Bigger Fridges, Worse Diets? Why is the American Diet So Poor? | Food Talk Vol. 21

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In this episode, the Food Talk hosts are joined by an old friend, Shu Meng, who holds a PhD in Sociology from Cornell University. Our discussion takes its starting point from Shu Meng’s popular article, ‘The Bigger the Fridge, the Worse the Diet? The Food System in American Middle-Class Fridges’. Why is it that the oversized fridge—a symbol of domestic prosperity—actually reflects a scarcity of real food?

The hosts and guest share their personal experiences in the US, launching into a ‘vent session’ about American eating habits: the 30-minute drives to the shops, the gargantuan packaging in massive supermarkets, and the exorbitant price of leafy greens. All these factors contribute to an unhealthy dietary structure and a myriad of health issues. Moreover, the presence of fresh but pricey vegetables in supermarkets within upper-middle-class communities shows how the distinction in food now carries the weight of class and regional divides.

At the same time, the diverse range of alternative food options in the US is enviable. From the wonderful discovery of buying ginger at a farmers’ market to the operations of small-scale farm cooperatives organised by the Cornell University student union, it is clear that ‘non-mainstream’ models can provide delicious, healthy, and fresh local produce amidst the wave of dietary transition in the US.

Contrasting with the ‘white people food’ trend currently flooding the internet, the hosts reflect on how having local agricultural markets and wet markets in China is a form of overlooked happiness. Yet, we also worry: has Chinese food consumption gradually drifted towards the high-salt, high-sugar, and high-fat ‘stress diets’ of recent years? Have the youth, raised within an industrialised food system, developed a ‘domesticated palate’, losing their perception of what truly tastes good?

Within such a vast system, can an individual make different choices? Can we shape our own food choices through collective action? How can we maintain our sense of self against the discipline of the ‘societal clock’ and seek the possibility of creating alternative scripts? How can we eat in a way that maintains a life of dignity? Let us each search for our own answers!

Guest/of/the/Episode

Li Shumeng

Regular contributor to Foodthink, PhD in Sociology from Cornell University, and a steadfast opponent of ‘white people food’.

 

 

 

 

Host/of/the/Episode

Tianle

Foodthink editor. Always believed they were a lazy cook saved by high-quality ingredients from ecological small-scale farmers; recently realised that half of their most-cooked dishes could be categorised as ‘white people food’.

 

 

 

Wanlin

Foodthink project officer. Never imagined working for an organisation focused on food, which may be thanks to nine years of experience living abroad.

 

 

 

 

Wang Hao

Foodthink editor. The only person in this episode who has never been to the US—though from a culinary perspective, this may be a stroke of luck.

 

 

 

 

In the documentary *A Cluttered Life: Middle Class Abundance*, the 32 middle-class American families interviewed possessed enormous refrigerators, where layers upon layers of processed foods crowded together, occupying every single corner. “The reason we need such a large freezer is that we mainly store pre-packaged processed foods.”
The shared dormitory refrigerator from when Wan Lin was studying in the US: microwaveable ready meals are the students’ favourite. Image: Wan Lin
How should one navigate the giant American supermarkets mentioned in the programme? The answer is to take a leaf out of the yellow croaker’s book—stick to the edges. See our previous article “The Popular North American Supermarket Guide: Shop the Perimeters, Not the Middle!”.

Anabel’s Grocery at Cornell University, mentioned by Shu Meng in the podcast. Entirely student-run, the store does more than just sell food; it organises a wide array of activities, including communal meals, food-related lectures and visits to local farms.
Foodthink author Shang Yi is a regular at a farmers’ market in a small town in the American Midwest; she has also published a series of ‘Notes on American Farmers’ Markets‘ on Foodthink.
While Wan Lin struggled to find ginger in the US, a single stall in a Guangdong market can offer over a dozen different varieties, fully catering to the locals’ sophisticated culinary needs. Photo: Tianle

Timeline

00:33 Shu Meng’s popular article for Foodthink, ‘The Bigger the Fridge, the Worse the Diet’, has resonated with readers: while a large fridge seems like a benefit, what does it reveal about the problems with the American diet?02:38 What leads Americans to fill their fridges with pre-prepared meals? Shopping trips taking over 30 minutes, oversized packaging in giant supermarkets, and the high cost of leafy greens…

06:41 In supermarkets within upper-middle-class US neighbourhoods, fresh but expensive vegetables are beginning to appear. The differences in consumer preference reflect class and regional divides. Compared to the ‘food deserts’ in the US where fresh vegetables are unattainable, having local farmers’ markets and wet markets in China is a true blessing.

12:54 The shocking reality of ‘White People Food’: a meal consisting of carrot and cucumber sticks in a small box with a bit of dip. The early imagination of America was that of a ‘consumer paradise of immense abundance’, but upon visiting, one discovers that the diet is actually more impoverished.

19:12 Ginger, which is impossible to find almost anywhere in the US, was finally discovered at a farmers’ market.

21:52 A small-scale farm supermarket organised by the Cornell University Student Union: providing students with affordable food options while helping local small-scale farms establish stable sales channels. Outside the mainstream supply system, we need alternative sales models to provide delicious, healthy, fresh, and local food.

25:03 A salad after a meal of junk food: have you ever bought ‘indulgences’ in the name of ‘healthy eating’?

28:55 It isn’t just Americans who overconsume meat; statistics show that Chinese people similarly eat more meat than vegetables. Why do domestic food streamers primarily eat processed foods? Fried rice cakes, fire noodles, endless gulps of bubble tea… why does higher stress lead to a diet driven by the instincts of ‘salt, sugar, and fat’? Such food fills the stomach, but the lack of nutrition can lead to ‘hidden hunger’.

31:06 Will a generation of young people raised under an industrialised food system ever truly know what ‘good taste’ is? The industrial system has failed to preserve diversity and denies consumers the right to choose higher-quality food. In a Shanghai dominated by semi-finished and pre-prepared meals, it is becoming difficult to even find *shengjianbao* (pan-fried buns) cooked over an open flame.

36:59 As consumers, you cannot know what is actually added to your food: from pesticide residues to antibiotics. Unhealthy diets lead to weight gain and acne. Pursuing a diet high in salt, sugar, and fat under social pressure can also affect hormone levels, making it difficult to change eating habits.

43:47 Eating boxed meals in school canteens from a young age, and then having a meagre diet as an adult due to life pressures, may be one result of being disciplined by a ‘social clock’ that pursues efficiency and consistency. When the scripts for collective action are too powerful, it is difficult for an individual to break through them based on will alone.

54:24 Although individual choice is deeply embedded in social structures, there are always those who create ‘alternative scripts’ that allow others to liberate themselves.

58:40 Insights from a PhD in Sociology: how we eat is a vital social activity necessary for maintaining a life of dignity.

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Production Team for this episode

Coordination: Xiaojing

Production: Xiaoputao

Cover: Wanlin

Music: Banong

Editing: Wang Hao

Layout: Xiaoshu

Contact email

xiaojing@foodthink.cn

Published by Foodthink