I Spent a Month in Europe - 28 Things I Learned Eating Their Food (different from the US)

28 Things I Learned Eating Food in Europe for a Month Different than the US


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Timestamps ⏱

0:00 - Intro
0:19 - Portion Sizes
0:51 - Emphasis on Dairy Protein
1:58 - Cured Meats
2:26 - Emphasis on Fruit
2:53 - Late Dinner
3:18 - People Walk Everywhere
3:32 - No Weird Preservatives
4:33 - Less Seed Oils
5:07 - 30% Off Your First Order AND a Free Gift Worth up to $60
7:01 - Healthy Things Are Naturally Integrated
7:55 - Less Doomscrolling
8:20 - Much More Shellfish
8:49 - No Reduced Fat Products
9:21 - No Vegan Ads
10:06 - Vending Machine Options
10:45 - 2.5 Meals per Day
11:07 - Polyphenols
11:32 - Yogurt Galore
12:13 - Hard to Order a Burger Without a Bun
12:40 - Lots of Chocolate
13:01 - Emphasis on the Sun
13:27 - Lots of Caffeine
14:10 - Not as Much Alcohol
14:40 - Lots of Smoked Salmon
15:04 - Hard to Find Supplements
15:43 - Easy to be a Gym Guest
16:11 - Things Weren't Oversalted
16:42 - McDonald's Patties Were Cleaner
17:18 - Saunas Were Hotter

[lxpkosd]

Mate, all you need to know is that what's sold in the US as "food" is illegal in Europe because of the additives.

[vinterskog]

I love how Americans talk about Europe as it was a country. A country with a common culture, way of life, food etc. You went to Italy. Had you visited Sweden or England instead, the experience would have been entirely different.

[gretaricciolini]

I'm Italian, I've worked in fast foods restaurants in the past and I can tell you for sure that the beef patties are 100% beef. Maybe not the best quality, as you can buy from a butcher and cook by yourself, but 100% beef. Also Mc Donalds and Burger King in Italy have the same supplier for the patties, which is the biggest meat producer in the country, the big difference is in the way they are cooked. We have very strict rules on the quality and supply chain of our food in Italy.

[happyperson]

I have ulcerative colitis. In the US, I have to stay ketovore or I’m extremely ill. I cannot eat any food in the US with flour. I headed to Italy and Greece for two weeks in June. My Gastroenterology doctor told me to try the breads in Italy/Greece to see how my gut handled the food. It was WONDERFUL to be able to have pasta/pizza without being in the bathroom all day. The FDA and food companies have ruined our food in the US.

[aserback]

What do you mean by Europe? Its a continent dude, you got massive, massive differences for half of your points from one city to another in Germany alone.

[ErisstheGoddessofmanhwas]

Olive oil is very important , especially for Mediterranean countries like Greece, Spain, Italy Turkey, and Portugal .We don't even care if the it's expensive. We always have olive oil in our home .

[SereFenzi]

I’m Italian, and I think that the thing that tourist miss to really understand why we are not all obese 😅it’s that they “experience” people at the restaurant, but our “secret” here in Italy it’s simply that we cook 😅 We don’t eat much processed food, we use very little delivery food, and we go to the restaurant once a week, this means that we cook almost 11/12 meals a week, with fresh ingredients cooked at the moment with a little olive oil and more rarely some butter (it’s a more French thing 😅). That’s it! We are used and we like to prepare our meals, so we always know what we’re eating. Ah! And a HUGE thing is that we drink almost always just water during meals, especially kids: no soda, juice, milk or whatever, just water when you eat on a daily basis.

[tia_ln]

I went to Norway and Sweden for 2 weeks, and I was astounded at the food. No added sugar in everything (including their bread), more fresh seafood and wild animals, way less preservatives, and I could tell a massive difference by how I felt. It was pretty polarizing.

[neverbetter]

I just got back from Portugal, ate anything I wanted, slept like a baby and lost a couple of pounds!
The food and beverage industry in the US is killing us, and so to combat this, we eat a clean, organic, whole foods diet. We were able to find wholesome food choices nearly everywhere we went and it was a relief not to have to steer clear of genetically modified foods since they’re illegal in Europe. We need to do the same here.

[kend]

Part of the freshness of food (in France at least), is helped by the fact that your Boulangerie(Bakery) and Charcuterie(Butcher) shops are everywhere, just below where your apartment is. So no need for preservatives to have things on shelves for weeks/months. You just grab your fresh foods as you get home each day....Great city planning to allow for walking, etc.

[moonisvlogs]

I lived in Germany, the Netherlands, and France for about one year. I lost around 10 kilograms of weight. My sleep got better. My parents saw me on videocall and got concerned about me as I looked thinner. They thought I was not well/sick. I used to walk a lot, ate bread and protein, and many times desserts/juices😆🤣 This year I was in Spain for 14 days, and I again lost 2 kilos and gained back those lost kilos after getting back to my country 😭 I ate a lot of protein, shellfishes, orange juices, wines during my time in Spain

[kunahs_ohana]

Europeans eat and live for love and pleasure 🧡 That’s how I was raised in an Italian household. Not how much fat will I gain if I eat this or how many hours have I spent at the gym this week. I’m an Italian living in Australia and even though I have those roots ingrained in me, because Australia likes to mimick the US it’s easy to fall into that unnatural trap that infiltrates our media and medical system. So wonderful that you’ve recognised this Thomas and shared it…thank you 🙏😊

[marcoh]

Greetings from Germany. You're right, the food in Europe is a lot healthier, but you can also eat badly if you don't watch what you buy. In any case, you have the chance to eat healthily at a reasonable price. Especially in Southern Europe you have the very best quality fish, oils and natural foods. I always find it difficult to eat healthily when I travel to the USA. Best regards and keep up the good work

[thewoodworkingstudio]

The real big difference is everything has a full ingredient list not just a summary as the US has. If you read the ingredients list on bread you will know why you are allergic to gluten. You’re not allergic to gluten just the other ingredients they don’t tell you about.

[michaelgrabner]

I will just mention that having dinner late is a pure mediterranian thing because of the sun heat...so people there eat later in the evening 9-10 pm when the temperture is a bit down...
I live in the Alpine region our "common dinner time" is considered culturally on avarage between 5-7pm (around 5pm in winter, around 7pm in summer unless on very hot days then it might be 8pm)

[jpteknoman]

The main difference between a McDonald's burger in USA and one in Europe is that the one in Europe will spoil if you leave it out for a couple of days, while the one from USA will still be edible in a month because of all the additives. Also in most places in Europe, traditional fast food options use mainly unprocessed ingredients.

[suzanneparis]

You forgot to mention one important factor: Time! Europeans take their time to eat. That means to sit down, if possible with friends or family, and do nothing else than appreciate the moment. Restaurant tables are normally yours for the whole evening, so there's no reason to rush things. This is incredibly healthy, too!

[nek_ad]

all my friends who visited USA have told me that most of their foods have sweet taste, bread and even main dish is usually unnaturally sweet. We only use sugar in desserts

[suzu]

Hey Thomas, I literally lived half my life in Europe and the other half in North America. And that's 25 years in each place. Yup, food culture and quality are sooo different in those two places. Night and day. Currently I am living in the Netherlands and every time I leave the city and drive past farmers field I see cows grazing freely in the most amazing green grass and I think to myself " Now those are Happy cows". Food quality, portion size, and food regulations all beat the American standard. Tope that with walking integrated into your daily life... It's a much easier to stay healthy in Europe. Great show as always, thank you.

[KristianGodsveen]

Hi. I have to point out that espresse and espresso-made coffee drinks have less(!) caffeine than ordinary coffee. It has much more taste, but less caffeine. That's because the water goes trough the coffee grains much faster as steam than ordinary hot water which is used when making ordinary coffee. So in an espresso the steam leaves behind much of the coffee oils containing tannin and caffeine.