The emphasis on fresh high-quality food made me wonder if that sort of food is more satisfying (and filling) than what the author sees in American food. Does eating poor quality food leave you hungry? (Also, consider people living in “grocery deserts” who subsist on large amounts of fast food. Their obesity rates are very high.)
Dunno if this is related, but I can easily eat an entire candy bar and be ready to snarf down another. But 3 or 4 dried dates make me full and satisfy my craving for sweets, and I don’t want more.