Known as the Standard American Diet (though Wikipedia calls it the Western pattern diet), it is “generally characterized by high intakes of pre-packaged foods, refined grains, red and processed meat, high-sugar drinks, candy and sweets, fried foods, high-fat dairy products (such as butter), eggs, potato products, and corn products (including high-fructose corn syrup). Conversely, there are generally low intakes of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, and seeds.”
It’s generally agreed-upon to be unhealthy, but how to move away from it is a much harder question. Capitalism, food deserts, willpower, etc etc all get talked about. But regardless of whether or not it’s a good thing, how SAD is your diet?
Photo taken from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/df/Walmart_Wenatchee.jpg
My diet isn’t too SAD most of the time. 3 meals a week are Blue Apron, which is kind of pricey, but it’s a much healthier option and has taught me how to actually cook. It’s a lot of chicken, salmon, rice, and vegetables. The meals are usually too big, so I take leftovers as 3 lunches a week.
The rest of my meals are sandwiches or salads from local places that are healthier, with a splash of frozen vegetables with rice and usually chicken.
I fill up on seltzer, tea, and water, so I tend not to snack too much. And I try to keep better snacks like fruit and nuts more often than chips or cookies.