My Attitude to Eating

FOOD

Introduction

Everybody has to eat. Different people have different tastes. Everybody loves food he is used to eat. I like meals cooked by my mother. When I eat the same meal cooked by someone else I don’t like it so much. It is the same with each other.

My attitude to eating

Food is one of the biggest problems of today because it is necessary to eat. Bud what should we eat? What is healthy and what unhealthy. I really don’t know. Eggs were said to be healthy a few years ago. Later on they became unhealthy because of cholesterol. But now I read that people should eat eggs because they are good for their memory and they protect them from stress. It’s the same with the milk for instance. Milk is good for bones but you could be fat after some milk. Can we also drink milk packed in paper bags with an aluminium layer inside? Or can we eat healthy vegetables, which had grown on an acid soil?

Healthy food: milk – for bones, fruit, vegetables, poultry (chicken, hen, duck, goose, turkey), fish, rabbits, soja, cornflakes, dark bread, honey, nuts…

Unhealthy food: eggs, lamb, pork, beef, veal, mutton, chips, sweets, chocolates…

Alcoholic drinks – bad for the liver, but beer- good for digestion, red wine- good for blood…

“A lot of people are vegetarian because they think they eat healthy but it’s not true,” say the scientists. “Humans are omnivorous and they body is built that way and when they don’t eat meat the body don’t have all of the things it needs.” Red meat is also said to be unhealthy but American scientists discovered that there are some trace elements, which are in no other food.

I am may be a little bit sceptic but I think that it will be find that the food which is said to be healthy now will be said to be unhealthy a few year later and contrariwise.

At the restaurant

When you come you should find a free table and wait for the waiter. It’s impolite to crack fingers. You can be fined for doing it. The waiter brings you a menu and asks whether you want anything to drink. (mineral water, cola, fanta… wine, beer, champagne, aperitifs…). You can have a soup first (potato, tomato, pea, bean, carrot, parsley, celery, mushrooms, beef, tripe, chicken, hen, poultry, fish, goulash, strawberry…) Then you could have a main meal (meat with potatoes, chips, croquette, dumplings, pasta, rice…) As for desert you could have ice cream, pancakes, cake, fruit… Then you call the waiter and pay for a dinner.

Eating habits in Czech republic and Great Britain

In our country the day starts with a breakfast, which consists of something to drink (tea with milk or lemon, cocoa, warm milk, black coffee) and something to eat (one or two slices of bread and butter and cheese or eggs, salami, ham, jam, honey…). Instead of bread we can eat rolls, buns or something sweet (cakes, doughnuts, gingerbread). A lot of people eat for their breakfast cornflakes or muesli. Breakfast usually takes place between 6 and 7 o’clock.

Around noon we have our lunch, which is warm and consist of soup, main meal, dessert and something to drink. Most people go to school or factory canteen, some of them prefer going to the restaurant of having fast lunch in a buffet or snackbar.

An evening meal could be either warm or cold. Quick and cold supper may consist of some paté on bread or rolls, kippers or some spread, ham, cheese… Warm supper could be a soup, potato pancakes (bramborák), ham and eggs, sausages…

Traditional English breakfast consists of glass of juice and cornflakes or muesli with sugar and milk. Of course they drink tea or coffee. Sunday is reserved for their big breakfast (it is sometimes called brunch – breakfast and lunch together) consisting of boiled or scrambled eggs or fried bacon and eggs with perhaps sausage or tomato or fried bread. Most people like a crisp piece of toast with butter and marmalade or honey.

In GB people have only a small lunch (sandwiches, fruit, sweets, vegetables, something to drink).

Typical British break is 5 o’clock tea. It is usually fairly strong and eaten together with some cakes or biscuits. They drink the tea with milk and without sugar.

About 6 o’clock most families have their evening meal or dinner. It may be cooked or cold depending on the time of the year. It is their main meal. They have often sausages, potatoes or chips. The English are fond of cakes and pies. They are used to eat a dessert after each dinner.

A lot of people eat some sandwiches or some bread with spread after the dinner at night (9 – 10 o’clock).

Fast food

Fast food is a typical feature of both English and American lifestyles. At food stalls you can buy various types of food to eat as you walk along the streets or take it away and eat at home. The Americans call these restaurants “cheapies”. These places – McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, KFC … usually offer beverages (Coca-Cola, Pepsi-Cola, tea, juice…), some solid food like roast chicken and chips, hamburgers, sandwiches, pizza, salads, deserts… You can put pickles, onions, ketchup or tomatoes on your hamburger too. The oldest type of fast food are sea food stalls or shops – usually fish and chips – the fish is cut to pieces, covered with batter (flour and water) and fried in oil. Another typical feature of British and American lifestyles is popcorn.

It is said that fast food is very unhealthy and probably it’s true. They fry it on a bad oil, the hygiene is also very bad and it is unhealthy to eat while you are walking. But it is very popular and most of children love it. In some countries it is also the cheapest food.

Eating out or in

Both of this has advantages and disadvantages. OUT – no dishes, no washing up, no cooking, professionally prepared food, for many people it is a small celebration, very expensive, you have to go somewhere, it could be unhealthy, you have to wait till they prepare it. IN – cheaper, at home, more comfortable, dishes, you have cook it yourself