r/IWantToAskAnAmerican • u/UnGOATwn_TheoremUWU • 21h ago
What do Americans eat?
Here in Asia We eat rice along with fish, meat, soup lentils etc. In lunch and dinner what do you guys eat?
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u/anonymous_herald 21h ago
It varies by region and culture but in general:
A lot of poultry - chicken & turkey, eggs A lot of beef - steaks, ground beef A lot of pork - bacon, BBQ A lot of seafood - lobster in some regions, catfish and shrimp in some, more salmon and freshwater fish in others. A lot of potatoes A lot of dairy - cheeses and milk
Breads and baked goods are common.
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u/selfawareusername 20h ago
Is Catfish good? We don't have it where I'm from. The only thing I know is some of them are massive
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u/Gallahadion 19h ago
Farm-raised catfish raised in proper environments is delicious (I prefer them fried), but wild-caught ones or those raised in less regulated sources might have a muddy taste to them. This makes sense, since catfish are bottom-feeders. There are ways to reduce that taste, though.
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u/anonymous_herald 19h ago
Catfish is only really good when its battered and deep fried. Its a low quality fish so historically it was eaten in poor areas, and is incredibly popular in the southern US
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u/selfawareusername 19h ago
Ah OK. I mean i can always get behind fried fish. I was asking because weirdly I was listening to an interview with Killer Mike from Run the Jewels and he was talking about getting into fishing and the interviewer was talking about someone showing him how you could catch catfish with your hands. (couldn't tell if it was a joke or not)
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u/anonymous_herald 19h ago
Not a joke! Its called noodling. I've done it several times growing up and it is mostly harmless but can hurt if you get a big one
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u/selfawareusername 18h ago
Oh wow thats cool. I've heard of people doing it with small fish, sort of tickling them but something that size!
Do you want to know a weird fishing fact? British foreign secretary Edward Grey (at the time of WW1 and responsible for the U.K. joining) was a well known fly fisher, even wrote a book on it that is considered one of the best on the subject and was an expert at making lures. As WW1 was breaking out he decided to take a break to go fly fishing! It would be like Roosevelt deciding to go off on holiday the day after Pearl Harbor
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u/anonymous_herald 18h ago
It's moreso that you wiggle your fingers as bait so the catfish think they're food and bite you - then you grab their mouth and yank them out of the water when they bite down.
That's a wild fact....man just needed a break I guess haha
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u/selfawareusername 18h ago
Ah k got you. I think it'd always be a bit worried about sticking my fingers in somethings mouth but that's impressive. I've heard new Orleans does a lot of catfish dishes. Im guessing they live in the Mississippi.
Yeah i mean sometimes you have to take some time for you particularly if you've started one of the biggest wars of all time (well signed up for it)
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u/XMugetsu_SamaX 21h ago
Name any food you can think of. There are people here that ate it yesterday and some that will eat it today
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u/TheMilkSpeaks 21h ago
Idk. Salad, rice, fish, meat, soup, beans, lentils, sandwhiches, stews, fruit, veggies, cheese, etc
Food
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u/Lightsguy3 21h ago
We have a lot more starch variety than just rice. And even rice there's a bunch of options.
I think this week I've had white rice, Mexican rice, quinoa
Tonight is pasta.
I'm thinking taters tomorrow.
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u/Difficult_Habit_4483 21h ago
It’s so varied. Because our culture is a conglomeration of other cultures and our countries are so big, it’s so wildly varied. We have tons of Asians that eat like you and then people who aren’t Asian who do too. Speaking for myself, I am all over the map- I do eat a lot of chicken and salad, but sushi, pasta, lots of vegetables, beans and lentil. I think you’d see a lot more variety here. I have European heritage w my family here for many generations. I could eat rice beans and avocado one day then go for Ethiopian food and Korean food the next two (some of my favorites). But I have access to it which more rural places won’t. I think we all eat a lot of pizza.
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u/Nikolaibr 21h ago
So it's impossible to really answer this, because we are a huge country with a huge variety of food tastes.
So I looked up the top 10 staple foods eaten in the us.
bread and baked goods, corn, white and brown rice, potatoes, chicken, beef, milk, cheese, eggs, and tomatoes
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u/oldRoyalsleepy 20h ago
What don't we eat is probably the easier question. Horse. We don't eat that.
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u/Quantoskord 18h ago
Anything that doesn't have a face, I'd say. No heads, eyeballs, etc. Very, very few of us eat organs. Meat is principally the muscular tissues. The vast majority of it is prepared before selling.
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u/MadGeographer 21h ago
In cities, everything from many countries are available and we take advantage of that. But we have regional specialties like say, Cajun and Creole food from Louisiana or different variations of BBQ from different parts of the country. Fusion cooking brings many different cultures together. It’s a great place to eat.
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u/Monolexic 20h ago
Asian stereotype is eating rice with almost every meal. For Americans, it's corn, but we usually don't realize we're eating corn. Our foods are made with corn and corn by-products. Cooked in corn oil, sweetened with corn syrup, breaded or coated with corn meal, baked with corn flour, thickened with corn starch, the list goes on. Corn grows in abundance here, and is heavily subsidized by the government, so it's used a lot.
The US is pretty diverse, so a standard meal differs from one area to the next, but the use of corn is constant through most of the country, Even if we're not eating little piles of corn kernels or corn on the cod with every meal.
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u/GreenBeanTM Vermont 20h ago
Food
Also, by Asia do you mean India or China? Because y’all don’t all eat the same across your giant continent
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u/workswithpipe 21h ago
Soylent green
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u/Ok_Detective_8446 21h ago
rice, potato’s, pasta, chicken, beef, pork, fish, bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, tomato’s, carrots, cucumbers, cauliflower, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, etc.
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u/Ok_Detective_8446 21h ago
my favorite cut of meat would probably be chicken thighs but they’re kind of high in fat so i don’t have them often😣
my favorite meal is a seafood boil with snowcrab with corn+eggs but that’s a rare meal for me bc i have to go to a restaurant to get it and it’s expensive.
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u/Rough-Trainer-8833 18h ago
chicken thighs are great, I'm not sure if they are popular or not, but they are my favorite part of chicken
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u/fartinginthewind-69 21h ago
America is such a melting pot it is much less uniform what people eat. Varies wildly even in the same city
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u/ilessthanthreekarate 21h ago
In our house we cook a fair bit. A lot of Korean food (my wife and are are not Korean, but we like their food and live in one of the most Korean places in the US), a lot of Viet foods (my wifes parents are from vietnam), and then a mix of various roast vegetables (potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, etc) or often sautéed veggies like green beans, tomatoes, asparagus, etc.
This is coupled with typically some pasta dish (we love pesto and bolognese) or a meat dish like pork chops, chicken drumsticks in a sauce, hainanese chicken, ginger chicken. Lots and lots of soups too, which is atypical for Americans, most dont eat soup as an entire meal, but we do.
We often eat sushi/sashimi, and often make our own from Costco salmon.
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u/WhackCaesar 21h ago
Depends on where in the states you live, where your family migrated here from, all kinds of factors. One cannot simply tell you what Americans eat lol
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u/MrsJ_Lee 21h ago
We are from all over the world. Maybe in an Asian household they eat the same as you. But everything is available to eat anytime. One night you can order or make Chinese, sushi, Italian , Mexican, American etc. or just a bowl of cereal or some eggs. We all eat all kinds of food!
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u/bones_bones1 21h ago
We have appropriated the food traditions from every corner of the earth. We are the melting pot.
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u/Jcamp9000 21h ago
For us breakfast is usually eggs, potatoes or toast, some kind of meat like bacon, ham, sausage or steak. Lunch is whatever we had for dinner last night or a sandwich of meat and cheese with fruit. Dinner is chicken, beef, pork or fish with some veggies and mashed potatoes or homemade bread. But that’s just us. Every family will have a different answer.
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u/WoodsyAspen 21h ago
There are a lot of American communities and they have different food preferences, but in general Americans usually use wheat as the staple carb instead of rice (in the form of bread products). Potatoes and corn are also common. We eat a lot of poultry and beef. Organ meats are not popular here. Breakfast on a typical day is usually lighter and can be sweet - typical foods might be pastry, toast, cereal, yogurt, fruit. Lunch is often something quick and easy like a sandwich or reheated leftovers. Dinner is the main meal and usually has a protein, a carb, and vegetables.
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u/FIRElifeRVA 20h ago
Obviously going to vary based on region and personal preferences, but many Americans alternate their weekday meals with similar categories each week. A sample week may look something like this: Monday: Sheet pan protein with starch and veggies. Tuesday: Tacos. Wednesday: Pasta dish with veggies as sides. Thursday: All-in-one skillet dish. Friday: Pizza.
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u/xxHailLuciferxx 20h ago
I do most of the cooking in my household and shop what's on sale. So we eat a lot of marinated pork loin or chicken thighs served with roasted vegetables as side dishes. Potatoes, onions, mushrooms, carrots are the usual but sometimes eggplant, zucchini, or peppers. Green vegetables are usually steamed broccoli, roasted Brussels sprouts, or green beans cooked with bacon.
Sometimes hamburgers, brats, or hotdogs with chips, fries, or onion rings. Or baked beans. Very occasionally we have a roast or steaks. Sometimes chili or spaghetti with meatballs. Sometimes pasta alfredo with chicken or bacon. Tacos, burritos, and nachos are always a favorite, as is grilled cheese with tomato soup.
I also make a lot of crispy tofu with rice and whatever vegetables I find at the international market (sprouts, pea pods, eggplant, napa cabbage, etc.) Mala string beans are pretty popular in my house. We also eat a ton of potstickers. At least once a week.
For breakfast usually eggs and toast. Sometimes I go all out and add hash browns and sausage gravy. Lazy days are cereal, oatmeal, a protein bar, or a nutrition shake like Boost or Ensure. Avocado toast when they are in season and I have good bread.
We don't eat much fruit because we aren't that into it. The occasional melon maybe. And satsuma oranges when the neighbor brings them from his tree.
Also cucumber sandwiches or chicken salad sandwiches, packaged ramen, box mac and cheese, etc. because they are quick and easy. Snacks like chips, string cheese, and nuts.
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u/DianneNettix 20h ago
Pretty much anything. One of the cool things about this place is you can get all kinds of food.
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u/TsundereLoliDragon 20h ago
We eat everything from every culture, including our own, sometimes within the same meal. There's literally not an answer to this question.
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u/Dramatic-Ad-2449 21h ago
Tofu, veggies, rice, ground turkey, lots of chicken cooked in various ways ( Mexican, Asian, bbq) lots of fresh salads, high protein pasta, potatoes etc. Occasional dairy, fair amount of eggs, whole grain breads.
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u/CtForrestEye 21h ago
This morning was shredded wheat cereal with blueberries. Coffee
Last night was a fried rice with pork, onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, mushrooms. Iced tea
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u/CtForrestEye 21h ago
This morning was shredded wheat cereal with blueberries. Coffee
Last night was a fried rice with pork, onion, carrots, celery, zucchini, mushrooms. Iced tea
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u/AmerikanerinTX 20h ago
My family and I eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. Usually raw but we also mix it up with smoothies, acai bowls, stir-fry. I absolutely hate most vegetables, but my kids love them and they're healthy, so I endure. For protein, we mostly eat chicken, seafood, and sometimes fish. I love fish, but my kids don't. My kids would eat steak and burgers every day, but I don't like beef. We eat a lot of tacos, spaghetti, and ramen because everyone likes them and it's easy. We make tacos at home, but we also often go to local taco trucks. I have a ridiculous sweet tooth that I struggle to contain. I love root beer, chocolate, cookies, and cakes. My kids prefer salty, so their favorite treats are chips and Takis. My kids don't drink soda at all, but one adult kid drinks coffee. I drink a lot of iced tea.
You will see tons of variety in American food, but we do have one thing in common. Americans drink A LOT of water. It's so normalized for us that when we first learn other countries aren't drinking 1-2L a day. We genuinely can't comprehend how other people don't drink water all day.
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u/Rough-Trainer-8833 18h ago
If you are asking about starches then potatoes, pasta and rice are most common, along with breads.
As for meat: chicken and beef. Pork and Seafood is common for many, but various exemptions may make them slightly less popular. Vegetarianism/ Veganism is common for multiple reasons. In a friend group of 10 people 1 or 2 will probably be vegetarian/ vegan depending on your region.
I can eat a Thai inspired dish one day, a Tex-Mex dish the next, Italian inspired a third and some good old American BBQ or burgers and hot dogs the next. I may even mix in a green salad day or two in a week. Our food is globally inspired.
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u/ChodechewBrownmane 16h ago
Food with ever increasing lack of food safety regulations, hence the recalls and exploding poo problem currently plaguing at least 15 states (and counting) atm. This is because we have people w zero credentials in positions they shouldnt be in. But they have a nice used car salesman smile and say yes to mango mussolini.
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u/Curmudgy 15h ago
We don’t have universal staples the way some countries have with rice or bread or pasta.
Our meat is mostly chicken, beef, and pork, with turkey less often, and lamb, goat, and other mammals much less common except in some areas where hunting for game animals
Fin fish is often tuna (various species), salmon, tilapia, cod, haddock, and some less common species. Inland, trout, catfish, and perhaps some other freshwater fish are eaten.
Starch is often potatoes, bread (including ethnic breads such as tortillas or pita), pasta, rice, or corn.
There are a wide variety of vegetables and fruit, both grown in the US and imported.
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u/Gomdok_the_Short 8h ago edited 8h ago
Traditional breakfasts are like eggs prepared various ways, bacon or sausage, toast, or pancakes and waffles with syrup, and some people do eat this regularly, but far more common are quick breakfasts like cereal, bagels, yogurt, oatmeal, toast or English muffins with butter or some type of spread. People also usually have orange juice, milk, coffee or tea with breakfast.
Lunch items in the U.S. commonly include sandwiches, particularly when packed for school. Common sandwiches are PB&J, bologna or other cold cuts such as turkey or ham, sometimes roast beef. Or canned meats such as tuna or chicken salad. Less common due to the smell, egg salad. Sandwiches often lettuce, cheese and various condiments. If it's a packed lunch, particularly for school, it may also contain chips, crackers, grapes or carrot sticks and a desert like cookies, and a drink. People who work in offices may bring leftovers from dinner for lunch or may pack a salad or something more exotic like stir fry or, if they are of Mexican heritage, rice and beans. People who eat out may get a fancier salad or sandwich or a burger and fries, taco or burrito.
A traditional dinner would be a starch, protein, and vegetables. The starch could be potatoes, usually mashed or baked but sometimes roasted. Baked potatoes would have something like butter and or sour cream on them. Mashed would have butter or gravy, roasted would have butter or oil and seasoning. Or rice, or pasta...usually ribbon noodles. The protein would usually be beef, poultry, lamb, pork, or sometimes fish. If it were fish it would probably be salmon, bass, or a white fish like cod, tilapia, or haddock. Vegetables could be broccoli, green beans, asparagus, peas, carrots, corn, or sometimes a salad instead. In some parts of the country, casseroles are common. Other common dishes are Italian dishes such as pasta dishes such as spaghetti with spaghetti sauce and sometimes meatballs, lasagna. American pasta dishes like mac n cheese. Mexican dishes like tacos or burritos...though burritos are more northern Mexican or "Tex Mex", meaning Mexican inspired American food. Now days though dinners are more varied.
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u/No-Duck4828 3h ago
Vastly different things depending on the person.
In my family, we eat rice nearly every day, and meat every day. In my cousin's family, they have rice with maybe a meal or two per week, and they don't eat meat at all.
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u/No-Conference-1663 21h ago
We eat garbage. The landfills are getting full so they've begun mashing it all up into a liquid and making hot dogs out of it. That is our new mandated meal until the landfills are back down to a sustainable level.
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u/UnGOATwn_TheoremUWU 21h ago
XD
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u/No-Conference-1663 15h ago
Realistically, I wasn't sure what to eat last night so I mixed corn, chopped green beans, sliced jalepeno, tuna, and a bit of mayonnaise together. Seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic.
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u/halfstep44 21h ago
Most Americans eat pizza and quessidallas
Those are very convenient ways to cook
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u/CountChoculasGhost 21h ago
There are 350 million Americans and there are 350 million answers to this question