Should you totally give up American foods?

All this Long Island talk is making me crave proper bagels and NYC style pizza. I lived on there for 12 years, and haven't had a proper slice or bagel since I left (well, except when I went back for a couple of visits).

Ah well. You don't need to be an expat to miss things. I moved from the Island back to Ohio for a few years before coming to Europe - and I missed proper pizza and bagels in Ohio, too.

When my daughter moved from here (Texas) to SC, I sent her care packages of food on a regular basis.  There were things she just couldn't get in the area where she lived.  It wasn't a flaw within her.  She just wanted something familiar.  When she moved back to Texas a few months later, she talked about some places she liked eating there.  I'm glad she is able to find good about both places.  I think many people on this board are like that too, finding things to enjoy no matter where they are. 

Now wait a second right here.  People eat different vittles in different places in 'Merica? I know she's talking about makin that thar fancy Cool Whip out of the thick drinkin' milk or drinkin' fancy peppermint tea like they done do in those progressive enclaves, but this is too much.  I am aimin to eat some of that orgasmic fruit, British baklava and yoghurt (WILL MULLER'S CORNERS DO?), but now I am gonna have to try different American places food.

Mushin peanuts to make yer own peanut butter, fancy Cool Whip, and cheese other than spray, squeezy,  or Velveeta.  Oh, I forgot about those little slices wrapped up in plastic.  I always forget about them cos they are called "cheese food".  Keep thinkin' I need to feed them to the brick of Velveeta if I don't use it quick 'nough. Anyway, next ye all will tell me I can make a cake without Betty Crocker or Duncan Hines!

How long til I become one of them foodies?

EDIT: I almost fergot!  I went to Canadia once and ate some of that there Kraft Dinner, but it were just mac and cheese just my mommy used to make.  Cept they put ketchup on it. So yeah, I guess she is right.  Different vittles for different places.

If we had a Post Hall of Fame here, I'd nominate this one! 

I've not read this thread in its entirety but it kind of made me giggle. Our local Aldi was selling Hershey Chocolate syrup last week.  Now I've not had the need to use it or want to use it for years.  However for some weird reason I headed straight to Aldi and picked up two bottles.  I have no idea if I will ever use it.  But I had to have it LOL

This definitely sounds like something I would do. Most of the time I don't eat the American food in my cupboard (I have a box of Lipton tea bags for iced tea that have been in there for 3 years, ditto with the Lipton onion soup packets!  ) but I really, really just want to look at it and know that I have the option sometimes. 

This definitely sounds like something I would do. Most of the time I don't eat the American food in my cupboard (I have a box of Lipton tea bags for iced tea that have been in there for 3 years, ditto with the Lipton onion soup packets!  ) but I really, really just want to look at it and know that I have the option sometimes. 

This has made me laugh even more! I've had a box of Lipton iced tea bags too in there.  And the same they're probably about 3-5 years old.  I honestly can't bring myself to throw it away. I wonder if they're still even good.

Also, one of the greatest mis-conceptions about Europe is that the food is just better.  Sure, you get a lot of great stuff here and much of it can be different and exciting compared to what you're used to.  But for as much awesome, locally sourced, fresh, blah blah blah that you can have, there is just as much processed garbage as there is in the US.  Every supermarket has an entire aisle devoted to soda and an entire aisle devoted to potato chips.  It doesn't matter where you are, it comes down to the individual and the choices he/she makes about what's going into his/her mouth.

This.  I think having to re-learn how to eat, for me anyway, means that I get to make better choices because British markets don't trigger all my old sense memory that has been ingrained in me since I was a kid.  I feel like I'm less likely to fall into the same old habits when I'm in the UK.

Granted, I don't live there full-time yet, but I even get that sense from just visiting four to six times a year.

This has made me laugh even more! I've had a box of Lipton iced tea bags too in there.  And the same they're probably about 3-5 years old.  I honestly can't bring myself to throw it away. I wonder if they're still even good.

Yeah, I think I kept a can of B&M baked beans so long they blew up!
But, I think partly I used to buy stuff when I saw it in the shops because I felt it encouraged them to keep stocking it and maybe even other American products.

This.  I think having to re-learn how to eat, for me anyway, means that I get to make better choices because British markets don't trigger all my old sense memory that has been ingrained in me since I was a kid.  I feel like I'm less likely to fall into the same old habits when I'm in the UK.

Granted, I don't live there full-time yet, but I even get that sense from just visiting four to six times a year.

I think this is kind of true, but also kind of not... because then there is all the new junk food to try that you have never tried before.  I actually gained a bit of weight at first going through most of it, but then once I felt like I had tried most of it, I started learning to cook British recipes and buying more fresh food. But yeah, I get what you are saying. I might feel emotional about a bag of Cheetos, but I don't feel much toward a bag of Quavers or Nik Naks, so it's easier to say no, I suppose.

I find the assumption that Europeans eat better, that they have access to fresh, local produce is pretty funny, at least as it applies to Brits. Tiny little island, homogeonized climate /= year-round access to huge varieties of fresh, local produce. My DH and I don't buy a lot of prepared food (we like to cook, have lots of free time, and if we don't feel like making dinner and are low on left-overs we can afford to go out), but it's not from a lack of available processed food.  Nine months out of the year, the "fresh" produce is from Chile or Argentina - the same places my out-of season fruits and veg were coming from when I lived in California.

Part of the problem with the "foodie" and "eat local" movements is that it's elitist - there are few places in the world where you can get fresh, local produce, and even when you can it's much more expensive to eat that way than it is to buy a frozen dinner, or a box of Hamburger Helper, or take the whole family to McDonalds.

For the record, I was raised on peanutbutter that came out of grinder (ironically, all the green things that are so popular with the yuppies today were things we did 30 years ago because we had absolutely no money) and I think Skippy creamy peanutbutter is the most amazingly delicious thing ever.

If we relied on locally grown produce in the UK, we'd be living on swedes  Mind you, pretty much the same in many parts of the US. We've grown accustomed to expecting fresh strawberries year round so are willing to accept the imported stuff.

I think part of what makes things difficult in the UK is the demonization of frozen food.  There's really nothing wrong with frozen produce, and it's frozen fast.  Prepared frozen produce is often more nutritious than the fresh that is sold in markets or even off the farm.  People just think frozen food is stuff from Iceland, when it could mean that people start eating more local or regional food and not have to rely on imports during the "hungry gap".  But people seem to have no problem eating ready fridge meals over even eating something like frozen berries.  I am not saying give up fresh food in season, but we probably could stick to something like regional food in season and frozen to supplement it than totally local (or "fresh" imported from great distances).

Things get in the conscious of a society and it's hard to dispel.  It's like the perception that brown eggs are healthier than white eggs or that brown sugar or honey is better to eat than white sugar.

To clarify, I wasn't saying that British food choices are inherently healthier. It's just that, for me at least, moving to England is giving me the chance to eat healthier since I have to learn a new way of eating anyway.

Of course, I could just replace American junk food with British junk food, but I'm going to try really really hard not to.

Well that is totally it. 

You are already making a HUGE change, moving to the UK, so it is easier to make a smaller one when you don't recognise any of the brands anyway. 

I grew up with Crazy Richard's peanut butter and I HATED it.  But now I love the all natural stuff. 

I think part of what makes things difficult in the UK is the demonization of frozen food.  There's really nothing wrong with frozen produce, and it's frozen fast.  Prepared frozen produce is often more nutritious than the fresh that is sold in markets or even off the farm.

Yes. I'm finding the British lack of freezer space distressing since much of what little cooking I do is done in advance, to provide an alternative to fast food later in the week when I'm feeling lazy.

If we relied on locally grown produce in the UK, we'd be living on swedes  Mind you, pretty much the same in many parts of the US. We've grown accustomed to expecting fresh strawberries year round so are willing to accept the imported stuff.

My veggie delivery box over the winter did regularly tax my imagination as to what to do with Yet Another Swede. Anytime we didn't get a swede I did a little happy dance.

Things get in the conscious of a society and it's hard to dispel.  It's like the perception that brown eggs are healthier than white eggs or that brown sugar or honey is better to eat than white sugar.

Totally agree.  I read this and as soon as I read brown eggs my brain went "are local eggs and local eggs are fresh"