Weibo article that dives into the origin of the trend and provides a perspective from the other side:
一块吐司，几片芝士，加上一些生菜或水果，一股“清心寡欲”风扑面而来。而这简单无味的搭配，正是一些外国人的正常午餐。
"A slice of bread, a piece of cheese, piece of raw vegetable or fruit: you're blasted by a cleansing gust of ascetic wind. This simple and flavorless pairing is actually the everyday lunch of some foreigners."
Image text: "White people food"
中国网友还给这样的饮食方式起了一个名，叫做”白人饭“（white people food）。所谓的白人饭特点就是，“冷的“、”素的”、”分量少的“，基本上就是”花最少的功夫准备，仅仅能维系基本器官正常运作“的食物（require the least amount of effort to substain vital signs）。
"Chinese netizens have given this cuisine a name, '白人饭' (white people food). "The characteristics of so-called white people food are 'cold,' 'vegetarian,' 'small portions,' and truly 'requiring the least amount of effort to sustain vital signs' food."
也就是说，白人饭的食材都是那种能生吃就绝不开锅，调味料单一，不是盐和黑胡椒，就是能够直接添加的蛋黄酱或番茄酱。一开始，白人饭这个梗是由住在国外的中国网友传起来的。起因是因为他们在社交媒体上晒出了自己的白人同事带的午餐——几根生胡萝卜和一些生菠菜。
"In other words, white people's food is the kind that doesn't involve cooking, with just one kind of seasoning, if not salt and pepper, then just the direct addition of mayonnaise or ketchup. "Originally, the concept of white people food started with Chinese netizens living overseas. It was because they used social media to expose their white coworkers' lunches — a few carrots and some raw spinach."
OP's tweet reads: "This is my coworker's lunch. A few carrots and some spinach. They already have the ability to produce their own energy without eating food."
Comment 1: "I think since they like suntanning so much, they must be using photosynthesis"
Comment 2: "They depend on therapists to keep them alive"
不知真相围观的群众可能还会误以为这是刚刚洗好准备切和下锅的食材.... 而习惯了“午饭也要吃热饭热菜”的中国网友们在看到自己的白人同事午饭居然吃这个，都感到不可思议。
"Unknowing spectators may mistakenly think that these are freshly washed vegetables about to be chopped and cooked. While Chinese netizens, accustomed to 'lunch means a hot meal', view their white coworkers' lunches as unimaginable."
OP's tweet reads: "My Danish coworker brought something new again. No spinach today, just two carrots and a pepper. They're evolving."
Comment: "Why do they eat like they're putting gas in their cars. Pour it in to be able to go"
OP's tweet reads: "my coworkers lunch is a whole cauliflower! First time I've seen a whole cauliflower eaten with a knife and fork after being cooked. He was even surprised that I'd never seen that before. These people haven't lived"
OP's tweet reads: "The simplicity of Australian white people food. Everyone knows that Australian white people food is super simple, but when I saw my coworker's lunch I was still shocked. Mushrooms from the supermarket, straight from the box, added directly to a wrap. I asked him whether mushrooms can be eaten raw. He said he'd been eating them raw for years and was doing fine."
Comment: "Pretty normal. They even eat green beans raw. 20 years ago, the people at my bro's place even ate yuanxiao [glutinous rice dough dumplings] uncooked. Anyways, I feel like foreigners don't like eating food unless they're about to starve. If they could live on alcohol, they definitely wouldn't eat at all"
Image text: "Lunch: a head of raw lettuce wrapped around some ham with mustard drizzled on top"
OP's tweet reads: "I guess I've seen the pinnacle of white people food today. The locals always come up with new moves to surprise me"
而反过来，海外的中国网友只是把自己一份普通的午饭带到公司加热，都会引起外国同事的围观和震惊。
"On the other hand, Chinese people living overseas only have to heat up in a normal lunch at the office to invoke the shock and awe of their foreign coworkers."
OP's tweet reads: "Re: about my lunch shocking my white coworkers. Everyone knows that white people don't have taste buds, they only eat to stay alive. "Coworker A: porridges. Oats + honey + milk + salt + microwave for 3 min. "Coworker B: some kind of canned rice + canned tuna, microwave for 2 min. "Coworker C: pita bread with dip; with a couple of cherry tomatoes/cucumber. "Coworker D: mini pizza: base + sauce + cheese, baked "I've been here for most of one year, these guys eat the same thing every day. But today was different, today everyone brought food, a boxed proper meal: pasta. But I'm the undefeated mystical Oriental lady, made a whole table [of food] appear in the blink of an eye."
在国内，午饭要吃饱这个概念早已深入人心，而且习惯每顿都要吃米饭面条等主食。但在欧美国家，他们的午饭一般都会吃得比较简单清淡，而且他们也没有午觉的习惯，所以吃得清淡也有助于集中精力，不容易犯困，而且也比较省时间。所以这样饮食差异也给网友们带来了文化冲击。 更有趣的是，最近“白人饭”这个词已经从一个梗变成了大家纷纷效仿的饮食方式，网友还开始各种钻研白人饭，表示仿佛打开了新世界的大门。
"In China, the concept of a filling lunch is deeply ingrained in people's minds, as well as the habit of having a staple of rice or noodles etc. with every meal. But in Europe and the US, lunches are usually simple and light, and they don't have the custom of taking a siesta, so eating lightly helps maintain focus, prevent drowsiness, and save time. And so, these dietary differences have led to culture shock. "What's more interesting is, recently the phrase 'white people food' has spread to become a style of cuisine that everyone is imitating. Netizens have begun a deep dive into all different kinds of white people food. It's like a door has been opened into a new world."
OP's tweet reads: "After entering a state of 'eating to stay alive', I found out white people food is actually good. Ate the same thing every day and didn't puke. I just play on my phone a bit and the food is ready. It's sustenance, that's all."
Commenter: "After you give up on the pursuit of flavor, the world will open up to you. Cold vegetables + chicken breast are so good."
随着这个梗的火热，“白人饭”在国内出圈的事情，居然还传到外网去了。而国外网友的反应也是够逗的。一位网友在推特上发推表示，
Following this trend going viral, "white people food" got spread to the foreign web. Foreign netizens' reactions were too funny. One user tweets:
而外国网友不但没有感到被冒犯，反而是早已接受了“白人饭”这个设定，甚至有时候连自己都忍不住吐槽。 "Not only were foreigners not offended, they've long since accepted the designation of "white people food", even going so far as to mock it themselves.
而听说中国网友也兴起了吃白人饭之后，白人网友也不吝赐教，开始分享地道的白人饭做法。
"After hearing about Chinese interest in white people food, white people didn't hesitate to offer instruction and started sharing recipes for authentic white people food."
Additional context:
- The reactions are partially because raw veggies are a terrible lunch, but also because vegetables in Chinese cuisine are almost always eaten fully cooked, due to food safety and culinary tradition. Raw vegetables are for livestock and Westerners.
- the Chinese tweets in the article which have location tags are all tagged with non-American countries (Switzerland, England, Germany, Denmark, and multiple from Australia). There's no "it's just the Americans"-ing your way out of this one.
