In two generations, Brazil, like many of its neighbors, has gotten fat, says The Nation, and experts such as Carlos Monteiro, a nutrition professor, sees it in a diet teeming with processed and consumer-ready food. “Instant noodles, soda and processed meats are edging out staples like beans and rice, cassava, and fresh produce,” writes Bridget Huber in “Slow Food Nation,” produced in partnership with FERN.
“We are seeing a battle for the consumer,” says Monteiro. The anti-obesity effort has linked itself to dietary guidelines that weave social, cultural and ecological strands into suggestions for the diet rather than traditional discussions of nutrients to consume or to limit. “They … focus on the pleasure that comes from cooking and sharing meals and frankly address the connections between what we eat and the environment,” writes Huber.
The guidelines, which are still open to public comment, describe cooking “as a time to enjoy with family and friends, not a burden,” writes Huber. “Sample meals were created by looking at the food habits of Brazilians who eat the lowest amount of ultra-processed foods.” For dinner, one option is a plate of spaghetti, chicken and salad, a meal typical of São Paulo. The point, says one researcher, is that familiar foods are part of a healthy diet.
Latin America, with rising per-capita incomes, is a sizable and growing market for food companies. Soda sales doubled and sales of highly processed foods zoomed by 50 percent from 2000-13. To reach customers, companies such as Nestlé employ door-to-door vendors. Convenience is a selling point and, Huber writes, “Many families can’t afford to return to a time when one person stayed home and cooked for everyone, even if they wanted to.” And the food industry is increasingly coordinated in fighting regulations. “Nutrition advocates across the world are watching” Brazil and Latin America for the outcome.