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August 12, 2005
Food
and now for something a little lighter.
As many who read this blog know I’m a vegetarian and a picky eater to boot. Living in a foreign country has involved some significant adjustments. Not only do many of the basic foods like juice, cheese and milk taste different but the information surrounding food is also very different. Because of my dietary concerns
I pay a lot of attention to nutritional information. Since moving I’ve been struck by the differences in what is provided to consumers. The majority of food products here include labels stating if they are Vegetarian or Vegan compatible. Its refreshing to be able to look at a prepared food stuff like pasta sauce an quickly know if its something I can eat. This is even more important as ingredient lists are less complete on foods here. The term flavouring is considered sufficient although certain things like caffeine or sweeteners are specifically listed.
The issue of sweeteners has also been something of a headache. I avoid caffeine for the most part and have been banging my head to a certain degree at the non-cafinated sodas here. While Canada is moving rapidly away from sweeteners like aspretaime, the same is not true here. Many pops are available only in a form using artificial sweeteners. On my last trip to the grocery store I was unable to find a lemon-lime soda other than the American brand names that did not use at least a blend of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Even the recommended daily intakes of food groups has changed. When last I checked Canada food guide was recommending something in the order of 6-8 servings of fruit and vegetables. Here the recommendation is for 5. So far I have not seen the local recommendations for the other food groups but it would not surprise me if they too differed.
As issues of culture shock go, it may not seem like much but food has proven significant for me. I think it is only in the last week or two that I have found a diet that works for me in the local context. Now if I can just find a little more variety....:)
Posted by Bluerevolutionist at August 12, 2005 05:15 PM
Comments
Ah! The joys of Scottish cuisine are not exaggrated after all. Best of luck in your search for edible cuisine. If you want, I'll send you my recipe for hummus and Tzasiki.
Posted by: Jeff at August 23, 2005 09:08 AM