somewhere that in a single burger, you could be eating beef from as many as a thousand cows. DF

[grantis]

Electric Warrior wrote on Fri, 19 March 2010 07:49

Jon Hodgson wrote on Fri, 19 March 2010 12:29 Electric Warrior wrote on Thu, 18 March 2010 14:11 It adds up to about 2600 kcal for me with breakfast, a large meal for lunch and a regular meal for dinner. 2200 if I have diet coke instead of regular. Less if I go for a salad instead of fries. If I remember correctly from the movie, portions in the US are larger, at least the sugar laden drinks are (their regular looked like a uk larage). Even thinking about three meals a day in McDonalds makes me nauseus, I've often wondered where they get the plastic cows their 100% beef patties seem to be made from. True, I just looked it up. Large beverages here are 0,5l (17fl.oz.) as opposed to 0,95l (32fl.oz.) in the US. And we usually don't get free refills. I guess freezing takes away much from the beef's flavour.

That, IMO, is a HUGE contributor to American's obesity.  The sheer amount of sugar (or high fructose corn syrup) in a single can of coke is REPULSIVE.  If drink sizes were cut in half, and refills charged for, the "problem" would decrease at least a little bit.

It was mind blowing to see the (what seemed like) 20 jars of sugar that Morgan had eaten during his experiment laid out on the table at the end of the movie.  GROSS.

One of the most eye-opening parts of the movie is where they showed what several middle school students were eating for lunch, and what was available for purchase at their school.  Neither were, in the least, healthy.

[Daniel Farris]

http://www.boingboing.net/2010/03/17/happy-meal-is-ageles.ht ml

[grantis]

""If the microbes won't eat it, you probably shouldn't, either. Because they're not stupid.""

Haha!!!

[John Ivan]

Taproot wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 17:30

bblackwood wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:01 Electric Warrior wrote on Wed, 17 March 2010 08:39 I've seen it and I think it's a pretty stupid experiment. He ate way too much. 5000kcal a day is bad for you, yes.   I've never watched it based on this alone. News flash: overeating = bad for you. Shocking, I know. But Brad, that implies personal responsibility. Now THAT is shocking.

Yeah.. Right.. PLEASE!! Enough with the personal responsibility shit.. Republicans, the right, what ever you call yourselves these days have no special relationship with personal responsibility..


You really do sound like a 9 year old.. Are you "tough on terror" too?

Man, yikes.. Ouch.. Some things never change.. EVER!!

Puke

[bblackwood]

John Ivan wrote on Sat, 20 March 2010 11:31

Yeah.. Right.. PLEASE!! Enough with the personal responsibility shit.. Republicans, the right, what ever you call yourselves these days have no special relationship with personal responsibility.. You really do sound like a 9 year old.. Are you "tough on terror" too? Man, yikes.. Ouch.. Some things never change.. EVER!! Puke

Err, I'm def not a republican, but thanks anyway.

As for the rest, are you suggesting that what people choose to eat is not their own decision? That somehow people are being forced to eat McDonalds, for example?

If you choose to not take responsibility for your own decisions, that's fine, but don't insult those who choose to live with the repercussions of their decisions - personal responsibility.

[John Ivan]

bblackwood wrote on Sat, 20 March 2010 12:49

John Ivan wrote on Sat, 20 March 2010 11:31 Yeah.. Right.. PLEASE!! Enough with the personal responsibility shit.. Republicans, the right, what ever you call yourselves these days have no special relationship with personal responsibility.. You really do sound like a 9 year old.. Are you "tough on terror" too? Man, yikes.. Ouch.. Some things never change.. EVER!! Puke Err, I'm def not a republican, but thanks anyway. As for the rest, are you suggesting that what people choose to eat is not their own decision? That somehow people are being forced to eat McDonalds, for example? If you choose to not take responsibility for your own decisions, that's fine, but don't insult those who choose to live with the repercussions of their decisions - personal responsibility.

HA!!@#$% I was actually replying to Taproot, remembering the old days... What I think means nothing.. Really..

Ivan............

[stevieeastend]

bblackwood wrote on Fri, 19 March 2010 13:48

but we found ways to eat healthy on a very limited budget. It can be done, but it takes a lot of diligence, where that really ought to be the easiest way to eat...

That´s unbelievable, really, exactly my thoughts after every time being in the U.S..

I love the U.S. and New York, will be there in july for half a year again but getting my hands on good food has always been a problem for me there.  

[John Ivan]

In all seriousness though, what I think about it is a lot like what Brad thinks.. We eat GREAT food around here, and it's not to bad cost wise.. The food co-op here rocks my world..

Also, I'll ad that the film in question is really worth watching. The point he makes is that we can eat great food instead..

It's interesting to note that many people are in bad geographical locations in the cities especially, and they have a damn Mc, or B-king next to their house, and things are just screwed up enough in their lives so that they don't have guidance.. Their parents are a mess, and cheap BAD food is right there.. This is now true in more of the outlying areas as well. Not just the cities..

It's a multi cultural, big,bad problem.. I think the schools could help a lot more than they do here.. Sure, it needs to happen at home too, but some kids need help early on learning about what to eat and they are not getting this info at home. Sad but true..

Ivan...........

[MagnetoSound]

ssltech wrote on Fri, 19 March 2010 12:20

(Wasn't it 'Jasper Carrott' who said "the first time I bought a Big Mac, I looked inside the carton it came in, and I thought: "Hang on... Someone's eaten this BEFORE me!!!") "Bog mac".

Or, to quote Ben Elton ...


"Why not just chuck it straight down the lavatory? CUT OUT THE MIDDLE MAN!"

[Taproot]

Leave it to Johnny Boy to make something political out of a simple statement.  Good to see you around here again. I see you obviously took some time off to work on your anger issues.

Now, on to something that matters. Some of you guys might want to check out The Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. Good read. It certainly reinforces my thoughts that I'm on the right track with our self-sustaining, eating habits. We're a long way from being off the grid, but we're getting there.