Quantity vs. quality of calories consumed

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Just for the record:

A Big Mac meal with a strawberry shake has 1575 calories.

Who is recommending this as a good way to lose weight on MFP?

For that amount of calories I can have:

Protein shake for breakfast with US protein added almond milk and 2T flax seed meal

Processed protein powder plus processed almond milk plus (I assume) processed flax seed. Nothing wrong with that--I had a protein shake this morning (with milk) before my run and then blueberries, broccoli, and cauliflower plus some yogurt (flavored, since it was all I had on hand, but quite likely from Europe!) after, and I too think that protein powder is one of those processed items that help me meet my nutrition goals, but it's why this focus on processed=bad is so misplaced.

As for the calories and the rest, looks good. Do you really think that makes you unique and that the rest of us are eating twinkies or McDonalds and just not eating anything else? My view is that if people start figuring out how to meet their calories within their own preferences--especially if they do think in terms of meeting nutrition needs, which I see recommended commonly here--they naturally start gravitating toward lots of whole foods, vegetables, and so on, because that's a much easier way to decrease calories and be satisfied. You don't need to insist that people cut out "processed" stuff, especially since there seems to be no rational agreed-upon definition of processed and, again, processed stuff may help meet nutritional needs.

But if you feel super good thinking that everyone else here (and all Americans) eat fast food 24/7, go for it.

I'm sure my protein powder is processed too, as is almond milk and flax seed meal, but all are healthy and all natural. But all natural protein powder and a pop tart are both processed foods by definition, yet one is far more processed, and one uses natural ingredients.

I don't think for a long shot most of the people on here are eating mostly junk, I just think some are missing the point. There is a difference between weight loss and eating for overall health and nutritional value. It is possible to eat with a Focus on both, but If that's not your goal or its not important to you, then by all means eat a Big Mac if it fits your caloric requirements.

I'll get off my soap box now.

Edit- and Michael pollan is the man.

And this is my issue with you and others like you.

The bold says that if you eat a Big Mac then you're not eating for health, that your health is not important to you. That is utter nonsense. A balanced healthy diet can include Big Macs, fries and anything else. It's all about balance. If it fits your calories and macro requirements then you can still be healthy and foucused on nutrition.

Big Macs (along with 90% of the food at mcdonalds) is filled with processed garbage and trans fats. Its not good for you. Period. Yes, you can eat one and still be a healthy person overall. But if that style of eating is a daily part of your food choices, you are not making healthy long term decisions.

The whole point I was trying to make Is that eating to lose weight and eating healthy food to promote long term health and well being aren't always the same. Not that you are an evil person if you have a Big Mac once every couple of months.

Try watching the documentary "food inc." to become better acquainted with how and what processed food is made up of, because clearly some folks simply do not understand the definition.

What is the definition?

To me, a processed food is any food that is made using unnatural or genetically modified ingredients.

Here is a good link with a definition and a brief explanation:
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/processed-food-definition-2074.html

Well then I certainly hope you don't buy anything from a grocery store, because I can assure you that every food there goes through its fair share of "processing."

A good rule of thumb for grocery stores is stay on the perimeter. Veggies, meats (happily raised vegetable or grass fed animals preferably), whole grains, natural cheeses (not processed "cheese foods", non gmo dairy. Its quite simple. Of course there are certain things that are processed to an extent, I usually go organic for that, like marinades, condiments, and what not. Have you ever seen a modern commercial farm? I'm going to assume not based on your assumptions.

I give up. I'm not going to change any bodies mind. If you don't want to or can't grasp the difference between eating low calories and eating healthy, then so be it.

All of the items you listed were processed, or genetically modified through agriculture and animal husbandry over the years.

I guess I just try to take A more common sense approach to eating. I shoot for mostly individual items and ingredients cooked and combined myself, or from a grocer or restaurant that I trust. I shoot for a "real world" diet, and unfortunately that diet includes whey protein (processed), almond milk (also processed), and probably a few other processed foods as well.

I thought it was common knowledge that fast food and most frozen food were not as healthy as eating whole, natural, foods.

I'm sorry for offending your sensibilities. Go back to eating Big Macs, hot pockets, and lean cuisines, and counting your calories in calories out, because apparently that's all that matters.

I guess I just try to take A more common sense approach to eating. I shoot for mostly individual items and ingredients cooked and combined myself, or from a grocer or restaurant that I trust. I shoot for a "real world" diet, and unfortunately that diet includes whey protein (processed), almond milk (also processed), and probably a few other processed foods as well.

I thought it was common knowledge that fast food and most frozen food were not as healthy as eating whole, natural, foods.

I'm sorry for offending your sensibilities. Go back to eating Big Macs, hot pockets, and lean cuisines, and counting your calories in calories out, because apparently that's all that matters.

I guess I just try to take A more common sense approach to eating. I shoot for mostly individual items and ingredients cooked and combined myself, or from a grocer or restaurant that I trust. I shoot for a "real world" diet, and unfortunately that diet includes whey protein (processed), almond milk (also processed), and probably a few other processed foods as well.

I thought it was common knowledge that fast food and most frozen food were not as healthy as eating whole, natural, foods.

I'm sorry for offending your sensibilities. Go back to eating Big Macs, hot pockets, and lean cuisines, and counting your calories in calories out, because apparently that's all that matters.

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i think the original point is that american (and australian btw) generic supermarket foods are way more processed than european equivalent. example, chicken breast, standard chicken breast in oz or usa is twice as large as in europe, why? cos it pumped full of hormones and water when theres no need for it to be.
breads and fruit n veg etc is grown to last way longer on the shelves and so is 'processed' more in order to do so
its not so much about the big macs etc, u get them in every country but the standard foods u buy in supermarkets are way different in quality in the different countries

I thought that was the original point. The quality of food in the generic supermarkets in North America is not as high as European countries because there are stricter rules as to what can and cannot be in the food. The European Trade Union won't allow the sale of GMO foods and foods containing certain food additives. Some companies like Kraft have a North American version and a European version of the same product for this very reason. A glaring example is beer in the UK brewed under the German purity laws so the ingredients are water, barley, and hops as opposed to mainstream North American beers that can have HFCS, caramel colour, sulphites and salt added. North Americans and more so Americans over Canadians are too widely accepting of artificial food additives, preservatives and GMO. From experience of being Canadian citizens who live part of the year in the US and Caribbean, we find the quality of the food in the US inferior in quality but not lacking in quantity. The food standards are certainly less stringent in the US!

First off, yes you can buy 'GM' foods in the EU. And no, 'GM' has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of the food for your body. In some cases the genetic modifications have added in stuff to make it 'better' as far as range of nutrients go, I believe.
Some modifications, such as those to make a plant drout resistant say, could possibly reduce the nutrients - but the same could be said for different strains, ripeness and many other factors. GM it's self is a really silly thing to focus on, to my mind.

Living in the UK, there's plenty of continental european food I find rather 'processed' in that 'plasticy' way so many dislike.
Probably just that I'm not used to their particular style.

I think the focus on calories puts the measure of success on the wrong thing: the scale. I think it should be more about overall health and body composition. I've lost 8% bodyfat this year, gained 13 pounds of muscle and have stayed the same weight eating quality foods at maintenance and lifting heavy. So I now have a higher metabolism and eat more quality nutrients because I have a bigger plate to eat off of, metaphorically. Plus, I'm stronger and more fit. I rarely get sick and feel so much better than when I was eating all the processed crap and working at a deficit. My workouts are fueled and my performance in competitive runs, lifts and Crossfit workouts is so much better. My vitals are better. My pants fit better. My scale is the same.