{"id":14609,"date":"2020-02-12T12:52:15","date_gmt":"2020-02-12T11:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/floridaandbeyond.com\/food-in-the-usa\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T17:18:52","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T15:18:52","slug":"food-in-the-usa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridaandbeyond.com\/en\/food-in-the-usa\/","title":{"rendered":"Food in the USA"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you are a tourist or an expatriate, food in the USA<\/strong> is a huge topic. Indeed, when people come on vacation and enjoy eating, one of the classic activities is of course tasting all those rich and sugary \u201cMade in USA\u201d products, often associated with GMOs, or \u201cGMO\u201d in the American version. People also test all kinds of fast food, and generally make a stop in the most extreme aisles of the most iconic US store of all, Walmart<\/strong>. We have almost all done it. On the other hand, when you actually live in the United States, you begin to see things very differently, because it is no longer just 10 or 15 days of junk food during a vacation, but everyday life.<\/p>\n

Walmart<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n

Today, it is impossible not to know that food and health are closely linked, not to mention the environment. Even though America has experienced for several years a growing wave of organic products, called USDA here, and newer categories of specific foods such as Gluten Free, there is still a huge amount of sorting to do. We should not hide from reality: food and health are complicated issues to manage in this country when you are an expatriate used to other standards.<\/p>\n

Even before our expatriation, I was already paying close attention to what we were eating in France. But our arrival in 2016 in the USA intensified that lifestyle of constantly deciphering labels in supermarkets. At first, we were a bit lost in supermarket aisles in the USA, so we tried to understand the labels and certifications in order to eat as healthily as possible in this industrial era. It is also a topic I discuss in my second book Expatriation to the USA, the Day After<\/a>. For weeks, and even months, we tested several supermarkets and different American food products, then learned how to decipher the labels. In your native language, it is already difficult to sort through all these certifications, so imagine doing it in another language, with organizations and acronyms you had never even heard of before. We had to learn, and with time we developed habits before buying food.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Our experience in supermarkets<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Walmart<\/strong>: The unavoidable American supermarket, very interesting on price. We buy the basics there like paper towels, tissues, and a few organic products marked USDA. We also buy many other types of products there, from computer items to kitchen utensils.<\/p>\n