Transformations

In the early half of the twentieth century, nutritionists and dieticians became the authority on what Americans should consume to be healthy and fit. The manufacturing of processed food became part of this campaign and made the promotion, exportation, and distribution of American taste and culture throughout the world much easier. The Philippines became an American colony in 1901, and for the next forty-five years, the Americans eagerly remade their only colony in their image. When it came to the Philippine diet, the Americans had much goodwill to share. They were worried about the poor nutrition that they saw in the Filipino meal of rice and fish and sought dietary improvements by introducing Filipinos to dairy products, canned meats, vegetables, and fruits from the United States.