British Diet lacks Finnish Healthy Eating

One of the first experiences I remember as a British Expatriate  when I  came to Finland was the difference in food on offer.The simple things like bread were very different in taste,so much so that I refused to eat it.Most finns eat Rye bread,which is black and at times hard,I know it may sound being being fussy,but to me it was a daily contention
As a Brit I was missing things such as fish and chips,wrapped in newspaper,steak and kidney pies,pork pies,and many British sandwich spreads.Marmite and mint sauce being the main ones.I was to go through a period where I would only eat the least to keep my hunger at bay;I would visit Indian take aways as I have an intense liking for their food.i found out shortly though the I Indian restaurants are in fact Nepalese,so I found and still find them far to hot to eat(spicy hot)I mean

So what did the Finnish eat I thought

It turned out they eat very healthy food,a lot of fish,the best beingGraavi,which is actually Rainbow Trout or Salmon cured with salt and Dill for 3 days or so.This is then usually served on the black bread I mentioned earlier,with either fish eggs or egg slices or both.I must say they are delicious and  very low in fat.During the summertime people eat a lot of salad dishes and smoked fish.On October 7th there is the Baltic Herring Festival,where the herrings are either pickled or smoked.You will see a lot of people walking around the southern harbour eating them from paper  plates or paper wrappers

Big selection of Baltic Fish

Finnish meat consumption

I found the big choice in meat for Finnish people is Pork,this I believe is to do with their being less fat content,however Reindeer and Moose or elk are popular and very tasty when eaten.Both meats are served with berries or wild Forrest mushrooms.Finland has an abundant supply of mushrooms,so much so that they export large amounts abroad,the same with Berries.One only has to walk out to a forested area and it seems there are so many mushrooms you could fall over them,and they are free for people use.

So did I get to like the Finnish diet

The answer is definitely yes.My british Expatriate ways have nearly all but disappeared.I have now adopted a healthier way of eating,less fatty meats and fresh vegetable s,accompanied with wild Forrest mushrooms and berries.In fact I rarely if ever miss the old style English food,looking back it was not so good anyway,even though I know there are now many restaurants in the UK that are reviving the old English cuisine……………..I shall wait and see until I visit Britain again!there is a related post on Good Finnish restaurants serving this kind of wholesome food