Variety – The Spice of Life

For Americans seeking a dining adventure and for immigrants seeking their native cuisine, ethnic dining is the answer. The most widespread of the ethnic cuisines are probably Chinese, Italian, and Mexican. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. In New York, Chicago, and many other major American cities, the range of ethnic dining goes, if not from A to Z, at least from A to Y-Arabian, Armenian, Cuban, Ethiopian, Greek, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Peruvian, Russian, Thai, Turkish, Vietnamese, and Yu­goslavian, among many other cooking styles.

Ethnic influences add variety to home-cooked meals, too. Ingredients for the more popular ethnic dishes are readily available in most supermarkets. Less well-known in­gredients can be obtained at food stores in ethnic communities. The U.S. is commonly called a melting pot of people from everywhere. Therefore, it is not surprising that Amer­ican cooking pots contain ingredients from all over the world.

Regional American food specialties add further variety to the American diet. From New England come wonderful seafood chowders (usually clams or lobsters stewed with vegetables and milk), baked beans, brown breads, and Boston cream pie. Southerners have created fried chicken, smoked ham, grits (a side dish made with corn meal and milk), and fritters (small fried cakes often containing fruit). New Orleans is famous for spicy Creole cooking, which combines French, Spanish, African-American, and Native American cuisine.

Because of the nation's varied climate and geography, a great variety of fruits and vegetables are grown in the U.S. and many more are imported. High-quality fruits and vegetables are available throughout the year, thanks to modern transportation and freezing techniques.

Check your comprehension.

What are two reasons why American meals are so varied?

Death by Consumption

Plenty of tasty, nutritious food is available in the U.S. Yet many Americans eat (or drink) themselves into an early grave. Nutritionists say that Americans eat too much unhealthy fat, salt, and sugar. In recent years, Americans have become aware of the fact that a person's diet affects appearance, performance, mental state, health, and longevity. As a result, many Americans try to eat more fruits, vegetables, and healthier sources of protein (such as fish, grains, and poultry). Many have cut down on products high in fat. Still, 33% of Americans are somewhat overweight and another 22% are obese (extremely overweight). In the U.S., cans, jars, and paper packages contain information regarding a food's ingredients as well as the calorie count and amounts of sodium (salt), fat, and important vitamins in each serving. This information helps consumers, espe­cially those on special diets or those who need to lose weight.

"Everything enjoyable in life is either illegal, immoral, or fattening," complain those who are overweight. The American food industry has responded to this complaint. A wide assortment of American foods are made with artificial sweeteners instead of sugar. There are also low-fat and fat-free foods and some made with healthier types of fat or fat substitutes.

Health and social problems are also created by consumption of alcoholic beverages, cigarettes, and illegal drugs. About 5.4% of Americans are heavy drinkers. Those who en­gage in heavy drinking damage their own health, cause pain to their families, and are dangerous behind the wheel of an automobile. In recent years, many citizens' organiza­tions have campaigned to keep the roads safer by increasing penalties for drunk driving.

Another way that Americans consume themselves to death is by smoking cigarettes. About 29% of American adults smoke. The medical expenses and human tragedy caused by this habit are immeasurable and well known. Unfortunately, the tobacco industry has a lot of political power. Therefore, although the government urges smokers to quit, it also pays farmers to grow tobacco. In recent years, the American tobacco industry has been sued for billions of dollars because of the illnesses its products cause.

One of the greatest concerns today is the large amount of illegal drugs consumed in the U.S., especially by teenagers and young adults. Marijuana usage, for example, is highest among the 18-25 age group, with about 12% of people in this group smoking "weed." The use of illegal drugs damages the body and also leads to an increase in crime. Many people who get hooked on (addicted to) cocaine or heroin are then forced to commit crimes in order to get enough money to buy these illegal (and therefore ex­pensive) substances.

In dealing with these health problems - obesity, alcoholism, cigarette smoking, and drug addiction - Americans often turn to support groups of fellow sufferers. Groups such as Weight Watchers, Alcoholics Anonymous, and Narcotics Anonymous have helped people overcome destructive behavior. With the assistance of professional counselors and the support of a group, Americans work hard to rid themselves of dan­gerous habits.

At the other end of the health spectrum are people with great self-control. They avoid high-fat and high-salt foods. In addition, they worry about chemicals added to food. There are three common sources of these chemicals: ( 1) pesticides sprayed on plants to keep insects away, (2) additives used in some packaged foods to improve appearance and lengthen shelf life, and (3) drugs fed to beef cattle to improve the quantity and taste of meat. Are these chemicals harmful to human beings? Those who believe they are read labels carefully, buy organic food, and shop in health food stores. Defenders of these chemicals say that the quantities used are too small to be harmful and that discontin­uing their use would mean smaller harvests, less prime beef, faster food spoilage, and higher food prices. In the I960s, people who were afraid of the typical American diet were called health food "nuts." Today, Americans realize that these people have had a good influence. As a result of the health food movement, many Americans consider the great variety of good things to eat and make wiser selections.

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