American Diet vs. Chinese Diet
Blog #4
April 16, 2015
By: Jenna Graunke

When someone says Chinese food, many people think of American Chinese Food: Orange Chicken, Lao Mein Noodles, fried rice, etc. Very few people actually understand what authentic Chinese food is like. Chinese generally have a healthier diet than Americans. Chinese eat half the fat that Americans eat. Americans eat 70% less fiber than the Chinese. A middle aged man in America is 1700% more likely to die of heart disease than a man in China. Chinese food is generally healthier because 90% of the protein is plant based. Also, Chinese consume half of the dairy products American woman do. For example, egg drop soup is a traditional Chinese soup that is healthy and prepared in 10 minutes (see link below). A cuisine called Crab Rangoon is known as one of the top eight most unhealthy Chinese dishes there is. This dish is so unhealthy because it's cream cheese, high in fat, a tiny amount of crab meat, and then is breaded and deep fried. After, it is served with a sugar laden sweet and sour sauce. Even though the Chinese have typically always had a healthy diet, Americans do not. Some Americans are going through a health craze right now, in example, my mother. She only buys fruits and vegetables that are organic, and she doesn't buy any junk food. She also won't leave the grocery store until she has a fruit or vegetable for every color of the rainbow. Many people are realizing the chemicals and unhealthy ingredients in a lot of processed foods today, and those who don't change their eating habits can't afford it, or flat out just don't care. I try to eat all healthy foods and I try to cut back on dairy. In the book, food is portrayed as the center of this family's life. When Tita cooks food, she tries to make it tasty yet nutritional. I think the food coordinates with Tita and her family's emotional health and what they're feeling. Tita's emotions come out in her food and those around her start to feel and taste the emotions she is feeling.

Egg drop soup recipe: http://rasamalaysia.com/chinese-egg-drop-soup/2/
Crab Rangoon recipe: http://www.spendwithpennies.com/crab-rangoon-crab-cream-cheese-filled-crispy-wontons/
Article Chinese Healthy Diet: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/healthy-living/use-your-noodle-the-real-chinese-diet-is-so-healthy-it-could-solve-the-wests-obesity-crisis-873651.html

Arize Clinic. "Asian Diet vs. American Diet." Asian Diet vs. American Diet. Arize Clinic, n.d. Web. 16 Apr.             2015.
Plumer, Brad. "What Foods Does Each Country Eat? These Charts Break It Down." Vox. Vox, 20 Oct.               2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.