For losing weight and living longer, your best choice might be a type of diet that isn't centered on counting calories, fats or carbohydrates. As explained by Forbes' health writer Johnny Bowden, populations from around the globe have thrived on daily diets of natural foods that are not processed or manufactured. Unprocessed foods include items such as nuts, berries, beans and raw milk. Imported unprocessed foods typically represent specialties of a local agriculture or geography.
Produce
Many plants that thrive in specific climate conditions make up the bulk of imports from a region. It's easy to spot what items in your produce basket are imports simply by reading the labels. Country-of-origin labeling became an official U.S. law in the mid-2000s after problems with contamination of imported and exported foods.
A study conducted by the Florida State Horticultural Society identified four leading fruits, vegetables and tubers in large demand and being imported into the United States. Leading the fruit imports were mango, papaya, raspberry and blueberry. Leading the demand for vegetable imports were asparagus, snow peas, sugar snap peas and other "oriental vegetables." Tubers and roots at the top of the import list were ginger, cassava, malanga and taro.
Seafood
When it comes to imported fish and shellfish, habitat preferences of the species that live there, such as water temperature and fishing traditions, affect the list of imported seafood. Over 75 percent of seafood consumed in America is imported.
The country of origin of a fish is often attached to its description for sale. Some examples are Chilean Sea Bass and Icelandic Cod, one favoring the waters of the Pacific, the other needing the arctic cold of the Atlantic. Many of the heartier white fleshed fish like cod and haddock are imported to the United States from the waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Imported salmon from Norway made its debut on American menus in the 1980s. Today, arctic char is chef favorite.
Patagonian toothfish is a unique import which might also be an endangered species. Sardines are brought over from Portugal and Africa, and dorado is a popular farmed fish from Cypress.
Meat
The U.S.D.A. reports figures on imports of beef, pork, lamb, poultry and other meats, and whether they are processed or unprocessed. Country-of-origin-labeling laws ensure foods are properly attributed to their originating locale.
Beef leads the import list for unprocessed meat, with the highest figures attributed to beef from Australia, Canada and New Zealand. Fresh pork imports mainly come from Canada, and they are largely in the form of edible pork organs. Australia and New Zealand lead the list when it comes to unprocessed lamb imports, and imported fresh poultry comes mostly from Canada.
