Fast Food Nation

As you all know, food is one of my favorite things to discuss and experience. For example, I've been fascinated by comparing the Chilean diet to my, more habitual, North American one. The Chileans seem to eat more sugar, smaller portions, and more frequently. The Chilean day generally has 4 meals instead of three. They insert an 'once' which happens around 5-6PM and eat a light dinner closer to 10PM if they're still hungry. This seems to make for a population that is far thinner than the US but not as thin as a stereotypically European society. One of the biggest differences that I can pinpoint...outside of these eating habits...is the total absence of high-fructose corn syrup. In a country with a serious sweet tooth, I have been surprised to find that everything from coffee to candy has just plain sugar in it. Also, most of the food consumed in Chile is very fresh and the canned/boxed food sections of your traditional grocery store don't exist in any recognizable form.
Some interesting research into the affects of sugar, fat, and salt on the brain has been recently talked about and I would encourage you to check it out. The source is former FDA Chair David Kessler and he posits that fat, salt, and sugar can affect the body and brain in very much the same way traditional drugs do. Thought provoking stuff and a good way to look at your diet in a different way. Check out this video of Dr. Kessler drawing the links between the science of this research, the way we eat, and the real cost of health.
Here are some pictures of the food we've been cooking, finding, and eating :)