USA Health Guidelines

According to this article, the US Government is issuing new dietary guidelines that state the obvious; exercise 30-90 minutes a day and eat moderate amounts of food. In addition, eat more fruit and vegatables and less meat. From what I've seen in restaurants, the main issue is that people eat portions that are way too big. For example, in many Dallas restaurants, if you order lunch with dessert, you get enough food for about three people. It's no surprise that Dallas is one of the top three fattest cities in the US. In Europe, a typical serving is at least 50% less than in the US, and people tend to walk a lot more during an average day. Most portion guides that I've seen specify servings in terms of cups, ounces, and spoons, which is hard for people to process. I think that showing actual pictures of reasonable servings in restaurants, as well as actually serving healthy portion sizes, would make it far easier for people to realize how much they overeat. It would be pretty funny if waiters in Dallas restaurants asked "Sir, would you prefer to eat enough lunch for one, two or three people?"

Comments

[Kyösti Rantinoja]

There is a solution to overweight and high mortality problem and it is called Χωριατικη σαλατα (Country salad or Greek salad).

Last summer I had a chance to spend two weeks with my family (a wife and two school-aged sons) in Crete. I think Crete is the perfect place in Europe for children to spend their summer vacation. The Cretan wine was excellent, the food was delicious and healthy too.

According a French research on nutrition, the inhabitants of Crete manifest the lowest mortality indices with respect to cardiovascular diseases and cancer. Just see this: http://www.cretetravel.com/Cretan_Diet/Cretan_Diet_1.htm

There are variations of the Greek Salad recipe, here is a one:
http://www.eatgreektonight.com/recipes/salads/xoriatiki.html

I have also found a decent recipe for a Greek Salad dressing. I have used the following:
• 1 garlic clove
• 4 tablespoons of olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1 tablespoon of mint
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of ground black pepper
Crush the garlic and mix all ingredients together. You don't have to be exact in measures. I would say just take a half measure of olive oil, a half measure of lemon juice and everything else according to your taste.

Καλη ορεξη.

[Esperança Melo]

Hello all of you careful eaters! This is really my type of topic!
For those of you who live in North America, let me just tell you that here in my sunny little corner of the world (Portugal) people are just as junk food crazy! It really disturbs me to see that humans don't learn lessons! Can't people see what overeating and junk food have done to the American population? They don't care! Their main objective is to beat the American obesity and cardiovascular disease records - it's all a big race! Here in Portugal I read everyday and watch TV - the healthy eating message is constantly being transmitted, but yet, people don't give a damn - they just want to stuff themselves with tasty stuff! The children's school snacks are cookies, yogurts, kinder cakes and candy bars...junk, junk, junk!!
I have to stop, as I'm already pulling my hair off! Children deserve to be taught, but how can they ever learn if their adult family members are almost all sloppy eating machines!