Processed foods make up 70% of the U.S. diet. Over the past century, a gradual revolution continues to increase the average consumer’s intake of highly processed food products. Everyday, new food-like substances are replacing real food on supermarket shelves and companies continue to fuel this epidemic by mislabeling products. Consumers must learn how to avoid processed food substances, which have been associated to numerous health concerns, and select healthier alternatives. Processed foods dominate a large area of the modern food world. Food processing is any intentional change in a food item before it is available to consume, and could be as simple as freezing or drying food to preserve it to formulating a complicated food product with …show more content…
Sugar or its evil twin, high-fructose corn syrup, is commonly packed into processed foods. The consumption of sugar is associated to devastating diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and cancer. On top of that, processed food substances, high in sugar and artificial ingredients, can lead to overconsumption and become addictive. Food companies know that people’s appetites gravitate towards food that are sweet, salty, and high in fat, therefore they generate more “desirable” food, knowing that consumers will continue to eat these foods. Individuals need to avoid highly processed foods and search out healthier …show more content…
It is up to the consumer to proactively search out healthier alternatives. Unfortunately, it is difficult to do so in today’s day in age. Pollan provides beneficial advice such as analyzing the product’s ingredient list for unfamiliar or unpronounceable ingredients, products comprising of more than five ingredients or that contain high-fructose corn syrup are strong indications that a food substance has been highly processed. He continues by explaining, “Most supermarkets are laid out the same way: Processed food products dominate the center aisles of the store while the cases of ostensibly fresh food - dairy, produce, meat, and fish - line the walls. If you keep to the edges of the store you’ll be that much more likely to wind up with real food in your shopping cart.” This strategy, however, isn’t flawless as items such as Go-Gurt do in fact include high-fructose corn syrup. Possibly the best approach for avoiding processed food products is to merely escape the supermarket whenever possible. Elaborated imitation food products, unpronounceable ingredients, or debatable health claims aren’t going to be found at a farmers’ market or in a
When we say processed food what does this really mean? The food industry has changed the way food is being made today. This concept of natural and healthy food simply does not exist. Today, food is mass produced, genetically altered to grown faster, bigger and in a lot less time. We all know that vegetables grow in the soil, thi...
We Americans are always on the go, no matter if it is on our way to work, school, or exercise. Most people are eating some types of processed food usually for almost every meal due to how quick it is to prepare. However, most Americans do not realize that the nutrition facts on the other side of their granola bar shows the ugly truth about what they are eating. Michael Pollan who is a highly esteemed author on this subject refers to the “Western Diet” as mostly processed foods. Pollan’s main argument is that Americans need to reduce the amount of processed foods that are consumed so that health risks will be reduced. Pollan says, “People eating a Western diet are prone to a complex of chronic diseases that seldom strike people eating more traditional diets.” Pollan believes that Americans are eating too much processed foods, and that it is making Americans fat and more vulnerable to many diseases. In other countries where processed foods are eaten on the same level as Americans are not showing as much
The Omnivore’s Dilemma presents a detailed review of the food industry and what foods provide the best health benefits. More people are realizing that fresh foods are better for them and for the Earth. The convenience of processed foods is losing its charm and place in the market. The ultimate decision is yours to decide what you will or will not
Michael Pollan makes arguments concerning the eating habits of the average American. Pollan suggests, in spite of our cultural norms, we should simply “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly Plants.”
Due to the advancements in the food industry, produce and other products have since became brimming with additives. This shift in authenticity sparked the award winning author Michael Pollan to compose “Eat Food: Food Defined”. Pollan educates readers of methods they can use in order to avoid harmful additives. Through the effective use of comparisons, logos and exemplification, Pollan encourage his audience to take responsibility with what they are eating.
Why are the chronic diseases and obesity rates of America rising? Supposedly, we have a great control of what goes in our foods. We can pick what to exclude or include in our foods and in addition, create or alter compounds from foods. Because of that, what was supposedly created to alleviate the obesity issue actually worsened it. “How?” you may ask. Unlike other aspects in science, the data was the problem. The data was unreliable and inconsistent due to the poorly conducted studies (Pollan, "Unhappy Meals"). The debate between Michael Pollan, the author of “Unhappy Meals” and a lover of whole foods, and David H. Freedman, the author of “How Junk Food Can End Obesity,” raises the question whether processed foods or whole foods are the solution to obesity. Pollan
While watching this documentary, I have learned that the food industry does not want you to know the actuality about all the food they sell; because of course no one would really eat it. The way that the groceries we buy in the store are manipulated by food science shows the evolution of today’s food. Some examples from the film include, ripening of tomatoes with ethylene gas and the reengineering of produce to create a longer shelf life. With the large over production of corn, grocery stores are now stocked with corn-based, high-calorie processed food. Although these...
You know the sayings, “you are what you eat” and “abs are made in the gym and revealed in the kitchen?” Well, it’s difficult for people to realize what they are truly eating, or cooking up in the kitchen, if they don’t understand how their food is produced. Many of the so-called “healthy foods” at local grocery stores are nutritionally deficient and full of chemicals, pesticides, and additives that disrupt your hormonal balance. Even though corporations and lobbyists don't want consumers knowing what's in their food or how their food is produced, we need more transparent foods labels so people know what they are putting in their bodies. As a customer you’re paying for this product. Therefore, you have the right to know if it’s a good long-term investment.
More and More people are becoming concerned about what they eat, especially if they consume food products that are manufactured in food industries. However, it is hard to know what exactly you are consuming if food industries provide false nutrition content and mislead consumers by placing false advertisements on the packaging. When a company produces a product that contains misleading label, consumers are not receiving complete information about the food they are eating which could lead to health issues including allergies and problems with diabetes.
In search for the best, most high quality crops, some farmers have been changing the way they go about their farming with a little help from scientists. Over the past couple of decades, the food we consume has become revolutionized. Whether it is day or night, we consume whatever food we please if it’s for on the go or even if it’s a sit down dinner with our family or friends. No matter what, we as individuals must eat in order to survive and we desire to eat as much as we please. Yet, if we are eating all these processed foods or genetically modified foods, we could be doing more harm to our bodies health than we think. Back in the day when there wasn’t a McDonalds around every corner of the street or not nearly as many fast food joints, people
Food has been a common source of necessity in our everyday lives as humans. It helps gives us nutrition and energy to live throughout our life. Over several decades, the development of making foods has evolved. They have changed from natural to processed foods in recent years. Nowadays natural ingredients are barely used in the making of foods like bread, cheese, or yogurt. The food industry today has replaced natural food making with inorganic ingredients. The cause of this switch is due to processed foods being easier, cheaper and faster to make. Artificial nutrition and processed foods have been proven to last longer in market shelves then natural foods. Also, due to artificial additives in processed foods they help satisfy consumers taste more than natural ingredients. The method of producing processed foods is common in today's food industry and helps make money faster and efficiently for companies. Examples of this can be found in all markets that distribute food. Even though processed foods may be easier and faster to make, they are nowhere near as healthy for consumers compared to natural foods. Natural foods are healthier, wholesome, and beneficial to the human body and planet then processed foods.
Health is the most precious asset that you will ever have. “You are what you eat” is an old saying that tell us all one simple ingredient to a healthy life. Nutritious and healthy food. Unfortunately, our food nowadays are not even close to the image of “healthy”. Fast-food, cakes, soft drinks, and instant food can be found in our daily life. Foods that are filled with artificial sweetener, trans-fat, cholestrol, preservatives, and MSG. These foods will only bring damage to our body, there is no fiber, vitamin, Let alone fast foods and cakes, vegetable and fruits are now posing a threat to our health. Artificial fertilizer, insecticides, and pesticides are used in order to make the harvest better.
What are processed foods? It is food “composed of synthetic chemical additives, such as colorings, preservatives, sugar substitutes and trans-fats” (Fitzgerald, 2006, p.72). Fitzgerald reported that by the “1970s most meats and dairy products that were factory farmed were laced with growth hormones, antibiotics and a range of pesticides” (p.72). Furthermore, food that is frozen, packaged and canned is considered processed food. A brief explanation of the chemical additives in processed food.
According to Flemming and Samuelson (2008), food science is still relatively new and growing discipline brought about mainly as response to the social changes taking place in North America and other parts of developed world. Originally the food industry only provided primary product for final preparation in the home finds itself responding to market demands for more refined sophisticated and convenient products (McGill, 2011).
Food Preservation is the ways to retain the food quality in a longer times. It is to prevent the food decomposition and fermentation. Besides that, food preservation not only to prevent the food getting spoilt in a long period of time but also preserved the colour, taste and the food nutritive value. Nowadays, food preservation has become more and more important component in the food industry as the consumers expect that able to purchase those foods that are out of season or imported from other countries. Furthermore, there are few reason why food preservation is important in our daily life such as preservation foods when they are in season it may added variety choices in our meals for example smoke meats and