Why aren't healthier foods priced lower than junk foods?

HappyStack

They will have no problem doing what? Metting the basic micronutrients to sustain life? I haven't seen anyone suggest that isn't possible.

RDI of protein might sufficient for maintenance of lean mass when eating maintenance calories, assuming the person lives a lifestyle of basic light activity, but it will not maintain lean muscle mass for all levels of activity. The more muscle you damage, the more needs repairing.

Different goals, different values in food.

It's not about "basic needs", adequate vs. optimal doesn't exist for vitamin and mineral intake - you're given daily values (DVs) and tolerable upper levels (ULs) for a reason, and it's not just "possible" it's almost downright impossible to not get more than RDI every day if you're eating a varied diet... as I said in another thread, we store the majority of vitamins our body needs in fat cells and in the liver. The only vitamins we need worry about getting every day are C and B vitamins.
So, take the standard breakfast of oatmeal... it contains the B vits folate, niacin and thiamine (B9, B3, and B1). Add milk, (B12, B6, B2, more B9, B3 and B1) and you're already close to 50% of your recommended intake of water-soluble vitamins (most of these B vits are required in amounts of approx. 1mg).

Add a navel orange (88% of your RDI for vit C), which also contains B9, B6 and B12. Looking at maybe 400 calories of food. Not to mention all of the other fat-soluble vitamins and minerals these foods contain.

I could go on, but I won't... It has nothing to do with goals. It's about eating, and eating a varied diet, period.

You also keep adding tangential caveats. As I said earlier, I believe RDI protein is too low and people should consume more... especially if they're training in a manner that will cause muscle growth. 50g per day is fine for people who don't really do much hard exercise.

regantheresa

I tried really hard to plant a garden but there is too much salt water in the air. The only thing that grew were sweet potatoes (because they are under the ground!) LOL

Greytfish

Oatmeal, cow's milk and an orange is not a very balanced breakfast. I can't imagine wasting that many calories on a huge chunk of carbs and almost no protein, but, to each his/her own.

HappyStack

Those devilish carbs!

I forgot we like talking in absolutes. Oatmeal! oatmeal and oranges all day!

Greytfish

Yes, carb phobia. That must be it :laugh:

HappyStack

Lol, so what makes it unbalanced?

It hits all your macros, as already stated has a ton of micros, can be fortified, and - at around 300-400 calories per portion (depending on what you add to it) - is about 1/5 or 1/6 of your daily calorie consumption.

Apparently, then, it's unbalanced because it favours carbs.

DamePiglet

It cracks me up that people visit a website that's headline is:
"Lose Weight with MyFitnessPal
The fastest, easiest to use calorie counter app."

And uses the selling point:
"Eat whatever you want"

Then wonder why others focus on calorie counting and have different ideas of what "healthy eating" is.

Could it possibly be because the "calorie counters" and people who are eating "whatever they want" are the ones using MFP as it was intended and designed?

HappyStack

I'd "like" your post if I could, lol.

I've been here for a few years and lurk a lot. The people you see failing or giving up most often are those who get themselves bogged down in the minutiae of healthy living, and there's the prevailing opinion that it's complex and too difficult for them.

The thing is, if you know even the basics of physiology and nutrition, you'll know these things already and won't rely on some fake PhD or website that pushes its own readership-gaining agenda by conflating or deliberately misinterpreting studies, or being alarmist.

I've seen it all, from people doing step aerobics and wondering if the overnight weight gain they've witnessed is because they've "built muscle" to people who wonder if they've "plateaued" because they read somewhere that "if you exercise too much your body releases more cortisol and that makes it hold onto fat". Or the dreaded instances of things like, "I drank coffee yesterday, gained 3lbs overnight... caffeine makes you fat" or "in order to lose weight you have to eat bad-tasting food repetitively".
The canned goods thing has come up before.

It's all a bit silly, defies all logic, and I feel a bit sad for people who stubbornly baulk against the basics when the evidence for it working - and working well - is all over this site and further.