European, yes. Skinny, hah.
I am often amazed at the lack of culinary culture in the UK. Yes, there are foodies and gourmets and hideously expensive restaurants, but I mean mainstream culinary culture - people cooking their food as a matter of custom, something learned from parents and passed on to children just like any other household skills. The amount of ready meals in supermarkets is astonishing (and I do make use of them from time to time, because I'm lazy), as is the number of takeaway places. In the last 10 years I've also noticed that the number of obese people in the UK has increased spectacularly, particularly women. But I've also noticed that the number of worryingly thin girls has increased, probably just as much. I think the English (and perhaps the Anglo-Saxon in general, hence the US) have a dysfunctional relationship with food, and I've often wondered if this comes from a Puritan reaction. Certainly, traditionally Catholic countries such as Spain, Italy and France revel in eating and almost worship food - Jude's mention of "eating rituals" is spot-on. Eating and food to us Mediterraneans is more than fuel, it's part of culture and lifestyle, but it's available to everyone and not only to the middle-classes with disposable income. Of course, I see that as normal and healthy... but it's a fact that in Spain, Italy and France there are far fewer obese people, and less obsession with dieting. I have never in my whole life dieted or counted a calorie, I eat what I want and as much as I want, and am generally healthy and fit. True, I could do with losing a few kilos (I'm 1.63m and weigh 65kg, although ideally I'd like to be nearer to 60) but as long as I can wear the clothes I like and feel fit, I'm not going to worry much. I'd rather exercise than diet any day anyway. I don't like healthy food.
*munches on crackers with Boursin*
I do have breakfast, a couple of slices of toast with butter (no nasty artificial spreads for me), sometimes jam or marmalade or honey, and a mug of tea with milk. Mid-morning I usually have a snack - often a croissant or other pastry, sometimes a handful of nuts or a fruit smoothie. Lunch, when I can, consists of either a bowl of noodles, a sandwich (in brown bread - my one token attempt at healthy eating
) or a jacket potato. My sandwiches have no salad, I can't stand the stuff, so they're usually fish, meat or cheese. When I get home I'll have a couple of crackers, or a piece of toast, or a biscuit, to quell hunger while I make Alex's dinner. And then dinner, my main meal of the day, usually consisting of fish or meat, sometimes pasta or soup, but always a smallish portion, with a yogurt or similar for dessert. And then, late at night, I usually have a cup of decaf tea with a biscuit. I haven't really put on weight since I was 25, can still wear clothes that I wore in my early 20s, and although I could do with a bit more energy and general fitness, a big change to my my eating habits is not an option. If it ain't broke, why fix it...