Ok then - I'll go first. My parents are sort of health nuts - my mom more so. She subsists on two smoothies and only one proper, non-pureed meal a day. She's tried to get me to drink these smoothies before, which usually consist of orange juice, frozen fruit from the Dollar Tree (not kidding), spinach leaves, chia seeds, and some unknown tofu substance. It tastes just about like you'd expect, and the texture is weird as the seeds just sort of slide down your throat, and it's just...like baby food. Or food for the elderly who can't chew. She's always had a small appetite. Now, I'm not judging people who have naturally small appetites, and she looks great - of course, she has a very tall and slim build anyway.
However, growing up, I just remember not having much in the way of food around the house. It's not like my family didn't buy groceries, but my mother was one of those moms who was ultra-picky about just exactly what and how many foods were allowed into the house. Know what I mean? Meals were small, vegetarian/vegan and low-fat. We were allowed to have a couple pieces of chocolate or candy in between lunch and dinner - our "afternoon snack" - but other than that, "junk food" wasn't permitted. I was a terribly thin child, very waif-like, with visible ribs. I routinely ate grass in our yard and even some leaves out of pure hunger. I'm not at all trying to accuse anybody of any sort of mistreatment here, but I feel that my sister and I received comments of a critical tone whenever we had robust appetites, which is not unusual for a growing child. This was especially evident at church gatherings and parties/get-togethers outside our home where there was food prepared/brought by others.
I always looked forward to visiting both sets of grandparents, both of whom lived nearby and would feed me and my sister all sorts of things. I went over to my one grandmother's house just about every Wednesday, where there would be spaghetti, fish sticks, sausage and garlic bread for dinner. My other grandmother was from France and would also make spaghetti for family get-togethers, as well as the obligatory cheese and bread that's on every French table. We'd often have spinach & cheese quiche, made by my aunt. Sometimes, but not too often, my dad will make crepes, but it's usually only on somebody's birthday. He also occasionally makes this amazing dish called quenelles, which are fish dumplings in a creamy sauce, meant to be served on a puff pastry. On New Year's Day, we had cheese fondue. And like most French people, he loves wine and drinks one or two glasses with dinner. When we were kids, though, we rarely saw him drink - he probably wanted to set a good example.
I just feel like in the U.S. you are body-shamed from a young age and taught that having any sort of appetite makes you a slob. I understand that obesity is a problem in this country but you need to look at the whole picture. Like, my sister and I weren't permitted to own video games and only got high-speed internet when I was about 12, so we led pretty physically active lifestyles, splashing in the creek and catching frogs. And we had a lot of time to do that because we were homeschooled. If a kid is leading an active lifestyle, running around or playing some sport, it's probably okay to let them eat, maybe indulge a little, have that second serving. I worry about the kids I've seen who are given that Lunchables crap (it's a glorified piece of cheese, piece of meat and crackers) and nothing else until dinner.
I've been looking up "traditional" Eastern European recipes, and have come to notice that it's a lot of stuff most Americans would proclaim as "high in fat" or "a heart attack waiting to happen":
I mean, do most Russians, Ukrainians, etc. eat these dishes regularly? If so, I'm pretty jealous, and also wondering what the obesity rates are in that part of the world?
I think I will.
