That’s funny, I’m a born and raised Texan, and I never eat fried food or Drink sweet tea.
But then again, Texas really isn’t “The South”, so maybe that’s why.
Last time I stayed in Texas, the restaurants I went to were offering gravy on top of just about anything and everything. Waitresses had a big boat of the stuff on hand. I’m not sure if that was just a local thing, or a Texas thing.
We live in ‘Bama. Very little fried food and pretty much no sugary drinks. I won’t pass up a sweet tea when offered, but I pretty much stick to water, coffee, beer and wine. We do eat a lot of proteins though. Mainly chicken and beef. Mostly smoked, grilled, braised or baked. Lots of greens and other veggies. Potatoes of course. My main issue isn’t what I put in my cakehole... it’s how much. And brother, I do know my way around a knife and fork!!! 5’-10” at 215lbs. Got the dad bod for sure, but I’m still holding onto my chest, arms and shoulders from 20 years in the military.