Food Culture Shock: Surviving the American Sweet Tooth

Let’s talk about the food here in the U.S. It's something that’s hard to overlook, especially for someone like me who comes from Sweden. Don’t get me wrong—the food is good, sometimes really good, but it feels like I’m one week away from either getting diabetes or having a heart attack. Okay, maybe not, but it certainly feels like it! The food here is so sweet and rich that I find myself actively searching for something that doesn’t seem like a health hazard in the long run.

Take the school cafeteria, called B-Room, for instance; breakfast, lunch, and dinner offers an array of pancakes, hash browns, syrup, burgers, pizza, soda, tea, pastries, cakes, waffles, and ice cream. And that’s just the start. Every meal comes with more sugar than I’d typically eat in a week back home! Haha, maybe not but it sure feels like it. It’s a massive culture shock, and I’ve talked to some of my friends who are also studying in the U.S., and they all say the same thing—it’s just different.

That being said, I have to talk about the Global Kitchen—a little hidden gem in the back of the cafeteria. They serve bangers after bangers! It's almost always something fun, and it tastes really good. We’ve had tacos in big fluffy shells, sweet fries that almost taste like churros, tacos in chip bags, teriyaki chicken, paninis, mango chicken salad, poke bowls, and so much more. It’s such a great side dish to whatever else they serve. Super fun and a refreshing break from the usual cafeteria offerings.

In Sweden, breakfast might be something like yogurt, porride, oatmeal, muesli, or a simple sandwich. Here? It's like dessert for breakfast! I find myself craving something more balanced, but it's tough to find alternatives that fit that description. It’s not just the cafeteria either—pretty much anywhere I go, it’s the same story. The portion sizes, the sugar, the fat... it's all way more than I’m used to.

A funny moment from this week was when we visited Cabela’s (see Week 3 for that adventure). My friend bought some beef jerky, and I figured it would be like marinated dried beef, right? Nope! It was sweet. And the label even said “smokey pepper flavor.” I was confused, but it was still kind of good, just... surprising. Another thing I noticed is Americans and their licorice. They have something called “red licorice,” which, to me, isn’t licorice at all. When they explain the flavor, they point to cherry-flavored candy, but even their idea of “cherry” is different from what I’m used to. Not saying one is better, but it caught me off guard!

This week, the swim team was invited to one of our teammate’s family chili fest. It was amazing! Almost everyone there made their own chili, and we all got to taste them. It was such a fun experience, getting to try different cooking styles. I also tried pigs in blankets for the first time, which are basically little hotdogs wrapped in sweet bread. Super yummy! A big thank you to my teammate and their family for the invite—it was great to feel so welcomed.

My Swedish teammate and I also brought some Djungelvrål (Swedish salty licorice), and let’s just say the Americans were not fans. Most people spit it out immediately! I guess the saltiness is just too much for them, which isn’t all that surprising considering how much sweeter their palate is. On the flip side, I tried some "not-so-spicy" noodles that said "3/5 mild spicy", and I almost died. I was sniffling because it was so spicy. So yeah, I guess their taste buds just are built different.