Bacon is as controversial as it is delicious. And you’d think Belgium — sweet land of French fries, waffles and beer — would be a fan of smoked salty meat. But, it turns out, bacon, beer, and more are on the Belgian government’s no-no list on the food pyramid.
Food pyramids, in general, are a bit controversial. The US dumped the pyramid for a dinner plate since 2011. Still, Belgium likes the idea, and the Belgian pyramid starts with veggies and grains, with fish, chicken and dairy in the center, and steak at the bottom. Off the pyramid, in a circle off to the side, are bacon, beer, wine, soda, pizza, and other processed foods that Belgium would prefer you eat “as little as possible.”
We’d hope that the message you can’t eat bacon all day every day had permeated society by now, of course. And, yes, the Belgian authorities are right, you’re probably better off limiting how much beer you drink, frites you consume, and so on. Still, they may be fighting a losing battle against human appetites, and really, let’s face it, while tourists should go to Belgium for the country’s history, beautiful villages, and surprising cultural and artistic relevance in European history, most of us are there for the waffles, fries, and beer. We guess as long as it’s only the tourists indulging, Belgium will be okay with that.
(via Quartz)
