Sugar and processed food good or bad?

lindsey1979

Here's my take from doing lots of research from documentaries, the interwebs, and reading. Of course, there can always be bias in anything you read or watch, but you can follow up and do your own research.

I stay away from processed foods as much as possible, but I still eat them occasionally. Most processed foods are so changed, that the essential vitamins and minerals that are in the original version of the basic ingredients get removed. In addition, remember that food companies are in the business to make money. Therefore a lot of what they add to these foods, such as food coloring, sweeteners, etc. are unnecessary. Some additives are put in with the express purpose of making you want more - basically addicting you to their product.

If you think government regulations and the FDA test these additives and foods to make sure they aren't cancer causing or in any way bad for you, you are incorrect. The FDA is generally staffed by former and future employees and execs of Monsanto and Cargill and other chemical and food companies. The FDA does almost no testing because of no budget, and instead relies on the food companies to test their own products and submit the results to the FDA. So just like cigarette companies had studies that said that smoking has no ill effects, food and chemical companies have their own studies that say these additives are just fine. And the FDA has no choice but to believe them.

The history of why this has happened over the decades is interesting, but not surprising, if you ever want to research it. But bottom line is it is cheaper for the food corps to take real food, process it, add stuff to it, package it, and sell it to you, than it is to sell you "real" food. In addition, with economies of scale, they can pump out more food to feed more people, though the food isn't as healthy. So there is a tradeoff. Subsidies from our tax dollars go to corporations that make processed foods, and you will not see those subsidies going to farmers that sell the real stuff, hence you can buy lots more processed food than real food.

Can you eat processed foods and lose weight? Yes. Can you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonalds and still lose weight? Yes. But to me, being healthy isn't only about a goal weight. It is feeding my body with the appropriate number of calories, vitamins, and minerals to keep me alive and feeling energetic, while staving off colds, diseases, etc.

I'm not one of those tin-foil hat people who is looking for conspiracies, but the more research I do into today's food policies in the US, the more I see that I need to stay away from the cheap mass-produced processed stuff.

If you are interested in doing your own research, I started out with watching various food documentaries on Netflix (streaming). Some were blatantly biased, but some were fairly reasonable. From there, I got enough information to be able to cross reference what they were saying with reports, studies, etc. all available for free in the public domain.

Eating real foods is sometimes more expensive, but not that much more. But it does take a lot of time and effort to educate yourself, choose healthy alternatives, and of course takes time to do the extra cooking. But for me it has been worth it.

Some people never touch restaurant or eat pre-packaged foods - always home cooked - but still don't get the nutrients they need because the foods they cook and eat are not nutrient dense.

Most of those people would be better off eating canned fruits and vegetables, frozen processed meals, etc. than they are eating their own home-cooked meals. Many would probably have better control of their waistlines, too.

It's this sort of ridiculous I'm talking about --- which I've seen a lot on MFP.

Sure, people can home cook all their meals and still end up malnourished. But, as a general premise, no one recommends eating canned fruits and veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant food over home cooked meals -- because the original premise is so incredibly unlikely, even if possible.

And if that was the case, then you'd tell the person to learn about basic nutrients and incorporate them in to their home cooking -- not to eat canned fruits/veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant foods instead.

It's so ridiculous it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps. Because, really, can people be this intentionally obtuse and still survive in society?

Sure, our line of thinking is so crazy, you must resort to conspiracy to understand it. Sounds legit.

You're right. If you would counsel someone that has the time and inclination to cook all their meals at home to start eating at restaurants, canned veggies/fruits and frozen processed dinners rather than educate them on implementing better nutritional choices into their home-cooked meals, yes, that's downright CRAZY and IRRATIONAL.

DamePiglet

Here's my take from doing lots of research from documentaries, the interwebs, and reading. Of course, there can always be bias in anything you read or watch, but you can follow up and do your own research.

I stay away from processed foods as much as possible, but I still eat them occasionally. Most processed foods are so changed, that the essential vitamins and minerals that are in the original version of the basic ingredients get removed. In addition, remember that food companies are in the business to make money. Therefore a lot of what they add to these foods, such as food coloring, sweeteners, etc. are unnecessary. Some additives are put in with the express purpose of making you want more - basically addicting you to their product.

If you think government regulations and the FDA test these additives and foods to make sure they aren't cancer causing or in any way bad for you, you are incorrect. The FDA is generally staffed by former and future employees and execs of Monsanto and Cargill and other chemical and food companies. The FDA does almost no testing because of no budget, and instead relies on the food companies to test their own products and submit the results to the FDA. So just like cigarette companies had studies that said that smoking has no ill effects, food and chemical companies have their own studies that say these additives are just fine. And the FDA has no choice but to believe them.

The history of why this has happened over the decades is interesting, but not surprising, if you ever want to research it. But bottom line is it is cheaper for the food corps to take real food, process it, add stuff to it, package it, and sell it to you, than it is to sell you "real" food. In addition, with economies of scale, they can pump out more food to feed more people, though the food isn't as healthy. So there is a tradeoff. Subsidies from our tax dollars go to corporations that make processed foods, and you will not see those subsidies going to farmers that sell the real stuff, hence you can buy lots more processed food than real food.

Can you eat processed foods and lose weight? Yes. Can you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonalds and still lose weight? Yes. But to me, being healthy isn't only about a goal weight. It is feeding my body with the appropriate number of calories, vitamins, and minerals to keep me alive and feeling energetic, while staving off colds, diseases, etc.

I'm not one of those tin-foil hat people who is looking for conspiracies, but the more research I do into today's food policies in the US, the more I see that I need to stay away from the cheap mass-produced processed stuff.

If you are interested in doing your own research, I started out with watching various food documentaries on Netflix (streaming). Some were blatantly biased, but some were fairly reasonable. From there, I got enough information to be able to cross reference what they were saying with reports, studies, etc. all available for free in the public domain.

Eating real foods is sometimes more expensive, but not that much more. But it does take a lot of time and effort to educate yourself, choose healthy alternatives, and of course takes time to do the extra cooking. But for me it has been worth it.

Some people never touch restaurant or eat pre-packaged foods - always home cooked - but still don't get the nutrients they need because the foods they cook and eat are not nutrient dense.

Most of those people would be better off eating canned fruits and vegetables, frozen processed meals, etc. than they are eating their own home-cooked meals. Many would probably have better control of their waistlines, too.

It's this sort of ridiculous I'm talking about --- which I've seen a lot on MFP.

Sure, people can home cook all their meals and still end up malnourished. But, as a general premise, no one recommends eating canned fruits and veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant food over home cooked meals -- because the original premise is so incredibly unlikely, even if possible.

And if that was the case, then you'd tell the person to learn about basic nutrients and incorporate them in to their home cooking -- not to eat canned fruits/veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant foods instead.

It's so ridiculous it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps. Because, really, can people be this intentionally obtuse and still survive in society?

Sigh.
Lindsey, if you think eating that NO fruits and / or vegetables is better than eating processed fruits and vegetables, then best of luck with those doctor bills..

I HAVE TRIED to explain basic nutrition to the people of whom I speak. Some people simply choose differently.

While we're at it, I have TRIED to explain to you how condescending and ignorant your posts are, but that hasn't worked either. Perhaps I need to get a raise from "BIG FOOD CORP" so that I can take persuasive speaking lessons.

Acg67

Lol

QuietBloom

It's just food, it's not inherently good or bad (or even evil). Guidelines for nutrition should be based on medical conditions, fitness goals, personal preference and/or ethics.

DamePiglet

Here's my take from doing lots of research from documentaries, the interwebs, and reading. Of course, there can always be bias in anything you read or watch, but you can follow up and do your own research.

I stay away from processed foods as much as possible, but I still eat them occasionally. Most processed foods are so changed, that the essential vitamins and minerals that are in the original version of the basic ingredients get removed. In addition, remember that food companies are in the business to make money. Therefore a lot of what they add to these foods, such as food coloring, sweeteners, etc. are unnecessary. Some additives are put in with the express purpose of making you want more - basically addicting you to their product.

If you think government regulations and the FDA test these additives and foods to make sure they aren't cancer causing or in any way bad for you, you are incorrect. The FDA is generally staffed by former and future employees and execs of Monsanto and Cargill and other chemical and food companies. The FDA does almost no testing because of no budget, and instead relies on the food companies to test their own products and submit the results to the FDA. So just like cigarette companies had studies that said that smoking has no ill effects, food and chemical companies have their own studies that say these additives are just fine. And the FDA has no choice but to believe them.

The history of why this has happened over the decades is interesting, but not surprising, if you ever want to research it. But bottom line is it is cheaper for the food corps to take real food, process it, add stuff to it, package it, and sell it to you, than it is to sell you "real" food. In addition, with economies of scale, they can pump out more food to feed more people, though the food isn't as healthy. So there is a tradeoff. Subsidies from our tax dollars go to corporations that make processed foods, and you will not see those subsidies going to farmers that sell the real stuff, hence you can buy lots more processed food than real food.

Can you eat processed foods and lose weight? Yes. Can you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonalds and still lose weight? Yes. But to me, being healthy isn't only about a goal weight. It is feeding my body with the appropriate number of calories, vitamins, and minerals to keep me alive and feeling energetic, while staving off colds, diseases, etc.

I'm not one of those tin-foil hat people who is looking for conspiracies, but the more research I do into today's food policies in the US, the more I see that I need to stay away from the cheap mass-produced processed stuff.

If you are interested in doing your own research, I started out with watching various food documentaries on Netflix (streaming). Some were blatantly biased, but some were fairly reasonable. From there, I got enough information to be able to cross reference what they were saying with reports, studies, etc. all available for free in the public domain.

Eating real foods is sometimes more expensive, but not that much more. But it does take a lot of time and effort to educate yourself, choose healthy alternatives, and of course takes time to do the extra cooking. But for me it has been worth it.

Some people never touch restaurant or eat pre-packaged foods - always home cooked - but still don't get the nutrients they need because the foods they cook and eat are not nutrient dense.

Most of those people would be better off eating canned fruits and vegetables, frozen processed meals, etc. than they are eating their own home-cooked meals. Many would probably have better control of their waistlines, too.

It's this sort of ridiculous I'm talking about --- which I've seen a lot on MFP.

Sure, people can home cook all their meals and still end up malnourished. But, as a general premise, no one recommends eating canned fruits and veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant food over home cooked meals -- because the original premise is so incredibly unlikely, even if possible.

And if that was the case, then you'd tell the person to learn about basic nutrients and incorporate them in to their home cooking -- not to eat canned fruits/veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant foods instead.

It's so ridiculous it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps. Because, really, can people be this intentionally obtuse and still survive in society?

Sure, our line of thinking is so crazy, you must resort to conspiracy to understand it. Sounds legit.

You're right. If you would counsel someone that has the time and inclination to cook all their meals at home to start eating at restaurants, canned veggies/fruits and frozen processed dinners rather than educate them on implementing better nutritional choices into their home-cooked meals, yes, that's downright CRAZY and IRRATIONAL.

Um... irony.

eric_sg61

It's just food, it's not inherently good or bad (or even evil). Guidelines for nutrition should be based on medical conditions, fitness goals, personal preference and/or ethics.

But that doesn't sell books, run blogs or make documentaries.

lindsey1979

Here's my take from doing lots of research from documentaries, the interwebs, and reading. Of course, there can always be bias in anything you read or watch, but you can follow up and do your own research.

I stay away from processed foods as much as possible, but I still eat them occasionally. Most processed foods are so changed, that the essential vitamins and minerals that are in the original version of the basic ingredients get removed. In addition, remember that food companies are in the business to make money. Therefore a lot of what they add to these foods, such as food coloring, sweeteners, etc. are unnecessary. Some additives are put in with the express purpose of making you want more - basically addicting you to their product.

If you think government regulations and the FDA test these additives and foods to make sure they aren't cancer causing or in any way bad for you, you are incorrect. The FDA is generally staffed by former and future employees and execs of Monsanto and Cargill and other chemical and food companies. The FDA does almost no testing because of no budget, and instead relies on the food companies to test their own products and submit the results to the FDA. So just like cigarette companies had studies that said that smoking has no ill effects, food and chemical companies have their own studies that say these additives are just fine. And the FDA has no choice but to believe them.

The history of why this has happened over the decades is interesting, but not surprising, if you ever want to research it. But bottom line is it is cheaper for the food corps to take real food, process it, add stuff to it, package it, and sell it to you, than it is to sell you "real" food. In addition, with economies of scale, they can pump out more food to feed more people, though the food isn't as healthy. So there is a tradeoff. Subsidies from our tax dollars go to corporations that make processed foods, and you will not see those subsidies going to farmers that sell the real stuff, hence you can buy lots more processed food than real food.

Can you eat processed foods and lose weight? Yes. Can you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonalds and still lose weight? Yes. But to me, being healthy isn't only about a goal weight. It is feeding my body with the appropriate number of calories, vitamins, and minerals to keep me alive and feeling energetic, while staving off colds, diseases, etc.

I'm not one of those tin-foil hat people who is looking for conspiracies, but the more research I do into today's food policies in the US, the more I see that I need to stay away from the cheap mass-produced processed stuff.

If you are interested in doing your own research, I started out with watching various food documentaries on Netflix (streaming). Some were blatantly biased, but some were fairly reasonable. From there, I got enough information to be able to cross reference what they were saying with reports, studies, etc. all available for free in the public domain.

Eating real foods is sometimes more expensive, but not that much more. But it does take a lot of time and effort to educate yourself, choose healthy alternatives, and of course takes time to do the extra cooking. But for me it has been worth it.

Some people never touch restaurant or eat pre-packaged foods - always home cooked - but still don't get the nutrients they need because the foods they cook and eat are not nutrient dense.

Most of those people would be better off eating canned fruits and vegetables, frozen processed meals, etc. than they are eating their own home-cooked meals. Many would probably have better control of their waistlines, too.

It's this sort of ridiculous I'm talking about --- which I've seen a lot on MFP.

Sure, people can home cook all their meals and still end up malnourished. But, as a general premise, no one recommends eating canned fruits and veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant food over home cooked meals -- because the original premise is so incredibly unlikely, even if possible.

And if that was the case, then you'd tell the person to learn about basic nutrients and incorporate them in to their home cooking -- not to eat canned fruits/veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant foods instead.

It's so ridiculous it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps. Because, really, can people be this intentionally obtuse and still survive in society?

Sigh.
Lindsey, if you think eating that NO fruits and / or vegetables is better than eating processed fruits and vegetables, then best of luck with those doctor bills..

I HAVE TRIED to explain basic nutrition to the people of whom I speak. Some people simply choose differently.

While we're at it, I have TRIED to explain to you how condescending and ignorant your posts are, but that hasn't worked either. Perhaps I need to get a raise from "BIG FOOD CORP" so that I can take persuasive speaking lessons.

Just make reasonable suggestions instead of taking the wild exception and trying to extrapolate that out into a reasonable perspective. You may not agree with my opinions, but they certainly aren't ignorant.

As for the tone, I don't disagree with you. But, you don't seem to lack the ability to be terribly condescending yourself. Oh, the irony.

F00LofaT00K

They are GREAT to eat for me because they're cheap, quick and easy. I'm full time work/full time school (9 months to go!) so cooking and fresh foods are basically out of the question for me right now. I'd prefer to eat organic due to some allergy concerns though. . . and because I think fresh foods taste the best.

I think they could be bad for certain people who have to watch their sodium/sugar levels due to medical concerns. Luckily for me, I don't have any problems like that, nor do they run in my family. . . so sugary and processed foods are ideal for my current lifestyle. The past few weeks are terrible for an example, but I generally get the proper amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates from my processed and sugary foods. I feel super great!

Unknown

This content has been removed.

Holly_Roman_Empire

You're right. If you would counsel someone that has the time and inclination to cook all their meals at home to start eating at restaurants, canned veggies/fruits and frozen processed dinners rather than educate them on implementing better nutritional choices into their home-cooked meals, yes, that's downright CRAZY and IRRATIONAL.

I'm just going to quote you for fun. I think your post speaks for itself.

QuietBloom

The less processed foods in your diet, the healthier you will be. Eat your food as close to the way God made it as possible. When food is cut up, nutrients at the surface deteriorate. The more it's processed, the more nutrients you lose, making foods that have been pulverized (like flour and sugar) pretty dead, especially if it's been sitting in a warehouse, a truck and then a store for who knows how long before you actually eat it. To counteract this, companies replace the nutrients that were lost with synthetic versions that your body does not know what to do with because they're not real food.

LOLwut?

lindsey1979

You're right. If you would counsel someone that has the time and inclination to cook all their meals at home to start eating at restaurants, canned veggies/fruits and frozen processed dinners rather than educate them on implementing better nutritional choices into their home-cooked meals, yes, that's downright CRAZY and IRRATIONAL.

I'm just going to quote you for fun. I think your post speaks for itself.

As do I. Thank you.

ken_m

The less processed foods in your diet, the healthier you will be. Eat your food as close to the way God made it as possible. When food is cut up, nutrients at the surface deteriorate. The more it's processed, the more nutrients you lose, making foods that have been pulverized (like flour and sugar) pretty dead, especially if it's been sitting in a warehouse, a truck and then a store for who knows how long before you actually eat it. To counteract this, companies replace the nutrients that were lost with synthetic versions that your body does not know what to do with because they're not real food.

I've never had God cook for me before but I bet he makes some insane pancakes

QueenBishOTUniverse

The less processed foods in your diet, the healthier you will be. Eat your food as close to the way God made it as possible. When food is cut up, nutrients at the surface deteriorate. The more it's processed, the more nutrients you lose, making foods that have been pulverized (like flour and sugar) pretty dead, especially if it's been sitting in a warehouse, a truck and then a store for who knows how long before you actually eat it. To counteract this, companies replace the nutrients that were lost with synthetic versions that your body does not know what to do with because they're not real food.

LOLwut?

Just ignore it, maybe it will go away. Hasn't worked for me, my brain is still melting, but maybe it'll work better for you.

GiveMeCoffee

It's food not good or bad, some better nutritional for me than others, and some better mentally for me than others because it helps me continue towards my goals. When I have a nice balance of both life and losing weight is much easier.

jonnythan

I'm starting to agree with some other users that such people are not true MFP users, but paid food corp. reps

it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps.

Oh dear.

QuietBloom

It's just food, it's not inherently good or bad (or even evil). Guidelines for nutrition should be based on medical conditions, fitness goals, personal preference and/or ethics.

But that doesn't sell books, run blogs or make documentaries.

So mundane, I know. :yawn:

Fullsterkur_woman

You're right. If you would counsel someone that has the time and inclination to cook all their meals at home to start eating at restaurants, canned veggies/fruits and frozen processed dinners rather than educate them on implementing better nutritional choices into their home-cooked meals, yes, that's downright CRAZY and IRRATIONAL.

I'm just going to quote you for fun. I think your post speaks for itself.

As do I. Thank you.

So, just to play devil's advocate here, what about people who are not inclined to cook their meals at home? Am I not better off going with canned fruits/vegetables added to frozen processed meals or going out to eat and choosing meals that come with vegetables than just making a sangwich at home and calling it good? Or somehow if I do eat lots of fruits/vegetables (which I do) they are somehow "canceled out" by eating processed food too?

QueenBishOTUniverse

I'm starting to agree with some other users that such people are not true MFP users, but paid food corp. reps

it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps.

Oh dear.

Seriously, how do I get this gig?! I'm totally ok with selling the health of the rest of humanity down the river!

lindsey1979

Do some people associate the labels "good" and "bad" with some form of judgment/condemnation rather than just a description?

I just ask because it seems like quite a few people say that there is no good or bad, but then they'll follow up with some comment about good/bad for them, better/worse for weight loss, nutrition, etc.? Or how it's linked to some value judgment?

Just wondering, because I've never really looked at it that way before -- I considered it more of a simple description that was all -- though I think may explain some of the differences in semantics seen on this thread.

asdowe13

Happiness IS a micronutrient, right there with fibre and all the other ones.

Food = good

Unknown

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jonnythan

Do some people associate the labels "good" and "bad" with some form of judgment/condemnation rather than just a description?

I just ask because it seems like quite a few people say that there is no good or bad, but then they'll follow up with some comment about good/bad for them, better/worse for weight loss, nutrition, etc.? Or how it's linked to some value judgment?

Just wondering, because I've never really looked at it that way before -- I considered it more of a simple description that was all -- though I think may explain some of the differences in semantics seen on this thread.

How are "good" and "bad" simply "descriptions" and NOT judgment?

Good and bad are the very definition of judgment.

geebusuk

I look at food from the standpoint of nutritional value.

I've seen quite a lot of people suggest this.
While the post does mention a 'varied' diet, we don't get a mention of specifically making sure you have an appropriate range of micronutrients.

To get a decently varied diet often means eating less nutrient dense food.

Further, too much of some micronutrients can be harmful rather than helpful.

Someone at worked asked what I had cooking in the microwave - explained it was some chicken breasts in sauce which were half price (350 calories for 50 grams protein and was £1.75 when on offer - sauce was pretty tasty!) which I had over salad.
"Oh salad to pretend it's healthy". I didn't go into detail, but did point out I ate loads of this salad anyway, so it wasn't adding anything useful (despite being 'whole' food and such), but it was a nice low calorie way to fill up.

The salad might be particularly 'nutrient dense' per calorie, but not in a useful way for me as I have plenty of those micronutrients already.
Unfortunately it seems a lot of the clean anti-processed, whole food lot don't seem to understand this.

As far as whole foods though, I did ok today:
Tomato - whole tomato.
Chicken in sauce - Whole packet.
Pizza - whole pizza
Rolls - 2 whole rolls
Ice cream cones - 3 whole cones
Satsumas - 3 whole satsumas
Millionaire's cheesecake - whole cheesecake (1750 calories of nom!)


Not so good:
Lettuce - maybe only 1/6th
Ham - 150g of 450g pack

suremeansyes

The less processed foods in your diet, the healthier you will be. Eat your food as close to the way God made it as possible. When food is cut up, nutrients at the surface deteriorate. The more it's processed, the more nutrients you lose, making foods that have been pulverized (like flour and sugar) pretty dead, especially if it's been sitting in a warehouse, a truck and then a store for who knows how long before you actually eat it. To counteract this, companies replace the nutrients that were lost with synthetic versions that your body does not know what to do with because they're not real food.

LOLwut?

I think it means that flour and sugar has no nutrients and hence, no calories. So I'm making cookies today.

QuietBloom

I'm starting to agree with some other users that such people are not true MFP users, but paid food corp. reps

it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps.

Oh dear.

I wish someone were paying me to poke holes in food conspiracy theories.

Canned vegetables now - has anyone told Lindsey about how people survived before the onset of BIG FOOD when it came to fresh fruits and vegetables? They didn't have them year round. They resorted to (gasp) canning and root cellars.

QueenBishOTUniverse

Someone sent me a PM saying there were rational arguments being made here. No?

LOL, clearly you're gullible.

LolBroScience

Just make reasonable suggestions instead of taking the wild exception and trying to extrapolate that out into a reasonable perspective. You may not agree with my opinions, but they are most certainly ignorant.

As for the tone, I don't disagree with you. But, you don't seem to lack the ability to be terribly condescending yourself. Oh, the irony.

FIFY

Unknown

This content has been removed.

thomaszabel

Here's my take from doing lots of research from documentaries, the interwebs, and reading. Of course, there can always be bias in anything you read or watch, but you can follow up and do your own research.

I stay away from processed foods as much as possible, but I still eat them occasionally. Most processed foods are so changed, that the essential vitamins and minerals that are in the original version of the basic ingredients get removed. In addition, remember that food companies are in the business to make money. Therefore a lot of what they add to these foods, such as food coloring, sweeteners, etc. are unnecessary. Some additives are put in with the express purpose of making you want more - basically addicting you to their product.

If you think government regulations and the FDA test these additives and foods to make sure they aren't cancer causing or in any way bad for you, you are incorrect. The FDA is generally staffed by former and future employees and execs of Monsanto and Cargill and other chemical and food companies. The FDA does almost no testing because of no budget, and instead relies on the food companies to test their own products and submit the results to the FDA. So just like cigarette companies had studies that said that smoking has no ill effects, food and chemical companies have their own studies that say these additives are just fine. And the FDA has no choice but to believe them.

The history of why this has happened over the decades is interesting, but not surprising, if you ever want to research it. But bottom line is it is cheaper for the food corps to take real food, process it, add stuff to it, package it, and sell it to you, than it is to sell you "real" food. In addition, with economies of scale, they can pump out more food to feed more people, though the food isn't as healthy. So there is a tradeoff. Subsidies from our tax dollars go to corporations that make processed foods, and you will not see those subsidies going to farmers that sell the real stuff, hence you can buy lots more processed food than real food.

Can you eat processed foods and lose weight? Yes. Can you eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonalds and still lose weight? Yes. But to me, being healthy isn't only about a goal weight. It is feeding my body with the appropriate number of calories, vitamins, and minerals to keep me alive and feeling energetic, while staving off colds, diseases, etc.

I'm not one of those tin-foil hat people who is looking for conspiracies, but the more research I do into today's food policies in the US, the more I see that I need to stay away from the cheap mass-produced processed stuff.

If you are interested in doing your own research, I started out with watching various food documentaries on Netflix (streaming). Some were blatantly biased, but some were fairly reasonable. From there, I got enough information to be able to cross reference what they were saying with reports, studies, etc. all available for free in the public domain.

Eating real foods is sometimes more expensive, but not that much more. But it does take a lot of time and effort to educate yourself, choose healthy alternatives, and of course takes time to do the extra cooking. But for me it has been worth it.

Some people never touch restaurant or eat pre-packaged foods - always home cooked - but still don't get the nutrients they need because the foods they cook and eat are not nutrient dense.

Most of those people would be better off eating canned fruits and vegetables, frozen processed meals, etc. than they are eating their own home-cooked meals. Many would probably have better control of their waistlines, too.

It's this sort of ridiculous I'm talking about --- which I've seen a lot on MFP.

Sure, people can home cook all their meals and still end up malnourished. But, as a general premise, no one recommends eating canned fruits and veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant food over home cooked meals -- because the original premise is so incredibly unlikely, even if possible.

And if that was the case, then you'd tell the person to learn about basic nutrients and incorporate them in to their home cooking -- not to eat canned fruits/veggies, frozen processed meals and restaurant foods instead.

It's so ridiculous it's hard to believe that such posters aren't paid food corp. reps. Because, really, can people be this intentionally obtuse and still survive in society?

There are plenty of home cooked meals that are loaded with calories.

Instant oatmeal, cereal, and canned veggies are processed, yet can help people lose weight and consume nutrients.

I agree that there are real foods that are loaded with calories. And I agree that some foods are only minimally processed, and are still fairly healthy. But my definition of processed doesn't mean grabbing real food and chopping or blending it up.

I am not concerned with reaching any goal weight. I already did that by counting calories and working out. I am concerned with the additives they put in. One day, take a look at the ingredients in your favorite mini tacos or M&Ms or Mio Energy drink liquid or any other highly processed food that you love. Take each one of the ingredients and Google it. Especially the ones you can't pronounce. I even made a fun game out of Googling the phrase: "Is XXXX good for you". It's amazing the number of additives that have been banned in other countries that I see in many of our foods each day, and reading scientific studies performed in Europe or elsewhere linking them to various diseases. It's amazing the number of additives that, when you research them, have a maximum recommended allowance for pregnant women or the elderly or small children. You won't see that listed on the labels, but you can find it if you research it online.

Bottom line for me is that Over the last 5 decades there have been tons of stuff that we have used that was supposedly safe, which we now know is harmful. I am not a scientist, but if I have to question it, why not stay on the safe side and avoid them? Remember, smoking doesn't cause cancer. Nicotine and tar has no negative health effects. DDT is safe to spray on your kids to keep them safe from bugs. Asbestos is totally safe, and a good fire retardant. The list goes on and on.

For anyone who wants to eat highly processed foods, awesome! You can do that and still lose weight, if that is your only goal. But 20 years down the road when they prove that aspartame or red dye #4 or chemical XYZ is highly cancer-causing and people laugh at how people used to think it was safe, I will sleep better knowing that by eating real unprocessed food, I was able to stay away from it.