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How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

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Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#261

Serious question: how is this enough calories for lunch? Assume you need 2,500 calories/day. Suppose you need a third of those at lunch, that's 830. (And given the traditional light continental breakfast, I'd expect an even larger lunch to compensate, so probably closer to 1,000.) A single sandwich with three layers of bread and three single layers of cheese or meat, can't be over 400 calories. I'd be starving and un…

The secret for me was to eat high fiber and high protein foods. Both help with feeling full.

So I'd have 100% whole grain bread with lean meat and some cheese. I'd use a flavorful cheese so I didn't have to use too much in order to not go over budget (in terms of calories). I used things like mustard instead of butter.

With this I could go about 5 hours without feeling particularly hungry (office job).

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#262
post #208
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In Denmark you can get milk at the grocery store that was inside the cow less than 24 hours ago. Ultra High Temperature pasteurization is not really normal in Denmark, but I think it is in Germany.

Its unusual for milk not to be UHT here in Spain. I wonder if it's due to Spain being a warmer country and the milk spoiling more quickly.

Yes, that's the reason. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultra-high-temperature_process...

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#263
post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a single slice of cheese or meat. American deli-style sandwiches where there is more filling than bread are not a thing in Scandinavia. Also, if you were wondering what's up with "caviar" as a topping, it's this stuff made from cod roe: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalles_Kaviar

Warning, Kalles Kaviar actually contains sugar and lots of it. It's horrible, and I'm swedish. They actually make ads on the TV with people from other cultures trying to eat it. It's not as bad as surströmming but ew...

12% sugar isn't that bad given that you don't use much. Messmör, on the other hand, is something that should be avoided.

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#264

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Italian Canadian, living in Norway. You have no idea the level of mangia cake going on here. It's like no one's palate evolved past preschool.

Being happy eating boring food is a superpower, lets you focus on more interesting parts of life.

Eating, sex and defecating are three pillars of the human experience. Only after them it comes all the other fun.

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#265

Former Norway resident here, 3yrs. Their lunch traditions are definitely basic, as they were not a wealthy country for hundreds of years before striking oil in the 60s. The point to remember is that while the fare is basic, the quality is typically very good. Their cheese is extra creamy and nutritious, as is the bread. The same goes for the milk. Many Europeans won’t drink the milk here in the States because the qua…

American raw milk is some of the best, though. I love my Amish raw milk. Some of the most nutritious stuff you can get.

Raw milk has no nutritious difference to pasteurised milk, unless you count diseases as nutrition.

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#266
post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The second paragraph of the first link specifically makes it clear it is a question of point of view and concedes Norway was poor relative to today. Meanwhile the distribution of wealth was a bigger issue. Even in my lifetime - I'm 44 - the growth in wealth in Norway has been astounding. Ironically, for example, whale meat is something I remember from my childhood as a cheap meat substitute (but that is now an expens…

Whale meat is quite inexpensive actually

It might be again now that the novelty of it being more widely available again has worn off, it's been a while since I looked.

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#267
post #217
post #151

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The second paragraph of the first link specifically makes it clear it is a question of point of view and concedes Norway was poor relative to today. Meanwhile the distribution of wealth was a bigger issue. Even in my lifetime - I'm 44 - the growth in wealth in Norway has been astounding. Ironically, for example, whale meat is something I remember from my childhood as a cheap meat substitute (but that is now an expens…

> The second paragraph of the first link specifically makes it clear it is a question of point of view and concedes Norway was poor relative to today. Meanwhile the distribution of wealth was a bigger issue. Every rich country was once very poor relative to its current status though. This doesn't change the fact that Norway was not poor relative to other European countries at the time.

Yes, but the change was very rapid and very noticeable. My parents grew up with very noticeable, very visible poverty around them. A lot of the habits the post war generations grew up with, and that still affected society throughout the 70's still permeates the culture.

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#268

It seems there are three types of people based on what they deem most important regarding the meals they consume. There are people who primarily eat for sustanance, there are people who eat for pleasure and there are Americans. I'm solidly in the sustance camp, I tend to go for quick, easy and nutritious. Occasionally I will splurge and eat out at a good restaurant and enjoy it a lot. My wife is in the pleasure camp…

Smugness aside, there are big cultural issues regarding meal pleasure importance.

One of my biggest shocks from moving from a Latin American country to Britain was when I realised that taking 1 hour lunches, which I consider the bare minimum, was seen as a terrible time splurge only reserved for the most important events.

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#269
post #16

I'm a Norwegian, and where I work I have the option of eating a big warm lunch, but I very rarely do. I've noticed that eating a big lunch makes the following hour extremely unproductive, so for the last year I have made a matpakke with 3 slices of bread. Normal _pålegg_ is liver paste, cheese or peanut butter. I can easily go through my lunch in just few minutes, and even while working at the same time. My thought p…

my thought process is that I enjoy work and my co-workers and that spending an hour a day eating and socializing together makes work and my life more enjoyable.

If feel that tech companies' free lunchs work against this since lunch ends up only taking 20-30 mins instead of an hour. And no they don't get more work out of me, I just leave 30 mins earlier. That great if you want to get home as quick as possible. I'd prefer a balance of making work more enjoyable and feel the lunch socializing contributes to that.

Re: How to pack a Norwegian sandwich, the world’s most boring lunch

#270

Earlier quoted context omitted.

American raw milk is some of the best, though. I love my Amish raw milk. Some of the most nutritious stuff you can get.

Raw milk has no nutritious difference to pasteurised milk, unless you count diseases as nutrition.

The taste is different (better imo), goes bad really fast.
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