Concepts That Guide Western Diets

The main concept of the Western diet, considered the traditional American way of eating, is consuming as much as possible for the smallest financial investment. The industrialization of the food industry created abundance, which should be a positive concept. However, the nutrition-related health problems in the West prove otherwise. People eating a Western diet often consume two or three times the required amount of calories daily, but barely meet dietary guidelines for nutrient intake. Meals are rarely built around servings of fruits or vegetables. This style of eating has led to obesity, increased risk of diseases and a culture that never seems to get enough to eat.

Cleaning Your Plate

• The idea of cleaning your plate is a Western practice that comes from feelings of appreciation and guilt. Luxury items were scarce during the era of the Great Depression. As the economy improved, American plates filled up, but people realized the supply may not be plentiful forever. The bountiful era of the mid-1900s was coupled with a growing awareness of things going on around the world. It was common knowledge that not all countries had the access to food like Americans did. This appreciation and empathy led American moms to encourage kids to clean their plates because children in other countries were not as lucky. This attitude remained a part of American culture, and more than half a century later, people are still motivated by something other than hunger to finish the food they were served.

Fast and Easy

• Convenience foods became popular during the 1950s, and food preparation and consumption continues to evolve in this way today. Preparing meals for the family is no longer the most important part of a person's day. Even stay-at-home moms and dads are responsible for more than just cooking and cleaning. The quicker a meal is prepared, the more time there is to focus on homework, sports, after-school activities and family fun time. The Western diet is convenient and easy, usually at the expense of nutrition and taste.

Eating Cheap

• The Western diet is filled with cheap food. The food industry has mastered the art of selling low-quality, inexpensive food to the consumer, and when people are asked to pay more, even for higher quality food, they are reluctant to do so. In other cultures, a family unable to afford meat dines on vegetables and grains. The Western food industry developed ways to make meat and other "luxury" food items cheap enough for all income levels. This includes raising meat and poultry in unhealthy conditions to keep the cost low and substituting less expensive ingredients such as corn syrup for cane sugar in beverages and snack food. The result is an unhealthy diet that appears varied, but is actually quite limited.

Changing Times

• People are beginning to understand the benefits of eating healthy, buying local and investing more in food. The Western diet is slowly changing to incorporate Eastern dining concepts. People have a growing awareness of what they are eating and are returning to the simpler way of eating that existed before the industrial revolution. They are also making the connection between how they feel and what they eat. In the future, the Western diet might be able to combine affordability, ease and abundance with better nutrition.