Calories in clean food vs junk food?

The thing I love about IIFYM is that you can moderately eat junk food and as long as it fits into your macronutrients (Carbs, Protein, Fats) it won't hurt you and you won't have to feel guilty about it!

Preservatives aren't ALL they add ... there are chemicals added to junk food and processed fast food to make you want more. Intentionally! MSG is in EVERYTHING you eat in restaurants and frozen dinners and cans and bags (unless it says otherwise). It comes under many different names and (autolyzed yeast extract, hydrolyzed protein, etc.) and you can learn all about it at MSGTruth.org (I was just having a similar conversation on another thread, so going to share this here too). The calorie may be a calorie but the added chemicals can really mess with your metabolism and your hunger. MSG is among the worst. Why do they add it to foods? From MSGTRuth.org:

Why do food companies add MSG to foods?

There are several reasons:

MSG tricks your tongue into making you think a certain food is high in protein and thus nutritious. It is not a "meat tenderizer". It is not a "preservative". The food industry is trying to confuse the issue by focusing on the "fifth" taste sense they call umami. Free glutamic acid is detected by the taste buds as a simple way to signal the presence of protein in a food, just as there are fat receptors to detect fats and receptors that sense carbohydrate or sweet flavors. The purpose is to help us discern real food from inedible matter. It changes your perception of not simply taste but the nutritious qualities of what you put into your mouth. However, and here is the main problem with free glutamic acid - It is the very same neurotransmitter that your brain and many organs including your ears, eyes, nervous system and pancreas in your body use to initiate certain processes in your body.

MSG stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin. So many diets these days are concerned about the Glycemic Index of foods and yet none of them address the fact that MSG and free glutamic acid stimulate the pancreas to release insulin when there doesn't even have to be carbohydrates in the food for that insulin to act on. The food industry has found their own "anti-appetite suppressant". It's a convenient way to keep consumers coming back for more. The blood sugar drops because of the insulin flood. And you are hungry an hour later. Sound familiar?

The body changes excess glutamate to GABA. GABA may be addictive. It is calming and affects the same receptors in the brain as valium.

Cost. The illusion created by adding MSG to a food product enables the food processor to add LESS real food. The illusion of more protein in a food allows the food producer to put LESS protein in it. The consumer perceives the product - say chicken soup - to have more chicken in it than is actually there. Example: A well-known brand of dehydrated chicken noodle soup. Is that chicken in there, or a piece of confetti?

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So while a calorie is a calorie as a unit of energy, not all calories are created equally. Some nourish, some really mess you up and make your road a lot tougher than it has to be.

MSGTruth.org

LMAO. that is certainly an unbiased site. Hope you don't eat broccoli, parmesan cheese or anything like that due to the glutamate content

You're implying bias. Please point it out specifically. I'm always open to learning from those who observe something I miss. Please share?

Research more, pay attention to the types of studies, dosages etc. Maybe you'll see

You've kidding me right? You make an allegation you can't back up and you pass it off as 'study harder, grasshopper' ... ? I call BS.

Here's the ingredient list of the infamous Chic-Fil-A sandwich. Note that the seasonings have more salt than anything, and then it lists MSG as the second ingredient (the order indicates indicates decreasing volume, so the ingredients listed at the top of the list are there in greatest concentration).

Chicken (whole breast filet, seasoning [salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, spices, paprika], seasoned coater [enriched bleached wheat flour {with malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, nonfat milk, leavening {baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate}, spice, soybean oil, color {paprika}], milk wash [water, nonfat milk, egg], peanut oil [fully refined peanut oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness and dimethylpolysiloxane as an anti-foaming agent]), bun (enriched flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, folic acid], water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, contains 2% or less of each of the following: liquid yeast, soybean oil, nonfat milk, salt, wheat gluten, soy flour, dough conditioners [may contain one or more of the following: mono- and diglycerides, calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide], soy flour, amylase, yeast nutrients [monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate], calcium propionate added to retard spoilage, soy lecithin, cornstarch, butter oil [soybean oil, palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, artificial flavor, TBHQ and citric acid added as preservatives, and artificial color]), pickles (cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, calcium chloride, alum, potassium sorbate [preservative], natural flavors, polysorbate 80, yellow 5, blue 1).

For those who think that the it doesn't really matter as long as it's edible, let me caution you to read your labels. Did you "natural flavors" often include castoreum? (In those vanilla and raspberry flavored yummies we all love, right?) Know what castoreum is? HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ... beaver butt juice! Yeah, a calorie is a calorie and "clean eating" is just a passing fad. I recommend your reading begin with your food labels! And actually understanding what's in them!