Experts Explain Why European Food Is Better For You
We've all been there. You go abroad — or have a friend who did (let's call her Rebecca) — and suddenly she's unbearable. She won't stop talking about Bar-the-lona and how the tomatoes just tasted better, how walking everywhere changed her life, how pasta in Rome doesn't even count as carbs, and how Americans 'just don't get it.'
But as insufferable as she may be, Rebecca might actually have a point — especially when it comes to the food.
At some point, a lot of us come back from Europe feeling…better. Healthier. Lighter. More alive. Maybe it's the slower pace, the extra steps on cobblestone streets, the two-day vacationship with a man named Matteo, or the fact that your nervous system finally got a break from interpreting every period in a Slack message as a personal attack. Or maybe it's because you inhaled bread, cheese, wine, and pasta daily, and somehow came back feeling leaner.
So what gives? Is the food actually better over there, or are we all just drunk on Aperol and vacation delusion?
Dr. Sandy Ziya, a functional medicine physician, says food quality in Europe really does make a difference. One of the biggest culprits behind that post-vacation glow? A break from ultra-processed foods. 'In my experience, when my patients visit Europe, they do feel healthier,' she says. 'There are many aspects of the processed food and the preparation of food that contribute to that.'
And here's the thing: ultra-processed foods aren't just heavily refined — they're also loaded with additives, preservatives, and lab-made ingredients you can't pronounce. That's where the real trouble starts. 'In Europe, food colorings like Red Dye 3 and additives such as glyphosate [yep, the same stuff in Roundup weed killer] are prohibited,' says Dr. Ziya. That's because the European Food Safety Authority requires additives to be proven safe before they're approved. In the U.S., the FDA is a little looser.
Instead, we've got the GRAS loophole — short for 'Generally Recognized As Safe.' It allows companies to add ingredients based on expert opinion or historical use, which sounds okay in theory, until you remember that food companies have literally paid scientists to claim cereal was a health food. So, yeah — 'safe' is doing a lot of heavy lifting here.
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Dr. Supriya Rao, a gastroenterologist, explains that all those additives and preservatives can do more than just make you feel sluggish — they can mess with your gut on a cellular level. 'Some common American additives (like carrageenan, polysorbate 80, and certain oils) may alter gut bacteria or increase permeability and increase cytokine production, contributing to inflammation and digestive issues over time,' she says.
Zooming out, Dr. Rao adds that the broader issue is how the Standard American Diet stacks all of this together. 'It's full of processed foods, sugary drinks, fast foods, red meat, alcohol, and additives. Eating like this consistently drives chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, gut dysbiosis, weight gain, and more — all of which are foundational triggers for diseases like type 2 diabetes, autoimmune disorders, and cardiovascular issues.'
So yes, our food might be slowly killing us. But, hey, at least it's convenient, right?
Here's the thing: It's not about guilt-tripping you into growing your own kale or never eating a gas station Snickers again. It's about awareness. Because once you know what you're up against, you can actually do something about it.
'Most people don't even know they're consuming ultra-processed food at every meal,' says Dr. Ziya. 'But the lack of satiety — that never-full feeling — is a major clue. Processed foods hijack your hunger cues.' If you've ever eaten a full bag of Doritos and still felt snacky, you know what she's talking about.
So what can we do? Short of moving to a seaside village in Sicily, eating tomatoes grown out of your own garden, and making your own pasta with locally milled flour (honestly, tempting), here are a few real-world tips:
— Read ingredient lists. If it has 32 ingredients and you can't pronounce half of them, maybe skip it.— Prioritize organic when possible. Yes, it's more expensive. But when you can, do it. Especially for produce and animal products.— Look for 'banned in Europe' ingredients. If it's banned over there and allowed here, consider it a red flag (not a sexy red flag either).— Cook more at home. Even just a couple of meals a week can help cut down on additives.— Follow the 80/20 rule. You don't have to eat clean all the time; just try to make it your default.And maybe, just maybe, we start holding food manufacturers and government regulators accountable: lobby for better labeling, ask questions, and vote with your fork. Because right now, Europe isn't winning the food game by accident. They're winning because they actually care about public health. Wild, right?
TL;DR: Yes, European food is generally healthier. Their food safety standards are stricter, and their ingredient lists are shorter. Your vacation glow isn't all in your head — your gut, your sleep, and your mood probably did improve because of what (and how) you ate.
But you don't have to hop on a plane every time you want to feel better. Start small. Stay curious. And hey, if you happen to meet a hot man while shopping for organic zucchini in Trader Joe's, that's just a bonus.
Thinking of cooking at home tonight? Download the free Tasty app, where you can follow step-by-step instructions for over 7,500 recipes — no subscription required.
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