The New Generation
Nathalie, 22
Nathalie’s father is the owner of a well-known restaurant chain while her mother is a dietician. At times, her father brings home pastries and cakes which often irritate Nathalie’s mother, a health conscious woman who tries to improve her children’s eating habits. Although she has learned to watch her diet, Nathalie believes in consuming all types of food and not stopping herself from eating anything. She describes her lifestyle as “consuming everything in moderation.”
Agatha, 22Agatha is one of those who want to lose weight but are incapable because of their love for food. She enjoys baking cakes, has tried every restaurant in town, and almost all of her outings revolve around food. After numerous attempts to lose weight, Agatha, like Nathalie, decided that consuming everything in moderation was the best option.
Lebanese Cuisine with a Twist
Nathalie and Agatha decided to go to a Lebanese restaurant. The new generation generally prefers international cuisine, but given that Lebanese restaurants have introduced a modern twist to their interior and food, young adults now enjoy going there. We had to wait half an hour before being seated. This is because Lebanese people typically sit for two hours or more eating, socializing, and smoking their hookahs. After what seemed like an endless wait, we were finally seated. Many adults like Nathalie and Agatha filled the restaurant. I noticed that several elements about Lebanese restaurants were altered to attract the new generation. The interior was more modern, the restaurant’s name was written in English, the menu was written in both English and Arabic, the food was less oily and the presentation of dishes was more sophisticated. Even the hookahs had a modern design. Although the restaurant was modern in some aspects, it also attempted to preserve Lebanese culture and tradition.
The Order
When she looked at the menu, the first thing Agatha noticed was the diet section. She asked us if we would like to order beetroot salad. Nathalie agreed and added that she would also like “fattoush”, another Lebanese salad. Agatha added hummus and grilled cheese rolls to the order, while Nathalie ordered mashed eggplants, pine leaves and Lebanese sausages. We also added a mixed grill platter as a main dish. “We had the option of fried cheese rolls and grilled cheese rolls. I went for the grilled ones,” Agatha said. The menu also contained much fattier items. These items, though, are not typically ordered among the new generation. I noticed that overall, the order was relatively low in fat and rich in vegetables. “One diet coke please,” Nathalie told the waiter. “I ordered it because I like the taste and not because I am on a diet,” she said to me.
Agatha, 22Agatha is one of those who want to lose weight but are incapable because of their love for food. She enjoys baking cakes, has tried every restaurant in town, and almost all of her outings revolve around food. After numerous attempts to lose weight, Agatha, like Nathalie, decided that consuming everything in moderation was the best option.
Lebanese Cuisine with a Twist
Nathalie and Agatha decided to go to a Lebanese restaurant. The new generation generally prefers international cuisine, but given that Lebanese restaurants have introduced a modern twist to their interior and food, young adults now enjoy going there. We had to wait half an hour before being seated. This is because Lebanese people typically sit for two hours or more eating, socializing, and smoking their hookahs. After what seemed like an endless wait, we were finally seated. Many adults like Nathalie and Agatha filled the restaurant. I noticed that several elements about Lebanese restaurants were altered to attract the new generation. The interior was more modern, the restaurant’s name was written in English, the menu was written in both English and Arabic, the food was less oily and the presentation of dishes was more sophisticated. Even the hookahs had a modern design. Although the restaurant was modern in some aspects, it also attempted to preserve Lebanese culture and tradition.
The Order
When she looked at the menu, the first thing Agatha noticed was the diet section. She asked us if we would like to order beetroot salad. Nathalie agreed and added that she would also like “fattoush”, another Lebanese salad. Agatha added hummus and grilled cheese rolls to the order, while Nathalie ordered mashed eggplants, pine leaves and Lebanese sausages. We also added a mixed grill platter as a main dish. “We had the option of fried cheese rolls and grilled cheese rolls. I went for the grilled ones,” Agatha said. The menu also contained much fattier items. These items, though, are not typically ordered among the new generation. I noticed that overall, the order was relatively low in fat and rich in vegetables. “One diet coke please,” Nathalie told the waiter. “I ordered it because I like the taste and not because I am on a diet,” she said to me.
The Discussion
Nathalie told me about how she always has salad before having her main dish. “Lebanese food is very healthy. The side dishes include all types of vegetables and our main dish is full of protein,” she said. “I also absolutely love the variety we have. I prefer that over having just one main dish,” she continued. At home, Nathalie’s mother cooks both Lebanese and international food and sometimes both on the same day. They either use butter, specifically unsalted Lurpak, or corn oil for cooking. Butter is mainly used at their home for making rice, sauces, and cakes. Nathalie does not like the taste of butter much and therefore does not usually ask for butter in her sandwiches. As for margarine, Nathalie mentioned that it was hydrogenated fat. “It is the worst, so we never use that at home,” she said. Finally, Nathalie tells me that they occasionally consume low fat products such as low fat yoghurt and skimmed milk.
Before serving the starters, the waiter brought us some bread. I told him to bring single serving butter as well. Neither Nathalie nor Agatha came close to the butter. Agatha does not like butter much because she does not think it adds value to food. She also did not want me to add oil to the hummus dish. It was clear that Agatha was health conscious. She ordered grilled cheese rolls instead of fried ones, did not touch the butter, avoided oil to her hummus, and consumed much of the beetroot salad and ‘fattoush’ and to avoid the sausages. “I do not understand why people think Lebanese food is heavy and full of fat! Even though it has margarine and oil, it is nothing compared to the oil and fat in fast food,” she said. At home, Agatha uses unsalted butter mostly for frying and baking cakes. She avoids salted butter or low fat butter.
I noticed that Nathalie and Agatha ate their vegetables without commenting on the pesticide issue. When I asked them, both did not seem to care much about whether the vegetables were organic or not. “At times we try to buy organic vegetables, but they’re much more expensive. It is not a priority,” Nathalie said.
Both of Nathalie’s and Agatha’s outings revolve around food. “I enjoy food to a certain extent, but really there’s nothing else to do, right?” Agatha said. Nathalie agreed. For Nathalie, the best food is Japanese. She particularly loves sushi because it is very rich in Omega 3 fats. She does not consume fast food because her mother taught her to dislike it. At times, Nathalie watches Fatafeat, a cooking channel, for the fun of it, without paying attention to a recipe’s ingredients. However, if she wants to try out a new recipe, she looks for one on the Internet. As for Agatha, good food is tasty and spicy, with Mexican food serving as a prime example. She does not watch cooking channels or and would rather browse the Internet for recipes as well. Agatha also likes to try recipes printed on the packaging of some products.
I was also interested in asking them about how they imagine their children’s lifestyle will be given that they are both career oriented and might not have enough time for cooking. Both answered the exact same thing. They would like their kids to have the same lifestyle as them, just as they have acquired their eating habits from their parents. Both will have helpers who will help with cooking but both admit that eating out will be quite common. Nathalie also added that she would like to get her family used to eating a lot of fruits and vegetables and will teach them to consume everything in moderation, without forbidding them from anything.
Implications for Lurpak
The new generation cares more about low fat food than the previous generation. However, the primary motivation for that appears to be so they remain in shape rather than for health reasons. In addition, Lebanese people tend to watch their diet at home, but the frequency at which they eat out implies that they do not try to follow a healthy lifestyle and are not very much aware of the health risks associated with eating restaurant food.
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