Changing American Diet

Changing the Staple of the American Diet by Sarah Hiett Processed foods compose up to seventy percent of the American diet. Convenient and affordable, highly processed foods have become a diet staple, with many Americans grabbing a PopTart or microwaveable meal without a second thought. But what ingredients make up those highly processed foods? Excessive amounts of fat, sugar, and additives, all of which can contribute to disease. Instead of automatically reaching for processed foods, Americans should embrace whole foods, foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed so as to be eaten, so that whole foods form the majority of the American diet. Whole foods should be the main part of anyone’s diet, while processed foods should be minimized

First of all, some may protest that processed foods are much cheaper than whole foods, so buying processed foods is a much more affordable option than buying whole foods. However, processed foods have hidden costs; while eating a bag of chips may seem like a smart, economical option economical now, in the long run, eating processed foods leads to disease and higher exorbitant medical bills; on average, obese men and women annually spend $1,152 and $3,613, respectively, more on medical bills than a non-obese men and women. (Begley) Furthermore, even at the check-out line in the grocery store, whole foods like fruits, vegetables, grains, and meat don’t have to exceed anyone’s budget; in fact, whole foods tend to be cheaper than processed foods. In the matter of fruits and vegetables the United States Department of Agriculture discovered in 2008 that the recommended vegetable and fruit consumption could be bought at $2 to $2.50 per person a day. With regards to whole grains, whole foods tend to be cheaper than processed ones. A quick search on ShopFoodEx, a online grocery store, showed that the unprocessed, Mahatma Brown Rice was seven cents cheaper per ounce than the processed, Minute Instant White Rice. Secondly, some may argue that processed foods are much easier to prepare than whole foods. However, with some practice, whole foods can easily be prepared in little time. Omelettes, organic yogurt with berries, grilled chicken, and salad are all examples of whole foods that, with a little know-how, can be prepared in ten minutes or less. Crock-pot dishes, soups, and many more recipes can be made in large quantities and frozen so as to reduce preparation time on busy days when a quick, easy lunch is necessary. In my life, I’ve found that throwing a chicken breast, some vegetables, and spices into a crockpot makes a easy delicious meal that has leftovers for many days. Whole foods don’t have to take