Memes

Thank you for taking the time to explain, I appreciate it!

This is very different to where I live. Here our (literally communist /s) laws prevent something as ludicrous as at-will employment. Working hours and mandatory rest periods between them are regulated by laws. They cannot be circumvented by employment contracts, not even if the employee themselves wishes it. The law is the law. And I won't even talk about a minimum of a month of mandatory paid holidays per year or six months of mandatory minimum paid maternity leave.

What people eat has gone to shit here a bit as well for two similar reasons: convenience and the change in gender roles. In the past women were forced to cook at home. Now they are - finally - a bit freer. The problem is that some men refuse to cook elaborate meals instead of the women, so easy meals it is. But easy meals for us means spaghetti with homemade tomato sauce, that can be cooked in 20 mins. Or some piece of meat with some easy to prepare vegtables on the side, like frozen broccoli. Or dump whatever vegetables into a broth, boom, soup, to be eaten with whole grain bread. I don't think something like pop tarts would sell here. Even if they were they'd be considered candy, not a breakfast replacement.

I think a big difference is the quality of foods. A sandwich in the US might mean white toast 10% sugar by volume, made of bleached white wheat, with lots of 80% sugar by volume jam and maybe peanut butter (which is 5% sugar and 40% cheap oils instead of 100% peanuts). For us a sandwich might mean whole grain rye or spelt or wheat with various seeds, zero added sugar bread, with tomatoes, mozzarella, pesto, and cress inside. (And that is not something super special you'd only get in one specific out of the way store, but at a random train station take away.)