what living in different countries taught me about food, labels & “wellness”

(i am such a BIG foodie - i think food is at the core of so much of the human experience!)

food is one of the most universal human experiences: but what we eat, how we eat and what’s even considered food varies massively across countries. it’s cultural, emotional, commercial and increasingly… political.

with the rise of ultra-processed foods, globalised supply chains and profit-driven food manufacturing, our diets today look nothing like what our grandparents grew up on. for the first time in history, we have entire populations where access to real food is determined by zip code, socioeconomics and government regulation. two families can live in the same city and still have completely different realities around food: not just based on what’s physically available, but on what they can actually afford. that’s a much bigger conversation on health equity… but it’s impossible to talk about food systems without acknowledging it.

what this means is: what you think is “normal food” is largely shaped by the system you grew up in.

i was really blessed to grow up in a health-conscious household: home-cooked meals, fresh produce, no fear-based messaging around food. my mom was always researching new ways to make meals healthy and fun. that early exposure shaped my palate and my instincts more than i realised. there’s research showing that the foods babies are exposed to in their first 6–12 months become deeply predictive of their preferences later in life.

after living in the us, south korea and singapore… and spending months at a time traveling through europe… i started seeing just how wildly different food systems are... and why some regions produce healthier people without ever talking about “wellness.”

so here’s what i learned.

1. the us: abundance… but at a cost

(SO yummy but VERY america!)

the us is a fascinating paradox: it has the most options, the most innovation, the most convenience… and yet some of the lowest health outcomes in the developed world.

my first shock came when i started flipping ingredient labels more intentionally:

• hundreds of additives banned in the eu are allowed in us food

• fda still permits red 40, yellow 5, titanium dioxide (e171) potassium bromate, bha/ bht, propylparaben

• ~73% of the us food supply on grocery store shelves is ultra-processed (upfs)

• upfs account for roughly 55% of daily calories consumed in the american diet

• the us has one of the highest rates of metabolic disease globally

as a specific anecdote: i’ve seen so many tik toks about whole foods - a place marketed as the pinnacle of “clean eating.” despite products that look beautiful, premium and “healthy”… there are tons of hidden gums, emulsifiers, seed oils, sugars, dyes and stabilisers in everything.

it made me realise that in the us, the food system is built for:

• shelf stability

• profit

• speed

• hyper-palatable flavours

and when you’re raised inside that system, it’s normalised.

none of this is about blaming individuals. it’s about recognising that food literacy is a privilege and ultra-processed food fills the gaps where access fails. food deserts aren’t an abstract concept.

2. singapore: a globalised food hub - and a quiet blue zone 2.0

(singapore has SUCH a rich food scene - food from all over the world and an abundance of fresh groceries for home cooking!)

growing up in singapore, i truly felt like i lived in a food paradise!

it is a melting pot of cuisine from around the world, where a $3 bowl of noodles at a hawker center and a $300 omakase can exist in the same neighbourhood. fresh produce is everywhere. food safety is incredibly high. there’s a baseline cultural acceptance that food should be shared, flavourful and enjoyed.

here’s the part people outside singapore may not know:

singapore is one of the most health-engineered nations in the world.

• the health promotion board actively reformulates national nutrition guidelines

• hawker stalls get graded & incentivised for offering "healthier options"

• the nutri-grade rating system puts clear labels on beverages

• schools are regulated for healthier meals

• activesg gyms + subsidised sports programs make movement accessible

singapore has been dubbed a man-made blue zone ('blue zone 2.0'): engineered environments, regulated food and strong public initiatives create healthier defaults.

that said, singapore imports 90%+ of its food, which means quality varies and packaged snacks can still contain additives that aren’t ideal. it also means that buying high-quality produce or specialty ingredients can get pricey depending on where you shop. however, the overall infrastructure for informed eating is strong: clear labelling, consistent food safety standards and national initiatives that genuinely support healthier choices. that alone puts singapore ahead of many places.

in short: you can eat extremely well, or extremely poorly, depending on your awareness. the government has built rails to support the “well” path.

3. europe: traveling through a system that still prioritises real food

(everything tasted SO fresh YUM!)

i’ve never lived in europe, but my time traveling - 1.5 months in 2018 and another 2.5 months this year - completely reshaped how i think about food culture.

europe isn’t perfect at all, but the baselines seemed more intentional:

• eu has banned around 2,000 hazardous chemicals over the last 13 years, more than any other world region [as of 2022]

• strict regulations on flame retardants, bisphenols, pfas, pesticides, gmos, additives

• “organic” and “free-from” labels are more regulated

• it's easier to find bread that is actually just bread (flour, water, yeast, salt - simple ingredients, nothing else)

• produce tastes fresh because it can be more locally-sourced

• ultra-processed foods make up a much smaller % of the national diets

one thing i noticed quickly: i naturally ate better without trying. when your default is real food, you stop having to scrutinise macros and labels.

i’ve met countless americans who suffer from chronic gut issues - bloating, inflammation, ibs - who go to europe for two weeks and suddenly… feel fine. no symptoms. no digestive problems. 

there’s something to be said about systems that protect people before the problems start, preventatively.

4. blue zones, mediterranean eating & the rise of ancestral nutrition

(i'm really inspired by the principles of a mediterranean diet: a plant-based eating pattern rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes, with olive oil as the primary source of fat!)

between netflix’s 'blue zones: live to 100' documentary and a growing interest in ancestral eating, people are finally waking up to this idea: health isn’t built through supplements and biohacks. it’s built through lifestyle patterns repeated for decades.

across blue zones and mediterranean regions, the patterns are shockingly consistent:

• minimally-processed foods

• lots of plants

• olive oil as a foundation

• slow meals

• daily movement

• low sugar

• community-based eating

• cooking at home

• low-stress food culture

nothing extreme. nothing trendy.

when you compare that to countries where wellness feels performative or optimised through products, you begin to see why “simple” often wins.

5. personally… here’s how all of this shaped me

(there's so much i've learned over the years + adapted in the ways i nourish + cook for myself!)

living in (and traveling through) such different food systems did a few things for me:

• it made me realise how privileged i was to grow up with healthy eating as the norm

• it made me more curious about why people eat the way they do

• it taught me to shop by ingredients, not marketing

• it shifted me toward whole foods simply because they feel better

• it made grocery stores my happy place (especially in europe lol)

• it connected me to cooking as a grounding ritual

• it reminded me that wellness is physiology, culture and access

i’m definitely not perfect and i try not to be overly rigid. however, i do try my best to stay informed (and spread the word to friends and family!).

what you can take away… no matter where you live

(there are some fundamental habits you can adopt to improve your food environment, no matter where you live!)

this isn’t a post to inspire someone to drop their lives and “move countries for better health.” it’s a reminder that no matter what system you’re living in, a few core principles will always protect you:

• prioritise ingredient literacy

• choose foods your grandparents would recognise

• cook at home as much as possible

• if you can’t control the system, control your environment within it (and then works towards advocating for better systems!)

• wellness is accessibility + awareness

• the simplest food patterns are usually the best ones

wherever you are - singapore, the us, south korea, europe - the goal is not perfection.

it’s consciousness.

it's to build a food environment that fuels you, grounds you and reminds you that nourishment doesn’t need to be complicated!