You need to go to the store!
By AmberLynn
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
United States
January 13, 2016 12:42am CST
No really you should. I've never been out of the country but a couple of the places I would like to visit are, well, out of the country. I've watched videos on youtube about others who have visited the local food shopping places in other countries.
They would go on vacation and take a few minutes to go inside one of the food stores to see the differences and similarities. You can learn a lot from these types of excursions.
Serving Sizes are different, different combinations of foods, different flavors of foods etc. Some foods you don't have in your country, or if you do it's expensive.
I think a lot can be said about the fact that you have to go to a special store to get American Cereals if you live in London. I say London specifically because it may be different throughout the Country.
I watched video of a food trip inside an Asian Grocery Store but I forget the country.
My aunt lived in Germany for a few years but I never talked to her about the differences in foods here and there.
Prices are another thing. Cheaper for healthy foods in other countries whereas the more unhealthy it is, well the more expensive it is.
Hello America! We are Backwards!
Have you ever gone into a food store in another country to compare?
Have you ever gone into a food store in another country to compare?11 people like this
12 responses
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32760)
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Jan 16
I had been to Sweden,Japan, US and Netherlands, Those countries have higher cost of living than my current home. It made me realize living in a 3rd world country is not as bad as it seems.
2 people like this

@CaptAlbertWhisker (32760)
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Jan 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum The Price of a piece of banana in Netherlands is the price of a sack of bananas in my country. On the other hand, Peaches are very expensive in my area. I know in Europe and US, peaches are cheap.
2 people like this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
@CaptAlbertWhisker Bananas are generally 47 cent per pound here. I don't know about peacehs as I don't buy them. It's sad that the cost of fruits and veggies are so high in other countries because of import dues.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
I'd love to visit the Netherlands one day, that and Belgium. I'd also like to go to the UK. Yes we take for granted our circumstances a lot.

@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
13 Jan 16
Ive been to a few countries but not the US.
Mostly I've stayed at least a couple of weeks and generally in self catering type places so I've grocery shopped in most of the countries.
I've been to many European countries like Ireland,France,Spain,Germany,Holland,Belgium,Switzerland,Austria, Monaco,Czech republic, Poland and Ukraine.
Further afield I lived in Cuba for a few months and I've been to a couple of middle eastern countries.
1 person likes this

@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
14 Jan 16
Saw a food comparison shop video made a few years ago. Americans went to the UK to comparison shop. Most prices were cheaper, especially for vegetarian cuisine.
Watched another a few years ago for a grocery store in an Asian country but can't remember which.
1 person likes this
@Mike197602 (15504)
• United Kingdom
13 Jan 16
For food the uk is easily the highest price out of most places I've been except for Monaco and Switzerland which were expensive.
1 person likes this

@GardenGerty (169477)
• United States
13 Jan 16
Only in Toronto and Tijuana. More fresh stuff, even in winter, in Toronto. Lots of fresh local food in Tijuana.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
13 Jan 16
I have never traveled outside the country or hardly out of my state, but yes the food serving sizes, prices, etc are way different!
We are complaining about the cost of fruits here in America whereas in Japan, my sister says everything is extremely expensive! But she said the fruits are also good too. I cannot imagine living expenses, etc.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
I've only traveled out of the state once! lol
I didn't think about the countries whose climate can not support the growth of most of the veggies and fruits we take for granted. So your sister lives in Japan now?
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
13 Jan 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum I have been to a few states but I am looking forward to road-tripping in the future.
My sister traveled often for work and has visited a lot of countries. I remember her telling me Japan is very expensive for fruit. And that, I take fruit here for granted since I don't eat a lot. 

@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
@infatuatedbby haha sounds like she's trying to guilt trip you so to speak! lol
1 person likes this
@softbabe44 (5815)
• Vancouver, Washington
14 Jan 16
Sometimes finding food values if you stay with the health values might be the better way to go.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
14 Jan 16
Yes but there are so many "quick and healthy" foods that arent' as healthy as we might think.
I would rather pay more and be healthy than pay less and pay later.
1 person likes this
@softbabe44 (5815)
• Vancouver, Washington
15 Jan 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum That's a good way of looking at it .
1 person likes this
@boiboing (13147)
• Northampton, England
13 Jan 16
A large number of American foods come nowhere close to meeting European ingredient legislation and so can't be stocked in mainstream stores. You would be amazed what junk you're being allowed to eat in the US that's not permitted elsewhere. (yes, I work in the food industry and your food law is decades behind Europe)
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
I have started to realize how many short cuts are being taken with our food here. It's all about the bottom dollar here unfortunately, and no regard to our health. They sell us on cheap prices and false marketing. "Natural" on our labels here means nothing.
1 person likes this
@maezee (41985)
• United States
17 Jan 16
Yes! I went to several grocery stores when I was in Sweden and it was totally different than the United States. Portion sizes, varieties of foods, brands, etc were all different. It was very cool to see these cultural differences reflected in a grocery store. I bought a Red Bull and they asked for my ID, because apparently you need to be 18 to buy an energy drink!
@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
13 Jan 16
never been just to do comparisons though very impressed by huge food portions and low prices in Toronto compared to the UK restaurants

@arthurchappell (44941)
• Preston, England
13 Jan 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum still sounds good value to me
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
I could argue that higher prices on the higher food portions would be beneficial overall health wise. Most entree's here are around $8.00. A nice cut of steakthough will cost you around $2.00 more. Most of ours come with two or three vegetables. Beverages are usually $1.50 extra, and refills are not always free either.
1 person likes this

@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
You don't want to travel? or don't care about comparisons?
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
It's not just about the better stuff but the pricing as well. 
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
13 Jan 16
We have in the past, both Cuba and Mexico although our lack of understanding the language made buying anything more than difficult.
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
13 Jan 16
I know *just* enough spanish to ask how much something is, and I could probably understand their response. I am sure you have a somewhat decent selection of Latino foods in stores up there? I know we do down here.
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21845)
• Canada
14 Jan 16
@ScribbledAdNauseum we have any nationality food we could want, I love the small, stores with treasures in them in Canada.
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32760)
• Calgary, Alberta
13 Jan 16
Lets say 25 dollar in a 3rd country can feed a family of 5 in my country. First world countries have high cost of living. The richer the country the more expensive the goods.
1 person likes this
@Plethos (13718)
• United States
13 Jan 16
@CaptAlbertWhisker - not necessarily, it also depends on where you live. cities are more expensive than small towns.
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