What's so bad about processed "healthy" foods?

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  • dym123
    dym123 Posts: 1,670 Member
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    All I can say is that since I've started eating whole (real) food, my energy levels are up, I can also eat more without adding extra calories and I'm not hungry as much, in fact I hard a hard time reaching my calorie goal. I'm not saying you're wrong or I'm right, I'm just telling you my experience with eating non-processed foods, you should do what you feel is best for you. The down side is it is not convenient, I usually have to cook a couple of large meals over the weekend so that I have pre-portioned meals to eat during the week.
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    There are some things that make "processed" foods bad. They're often loaded with simple carbs and sodium, for example. This gives "processed food" a bad name and people tend to simplify to "processed food is bad."

    This doesn't make any sense. Processing isn't necessarily bad. Just pay attention to what the actual nutritional composition is and you'll be fine. Set targets for calories, protein, sugar, and fiber and hit those. Forget about the rest.
    That's exactly how I feel as well, but so many research articles, blogs, books, etc beg to disagree.

    it's because those articles, blogs, books, etc are trying to SELL you something.

    the weight loss industry is a multi-billion dollar a year industry. every year, scammers have to come up with new scams as a way to differentiate what they are selling from what everybody else is selling. ever notice that all the miracle diets and pills from 10 years ago have disappeared? it's because there's no money to be made in those anymore. there is money to be made in the latest and greatest new fad though, especially if they can get it featured on certain TV shows or in certain magazines.
  • libertygirlfla
    libertygirlfla Posts: 184 Member
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    I think everyone here has the right idea. Eat as naturally as possible without going to extremes and causing yourself stress over it. I don't always want to cook, so I buy organic/Kashi/Amy's, etc., type frozen meals. Mostly, I make my own, though. If I make spaghetti (organic ingredients and ww/pasta), I will freeze measured portions for a quick meal at a later time. This keeps me from getting sick of eating the same thing for 5 days in a row (it's usually just me eating what I cook). But the bottom line is no food will kill you in moderation.

    Find what works best for you and don't be afraid to modify as needed/desired. Keep up the good work!

    Lib
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    You lost me at the part where you said MSG is bad.
  • honeyandmilk
    honeyandmilk Posts: 160 Member
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    LOL i have one word....


    HORSEMEAT! :laugh:

    LMAO! Yep, it's made me never want to eat anything beef related and processed.

    To those who don't know there has been a bit of a scandal finding horse meat in certain beef products.

    I'm aware of that, but there's nothing actually wrong with horse meat. Westerners have a bit of an "ick" factor about it, and clearly consumers weren't told it was horse meat, but horse meat is fine.

    But...horses :'(

    In India they hold cows sacred. An animal is an animal. I respect them all (as that is how I was raised)...but I have no problems catching and gutting a fish. I'd also have no probs shooting Bambi if it called for it.

    I don't eat meat and consider every animal as sacred. I would never in my life cause any harm to any animal (I nearly had a stroke when my dad ran over a squirrel years back).
  • WinnerVictorious
    WinnerVictorious Posts: 4,735 Member
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    You mean other than preservatives, added sodium and/or sugars, and who knows what additional chemicals are put into them?
    It is just better for you to cook your own food from scratch. You at least have control over what is put into your food and ultimately your body.
    I don't pretend not to eat any processed foods, but I have certainly made every effort to restrict it as much as I can.
    I know that I have benefited from eating better, but everyone needs to do what works for themselves.

    why the hate toward chemicals?

    your body is 100% chemicals and chemical compounds of one sort or another.

    i don't understand how "chemicals" have become a dirty word. is this part of the teaching of the paleo/primal/clean-eating cultists?
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
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    LOL i have one word....


    HORSEMEAT! :laugh:

    I really DON't fancy eating Mr.ed personally! even if he is better cals than beef! :wink:

    I've had it. Horse meat tastes a little sweeter than beef, but not bad, unless you are 4 months pregnant and getting ill at the drop of a hat and are totally expecting another taste LOL. That being said, I eat about 90% vegetarian anyway, so any meat is not going to sit well on my stomach at first.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    You mean other than preservatives, added sodium and/or sugars, and who knows what additional chemicals are put into them?
    It is just better for you to cook your own food from scratch. You at least have control over what is put into your food and ultimately your body.
    I don't pretend not to eat any processed foods, but I have certainly made every effort to restrict it as much as I can.
    I know that I have benefited from eating better, but everyone needs to do what works for themselves.

    why the hate toward chemicals?

    your body is 100% chemicals and chemical compounds of one sort or another.

    i don't understand how "chemicals" have become a dirty word. is this part of the teaching of the paleo/primal/clean-eating cultists?

    People hear "chemical" and think of an industrial lye plant or something. They don't think of "water" and "protein" as chemicals even though they are.

    Literally everything is a chemical.
  • ktsmom430
    ktsmom430 Posts: 1,100 Member
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    No hate for chemicals. I just want to try and control what I am eating myself, rather than putting things that may, or may not, be at best unnecessary for me, and at worst harmful.
    Does anyone really know what some of the preservatives can do to your health long term? Why take the risk.
    You can do what you want, and I will do what I want.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
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    You mean other than preservatives, added sodium and/or sugars, and who knows what additional chemicals are put into them?
    It is just better for you to cook your own food from scratch. You at least have control over what is put into your food and ultimately your body.
    I don't pretend not to eat any processed foods, but I have certainly made every effort to restrict it as much as I can.
    I know that I have benefited from eating better, but everyone needs to do what works for themselves.

    why the hate toward chemicals?

    your body is 100% chemicals and chemical compounds of one sort or another.

    i don't understand how "chemicals" have become a dirty word. is this part of the teaching of the paleo/primal/clean-eating cultists?

    People hear "chemical" and think of an industrial lye plant or something. They don't think of "water" and "protein" as chemicals even though they are.

    Literally everything is a chemical.
    Light isn't a chemical. :laugh: bolt.gif
  • megsmom2
    megsmom2 Posts: 2,362 Member
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    I think there's a place for almost anything in a sensible way of living. Lean Cuisine or whatever may be the best choice at any particular moment. Not so good every day, due to sodium and such, but you already know that. There's nothing wrong with using things like that as a tool...something you use to make things easier, for the moment. Sometimes you just don't have time or inclination for more complicated. Or maybe you just like that Fiber One bar. We don't have to be purists yo be successful and smart.
  • algebravoodoo
    algebravoodoo Posts: 776 Member
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    [/quote]
    Big scandal in Europe about meat/meat products (primarily boxed foods, i believe) being advertized as beef, but actually containing horse meat that was not intended for human consumption. BTW, judging from the Pferdewagon at the Kaiserslautern Wochenmarkt, horse meat is considered by some as good eats, as long as it has been raised in a manner similar to beef.
    [/quote]

    Well, when it is being hidden in foods - yeah, that's a problem. But as the above said - if it is raised in the manner as beef, don't see what's the problem.
    [/quote]

    And I think that was what made it such a big deal... not that they were eating HORSE meat, but were doing so unknowingly. That is my biggest issue with processed foods. As long as I know upfront what has been done or added so I can make an informed decision, bring on the boxes! That, of course leads to the "vote with your money" idea, but that's another thread.
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
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    LOL i have one word....


    HORSEMEAT! :laugh:

    I really DON't fancy eating Mr.ed personally! even if he is better cals than beef! :wink:

    I've had it. Horse meat tastes a little sweeter than beef, but not bad, unless you are 4 months pregnant and getting ill at the drop of a hat and are totally expecting another taste LOL. That being said, I eat about 90% vegetarian anyway, so any meat is not going to sit well on my stomach at first.


    I'm sure it's nice and i wouldn't have a problem eating it as long as
    1. i knew it was horsemeat
    2.It was brought up to be eaten(like cattle) but not as old horses with banned injections in)that are not edible! :smile:
  • scottdeeby
    scottdeeby Posts: 95 Member
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    For one thing, they usually lack fiber, so they are so easily digested and quickly added to your available sources of energy, they cause a large release of insulin into your bloodstream which quickly stores the energy as fat.

    Fruit: good
    Fruit juice: bad (it has all the sugar but all the fiber is stripped out)
    Fruit juice vs. real fruit is an obvious one. Just by looking at the nutrition label you can see that fruit juice has zero fiber and more sugar than the actual fruit. I rarely drink fruit juice. But I was referring to things with good nutrition facts that are still processed, ie something like whole wheat bread with 5 grams of fiber per slice but 20 ingredients.
    I think the way to manage this is to google the unfamiliar ingredients and learn their purpose. Sometimes the scary-sounding stuff is actually not all that bad. For example, artificial flavours are often the same chemical that's found naturally in food, but artificially added to a food product.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,022 Member
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    It's funny I think asking a society that live and breath the golden arches and where the larger the portion size equals the better value to now dis that lifestyle. It's all good, it's just your diet is bad.....just kidding. :smile:
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Processed food have generally been stripped of their nutritional benefits and had them chemically added back in, which means they are not what you think they are eating. That's what enriched means. (like white bread and white rice, they've been bleached and then had the "nutrients" added back in chemically.) Chemicals are not good for our bodies, from a health perspective.

    Artificial flavors, natural flavoring added.. you never know what that means. There is laundry list of thing they can add to food and classify it as one of these 2 things. So if you have allergies (esp dairy) you might want to be wary of this. Also.. fruit juice shouldn't need added flavoring, if it does, then that means they did something to strip the fruit of it's flavor or there is a very small percentage of actual fruit in the juice.

    All I say is read labels. You will be surprised what is in some of these foods.
  • Phaedra2014
    Phaedra2014 Posts: 1,254 Member
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    It's obvious that things like coke, chocolate bars, chips, etc are unhealthy because they're void of nutrients and high in calories, leaving your body malnourished & overfed. But what about things like Subway sandwiches, Lean Cuisine meals, high fiber cereals, precooked chicken breasts, protein bars, etc? Yes, the ingredient lists are long, but as far as everything else I'd look for when reading nutrition facts, some of these things seem pretty healthy. Fiber? Check. Protein? Check. Lack of trans fats, check. Vitamins, check. And if you make the right choices with a lot of these processed foods, you can find lots of options with a relatively low amount of sodium. Also, people trash restaurants all the time for using processed ingredients. But if you went to the average grocery store & bought supplies to make the same recipes on your own, couldn't the ingredient lists could be just as long, since most foods at grocery stores are just as processed as the ingredients that go into restaurant foods?

    A long ingredient list means chemicals have been added, but are all of these chemicals necessarily bad for one's health (besides MSG and high fructose corn syrup - which are omitted from a lot of "healthy" processed foods nowadays)? & as for preservatives, aren't they necessary for most foods to even be capable of being sold in grocery stores? I'm not defending processed foods, I'm simply presenting my current understanding. People say a packaged meal will never be as good for you as the "real thing", but why exactly? I know things have been added to these foods for preservation & whatnot. But what has been taken away from them that makes them so bad nutritionally?

    I like to eat foods that have just a few ingredients that I recognize i.e. chicken, salt, pepper, broccoli, olive oil. When chemicals and preservatives are added or the names on cans, boxes and pre-packaged foods are difficult to understand I don't eat them. That's just my preference though.

    I stay away from foods that have "natural flavorings" or added dyes to them. I guess what I'm saying is that I make all my food and yeah, sometimes it is boring but I'll take that over packaged stuff.
  • stellarossa
    stellarossa Posts: 6
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    Lean cuisine is generally garbage because its full of sodium. Completely void of taste. And have you looked at the size of them? Youd have to eat like 2-3 to be even remotely satisfied.

    ^^ THIS X400!!
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    Lean cuisine is generally garbage because its full of sodium. Completely void of taste. And have you looked at the size of them? Youd have to eat like 2-3 to be even remotely satisfied.

    ^^ THIS X400!!

    I eat a Lean Cuisine or similar (Marie Callender, Amy's, etc) meal almost every day at lunch. I'm not worried about the sodium. Tastes pretty good, super easy, super convenient, and inexpensive. They fill me up. The Marie Callender meals are especially good - they all include a decent portion of vegetables and generally have 360 or fewer calories with 20+ grams of protein. Not bad.

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