问答题 Many changes are taking place in Americans' food styles. The United States is traditionally famous for its solid and unchanging diet of meat and potatoes. Now we have many different alternatives to choose from: various ethnic foods, nutrition-balanced health food, and convenient and delicious fast food, in addition to the traditional home-cooked meal.
Ethnic restaurants are commonplace in the United States. Because the United States is a country of immigrants, there is an immense variety in its catering cultures. Any large American city is filled with restaurants serving internatioal cooking.
Health food gained popularity when people began to think more seriously about their physical well-being. The very term "health food" is ironic because it implies that there is also "unhealthy food". Health food incudes natural food with minimal processing, i. e. , there are no presevatives to help it last longer or other chemicals to make it tasty or look like better. Most health food enthusiasts are vegetarians: They eat no meat; they prefer to get their essential proteins from other sources, such as beans, cheese, and eggs.
Fast-food restaurants can be seen all over the country. Speed is a very important factor in the life of an American. People usually have a very short lunch break or they just do not want to waste their time eating. And food in fast-food restaurants is always cheap.
Americans' attitude toward food is changing, too. The traditional big breakfast is losing popularity. People are rediscovering the social importance of food. Dinner with family or friends is again becoming a special way of enjoying and sharing. Like so many people in other countries, many Americans are taking time to relax and enjoy the finer tastes at dinner, even if they still rush through lunch at a hamburger stand.