Obesity is on the rise in Brazil, amid hunger and changing food habits

The Brazilian staple of rice and beans could have its days numbered, according to a recent study by the Federal University of Minas Gerais, which found that most Brazilians will have ditched it from their daily diet by 2025. 

This is not the same thing as imagining Italians giving up pizza or Americans giving up hot dogs. As well as being the most widely consumed food in Brazil, the set lunch combo of rice, beans, a piece of protein, and salad is branded “a perfect match” by nutritionists, as it contains almost all of the nutrients needed to maintain overall good health.

But as habits change and society devotes less time to preparing food, rice and beans are falling out of favor. These staples’ simplicity belies a long and careful cooking process, for which many Brazilians simply no longer have the time. 

That space is now being filled by more practical — and cheaper — ultra-processed foods. Noodles, for example, cost less than a fifth of a plate of rice, beans, steak, and salad. But they are nowhere near as nourishing and satiating.