As a 7th generation Floriadian, I'll put in my
two cents worth.  The southern U.S. (pre-civil war) remained agricultural when

the north became industrialized.   A typical
southern diet consists of meat (especially pork), eggs, seafood (crawfish,

shrimp, crabs, catfish), grits, cornbread,
biscuits, rice, greens, sweet potatoes,
pecans.  Gravies and sauces are served with

everything.  Sweets, salt, and fried foods are
favored, and crisco has replaced lard as the cooking fat of choice.  I agree

with the notion that that income is at play here;
a traditional "poor" southern diet is beans, rice and cornbread supplemented

with bacon and seafood.  (And the modern "poor"
diet also includes beer, chips, and sugary drinks.)  I also think that

southerners will take flavorful over "healthy" any day!
Mary <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >From: "Jay Banks"
 >> I noticed this on CNN. Something to think about, since it would seem that
 >> those in the South would be eating a higher meat diet and/or be *closer* to
 >> what some would consider a modern paleo/atkins-type of diet. Anybody else
 >> care to comment?:

Probably a direct correlation between income and diet, people have lower
incomes, must subsist on high carb diet made up mostly of cheap grains

Less likely to consume fresh high quality meat, too expensive