If ever there was an award for “Longest Blog Title Ever”, chances are I would have just won it ;). Is it me or has this week flown by faster than normal. This might be the first time I say this but I don’t think I’m quite ready for the weekend yet. So much work to do, so little time and all that jazz! Earlier this week I got to thinking about how living in Mumbai has affected my eating habits as opposed to London. While moving cities definitely changes various aspects of our lives, my eating habits & taste buds are definitely not ones that I anticipated:
- I eat less fish: Whereas I eat salmon, cod and/or halibut almost every other day in London, I tend to only eat fish in Mumbai when I’m eating out. Some of the local Indian fish like pomfret & rawas actually taste great, but the idea of eating it regularly just doesn’t appeal to me over here. When I’m deciding what protein to add to my meals, I’m more drawn towards chicken, eggs, tofu & chickpeas.
- I prefer eating more substantial, cooked lunches: While I don’t mind lunching on the occasional salad or sandwich, I feel more satisfied after a hot lunch like a quinoa stir fry with some kind of protein added in or daal (lentils) with brown rice. It’s funny because as much as I enjoy the latter while I’m here, I wouldn’t voluntarily choose to eat it when I’m out of India.
- I don’t eat organic: While pretty much all the fruits & veggies I eat here are both seasonal & locally grown, none of them are organic…at least not that I am aware of. Whereas almost every supermarket in London stocks organic varieties alongside conventional produce, the trend is yet to catch up here whereby it is freely accessible. I am not complaining, but it would be nice to at least have the option to buy organic meat & dairy, along with organic versions of the produce on the Dirty Dozen List.
- Almost everything I eat is fresh: Along with eating fresh produce & a minimally-processed diet, this also extends to typical canned goods. Whereas eating foods like chickpeas & sweetcorn in London boils down to opening up a can, over here it means pre-soaking the chickpeas overnight & then boiling them in a pressure cooker the next morning. Another thing that comes to mind is marinara sauce- for the sake of convenience, I usually buy it jarred in London but over here, it’s only ever made at home.
It’s funny how ‘healthy eating’ looks different in each city to some extent. When people ask me how I adjusted to life in Mumbai after being in London for 8 years, I tend to retort the same answer: Every city has its pros & cons. What Mumbai lacks, it makes up for it in other areas. Sure I’d love to be able to buy organic berries & try out new “health” foods as they are introduced to the market.
However on the flip side, I am extremely grateful that domestic help is an option in Mumbai. As it makes food prep & eating from scratch all the more easier here, I have no doubt that having an extra set of hands in the kitchen also contributes to my eating choices while I’m in Mumbai. I’m all for carving out time to eat healthy but I’m also a realist- if I didn’t have someone to help roll out chapattis (a.k.a. flatbreads/wraps), I’d be more tempted to simply add a packet of wholemeal tortilla wraps to my grocery cart ;).
How does your city affect your eating habits?
Do you notice a difference in your taste buds or eating choices while you are away?
I live in Switzerland and living here affects me in many ways! First, I don’t buy organic because there is no need to do so here. The farming methods used here are more natural than those used in the EU and the US. Second, I cook a lot of things from scratch because there are not that many convenience foods available here. Even nut butters are very hard to find. And finally, I eat a simple and traditional diet because there are not that many “special” or “super foods” here. For example, quinoa JUST started being available and kale is still nowhere to be found. Things like chia seeds, flax seeds, spirulina, maca etc are really expensive and only sold in specialized stores.
When I go on vacation to the US I always want to try everything that we don’t have here, so I find myself eating at “paleo” or “vegan” or “raw” restaurants just because I am curious! I also buy a lot of energy/ protein bars because I can’t find them at home.
I loved hearing about your eating habits in Switzerland, Letizia. That’s really interesting about the farming methods in Switzerland- we get so carried away with all these labels that we forget that in some places, there is little need to seek out “organic” options.
“It’s funny because as much as I enjoy the latter while I’m here, I wouldn’t voluntarily choose to eat it when I’m out of India. ”
I reckon Indian food is a cuisine which is so easy to mess up! To be honest, if I were living in Mumbai, I would gravitate towards more legume based proteins too- Not only is it more cost affective but I reckon they don’t compare to the Western world.
I always say that India is a dream country for vegans & vegetarians- the options are close to unlimited!
This is one of the reasons I love reading other ‘foodie’ blogs, from all over the world – I love reading about different foods people have access too (even if I do get super jealous!) and it makes me want to visit those countries! I was wondering if price influences you at all too – I know that I bite the bullet in London when it comes to eating out as well as buying organic etc – in fact pretty much everything is more expensive than any other country I’ve been too (even Japan!). So I guess when I’m abroad I make the most of the pennies I save 😉
The local produce in India is relatively much cheaper than abroad but something like a box of blueberries costs over double than what I’d pay in London (close to £8-9)!!
Life in Mumbai sounds just like in Nepal! They both have pros and cons and also I find that trying health foods/ organic stuff is more of a luxury over there but at the same time, so many healthy/ trendy food in the western world like lentils/ chickpeas/rice flour area a staple there.
Exactly- it makes me laugh that so many people in the western world are going gaga over chickpea flour now!
You were very lucky to be in London when you were in the UK. When I travel down to London I feel like I am in another country! It’s so easy to eat well and fresh down there.
As you go further up the country though, healthy eating is so difficult. I eat mostly at home so I can cook up tasty healthy meals all week long but going out for meals or picking up lunch is tough.
The UK has such amazing local produce, just wish it was available to buy and not all shipped abroad (like most of the Scottish fish and seafood). But places like Whole Foods popping up in Glasgow has definitely made things easier for me!
I forget that the rest of the UK isn’t as health-forward as London. Picking up lunch on-the-go in Mumbai too is difficult, at least if we are talking about healthy options.
I love how you managed to put a positive spin on even the cons of each city, Khushboo!
I have lived in Atlanta since my college years and I love it – when I lived in Abu Dhabi, i thought we had a lot of variety there – but Atlanta has more than that! There’s homegrown fair at local farmers markets and exotic fare at The Dekalb Farmers Market as well as several South Asian and East Asian stores around – sometimes I cannot understand the signs or labels – but – food experimentation can be fun! 🙂
Since I came to Atlanta, when I have vacationed in other places, my eating tends to not be so healthy – I skip meals, eat out more – GAH – coming home and cluttering around in my kitchen becomes something I long to do towards the end of a vacay.
Hope you get all you needed done and enjoy this weekend! xxs
I cannot even imagine what grocery shopping in the States on a regular basis must be like- let’s just say that all those options would seem like heaven to me…but also kinda overwhelming ;)!
This is so interesting! I’ve never really thought about it, but it makes perfect sense. And if I had someone making me fresh chapattis… I’d be in heaven. 🙂
Come visit & I’ll make sure that somebody rolls out your chapattis ;)!
That is so interesting. I don’t think my eating habits have changed since moving to London from Australia as the food is very similar, other than I eat more burgers now of course!
Man if I lived in London my burger consumption would multiply like crazy too!!
When I’m out of town (usually it’s only for vacations) I usually eat less. Also when I house sit or am away from my actual home I eat less because I buy just enough for me. Something about having food in my house for three people causes me to eat more at times.
If you think anything like me, you’ll do anything to reduce the risk of food wastage ;)!
I really admire your habit of eating, no wonder you look slim and fresh.
Thanks Jason :)!
Very interesting! It makes sense that you eat different form of healthy depending where you live, but I never considered it. When I moved to AZ over 12 yrs ago, I noticed a huge shift in my eating habits. More healthy, more water, more produce. Just the nature of being in the heat makes you want to eat more quality foods and so much more is available to you too.
That’s really interesting, Megan. Where were you before moving to AZ?
I was living in Mexico. It was all tortillas and cheesey dishes. Not many veggies.
Ahh the thought of all that guac though!
Ooh this is really interesting to read as I’m going to be spending a year in India soon and wasn’t sure what might happen to my diet. Looking forward to all the fresh food. Do you think you eat different vegetables? Also that stir fry looks soooo good!
Awesome- where about in India will you be? I tend to eat more or less the same veggies here as so much is now locally grown including “exotic” foods like kale!
It’s fascinating and so fun to go to other countries and re-adjust a bit, as other countries eating habits are SO different from American eating habits.
I agree, Emily…it’s amazing what ‘healthy’ means across the globe.