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Saviolo

(3,268 posts)
Tue May 7, 2013, 03:24 PM May 2013

What one week of groceries looks like around the world

http://fstoppers.com/what-a-week-of-groceries-looks-like-around-the-world

From the link:
It seems as photographers we have a fascination with photographing our food. From Henry’s series of riders to looking on instagram we cant help but documenting what we consume. Peter does a great job of exploiting this on a bigger scale. Photographer Peter Menzel started this intriguing series of one weeks of groceries from around the world.

It is interesting to see that how much food does not seem to vary too much(except Chad) but the variety of food is vastly different in each country. It is a great way to see the different culture’s influence on the products and food the consumers buy.

How do you feel about this series. Do you think it could of been differently? What Would you do differently?


Sort of an interesting social study, here! Of course, it's just a typical family, and deosn't represent everyone. Not everyone in Canada necessarily eats that much fresh food (I know, I'm Canadian, and some of my friends eat much closer to the US diet depicted), just as not everyone in the USA eats such a pre-processed diet.
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What one week of groceries looks like around the world (Original Post) Saviolo May 2013 OP
Interesting. MuseRider May 2013 #1
Wow...really interesting to see how the rest of the world eats... Sekhmets Daughter May 2013 #2
(crappy looking) Frozen pizza in Germany KurtNYC May 2013 #3
Also most packaging! Saviolo May 2013 #4
It gets recycled. daleanime May 2013 #15
Al lot of it does get recycled Art_from_Ark May 2013 #23
DU Rec Tuesday Afternoon May 2013 #5
Interesting! Populist_Prole May 2013 #6
Interesting that many Americans can't afford all the fresh fruit and veggies the Mexicans eat. Scuba May 2013 #7
That sucks. Incitatus May 2013 #11
The family from Mexico seems to really like Coke Shrek May 2013 #8
They haven't opened their bier yet Tab May 2013 #31
Western diet = gazillion soft drinks mainer May 2013 #9
Thought provoking... AnneD May 2013 #10
so which families would you like to be adopted by? I vote France and Italy carolinayellowdog May 2013 #12
Yes, France and Italy. Although, do Italians really eat that much bread? Arugula Latte May 2013 #22
Turkey pokerfan May 2013 #26
Turkish food is phenomenal and is beautiful and nutritious. We have 2 Turkish CTyankee May 2013 #34
Wish I could access some of this.. AsahinaKimi May 2013 #13
Go to an Asian market, vinny9698 May 2013 #28
oh we have a Nijiya Market here. AsahinaKimi May 2013 #30
Durian Sentath May 2013 #33
i love the fish just hanging out in the middle of the canadian family's table fizzgig May 2013 #14
WOW! everyone has a majority of fruits and veggies and grains etc...except the US....all junk!! CarrieLynne May 2013 #16
Way Cool !!! - K & R !!! WillyT May 2013 #17
Where's the tequila? lillypaddle May 2013 #18
If beer is a grocery (Germany), then heck yeah, tequila is too JustABozoOnThisBus May 2013 #29
Very interesting idea...lots to think about here Rowdyboy May 2013 #19
school lunches from around the world Mosby May 2013 #20
I'd like to see these sorted by salt, or processed sugars. AtheistCrusader May 2013 #21
There are outliers in every country eilen May 2013 #24
The poorer countries eat the healthiest with vegetable, whole food, unprocessed food. n/t JackN415 May 2013 #25
Israeli, Lebonese, Morocan, Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi, and the rest of the Middle East food, is: vinny9698 May 2013 #27
I love how the French... PopeOxycontinI May 2013 #32
All I can say about France's food it YUCK... REVOLTING!!!!! whistler162 May 2013 #35
You owe me a new keyboard Saviolo May 2013 #36

KurtNYC

(14,549 posts)
3. (crappy looking) Frozen pizza in Germany
Tue May 7, 2013, 05:22 PM
May 2013

while the Italians are getting 14 loaves of bread.

Blandest packaging: Japan.

Saviolo

(3,268 posts)
4. Also most packaging!
Tue May 7, 2013, 06:49 PM
May 2013

Amazing that everything in Japan seems to come pre-packaged except for the protein. Same thing here if you go into Japanese specialty shops or the ethnics section of a supermarket and look into the Japanese section, everything comes in exactly the same sort of packaging. You'd think a country with so much population density would be more concerned with too much waste packaging.

Art_from_Ark

(27,247 posts)
23. Al lot of it does get recycled
Thu May 9, 2013, 09:30 PM
May 2013

In my area, at least, nearly all the food packaging gets recycled or burned in a co-generator. recyclable stuff includes plastic "PET" bottles, glass bottles, food and spray cans, cardboard boxes, and styrofoam trays for sashimi. Organic waste like kitchen scraps often gets composted. Plastic wrap, miscellaneous paper, etc., are burned in the regional co-generator. Japanese law is requiring recyclable packaging to be marked as such.

http://www.pref.kagawa.lg.jp/kankyo/gakushu/guruguru/omk-6/omk-6.htm

 

Scuba

(53,475 posts)
7. Interesting that many Americans can't afford all the fresh fruit and veggies the Mexicans eat.
Wed May 8, 2013, 07:27 AM
May 2013

Avacados run $2.00 a pop here in Wisconsin!

Shrek

(3,970 posts)
8. The family from Mexico seems to really like Coke
Wed May 8, 2013, 08:33 AM
May 2013

And what's up with the Germans? They look pretty grumpy about being photographed.

Edit: BTW, this is fascinating and thanks for posting it. Recommended.

mainer

(12,013 posts)
9. Western diet = gazillion soft drinks
Wed May 8, 2013, 09:11 AM
May 2013

Honestly am stunned by how much of that stuff makes up a part of the Western weekly diet. With the exception of the French, who seem to have bought bottled water and wine.

The Turkish groceries, on the other hand, look pretty healthy.

carolinayellowdog

(3,247 posts)
12. so which families would you like to be adopted by? I vote France and Italy
Wed May 8, 2013, 12:46 PM
May 2013

The only place outside the US I've been fed for several days at home by families was France, and lucky me, that ranks about at the top from looking at these spreads. The Mexicans look great except for all that Coke, a healthier diet than I found in restaurants generally. On edit-- India is the place I've stayed the longest, of all these on the list, and this family's diet looks unusually well-balanced from my observation (which is twenty years ago.)

 

Arugula Latte

(50,566 posts)
22. Yes, France and Italy. Although, do Italians really eat that much bread?
Thu May 9, 2013, 12:19 PM
May 2013

Don't get me wrong -- it looks good.

Oh, and Turkey! Love that Mediterranean food.

pokerfan

(27,677 posts)
26. Turkey
Fri May 10, 2013, 01:14 PM
May 2013

Especially in the western parts of Turkey, where olive trees grow abundantly, olive oil is the major type of oil used for cooking.[3] The cuisines of the Aegean, Marmara and Mediterranean regions are rich in vegetables, herbs, and fish. Central Anatolia has many famous specialties, such as keşkek (kashkak), mantı (especially from Kayseri) and gözleme.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_cuisine

CTyankee

(63,768 posts)
34. Turkish food is phenomenal and is beautiful and nutritious. We have 2 Turkish
Mon May 13, 2013, 05:54 AM
May 2013

restaurants nearby and I eat there whenever I can.

vinny9698

(1,016 posts)
28. Go to an Asian market,
Sun May 12, 2013, 03:34 PM
May 2013

My wife and I have traveled to the east, China, Thailand, and you can find all of those in any big size Asian market.

AsahinaKimi

(20,776 posts)
30. oh we have a Nijiya Market here.
Sun May 12, 2013, 06:46 PM
May 2013

And most of what they have are there, but there are some rare items that don't show up in the store.. nor any of the other markets.
For example, I have tried to find Durian fruit at the Chinatown market, i don't think its allowed into the US.

Sentath

(2,243 posts)
33. Durian
Mon May 13, 2013, 12:44 AM
May 2013

I haven't looked this year, but I saw it here in Phoenix at the Chinese Cultural Center's grocery store http://m.yelp.com/biz/super-l-ranch-market-phoenix-2

They even had frozen for out of season.

fizzgig

(24,146 posts)
14. i love the fish just hanging out in the middle of the canadian family's table
Wed May 8, 2013, 01:11 PM
May 2013

and i'm shocked by the lack of fresh produce purchased by the american family. i probably shouldn't be, but i can't imagine a life with that little fresh produce.

CarrieLynne

(497 posts)
16. WOW! everyone has a majority of fruits and veggies and grains etc...except the US....all junk!!
Wed May 8, 2013, 01:46 PM
May 2013

tho...my own weeks list wouldnt be that junky lol

AtheistCrusader

(33,982 posts)
21. I'd like to see these sorted by salt, or processed sugars.
Thu May 9, 2013, 11:08 AM
May 2013

Hard to really get a sense from the sheer appearance, except maybe the ones with predominantly veggies and fruits.

eilen

(4,950 posts)
24. There are outliers in every country
Fri May 10, 2013, 08:45 AM
May 2013

people are not so homogeneous. My weekly grocery spread would not look like the American one. The snack foods I buy are more like fruit, "baby" carrots, popcorn, nuts, crackers and cheese. We don't get fast food although once a week get pizza/wings. My spread would look much smaller but that is for 3 people. I do get a box of junky sugar cereal for my 20 year old tho!

vinny9698

(1,016 posts)
27. Israeli, Lebonese, Morocan, Iranian, Iraqi, Saudi, and the rest of the Middle East food, is:
Sun May 12, 2013, 03:33 PM
May 2013

Badly cooked Turkish food. The Ottoman Empire controlled that area for hundreds of years, so the Turkish culture is well stamped.

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