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The article states that : Ultra-processed products now account for nearly half of the average dietary intake of some high income countries, with consumption ri

• vmchale 6y ago
  > What does it mean to consume "ultra-processed" food? Something like a snickers bar or packaged saltines maybe? > Can someone give an example how the daily dietary intake can be 50% processed foods? What do you eat for that? I mean, clif bars would count, for one. If you ate plain chocolate bars for 50% of your calories you'd probably overeat but... many people do!
• techsupporter 6y ago
  Almost anything from a fast food restaurant, or in a box that you microwave, or in a use-once bag / single-serve container is considered ultra-processed. These tend to be a lot less expensive (because making them is much more efficient for the manufacturer) than regular foods, and are more readily available and time-convenient when compared to other foods. That's how you can easily get to 50% or more of your daily intake with them. If you're already short on time, or if you have several family members at home who need to be fed quickly, or if you have a lower income and cannot easily afford fresh food items and the utensils with which to prepare them, you will buy and eat lots of ultra-processed foods.
• mike00632 6y ago
  Breakfast: Cereal and milk. My favorite cereal is Trix. Lunch: Sandwich made of bread, bologna, cheese, mustard. Coca-cola or chocolate milk to drink. Dinner: TV dinner, perhaps a Lean Cuisine or Pizza rolls. Mountain Dew or Kool Aid to drink. This was a typical day of food for me as a child and through being a teenager.
  • silicon2401 6y ago
    Is this really what you ate like on a day to day basis? Not snarky or anything, just genuinely shocked and curious
    • mike00632 6y ago
      Yes. It was actually even worse than that on most days. The portions were bigger and I didn't include snacks and desserts. My whole family was overweight and most of us were obese (myself included). This is the majority of Americans. I'm sure that this style of eating is extremely common.
      • sjg007 6y ago
        Portion creep is a thing.
        • mike00632 6y ago
          "I might as well finish the whole sleeve of Oreos" - A child after school watching Batman: The Animated Series somewhere in the Mid-West.
      • silicon2401 6y ago
        Sorry to hear. Sadly, like a typical American I also had my days of weight gain, junk food, mcdonald's, etc in my childhood, but I also grew up having mostly home-cooked food, so that's where my curiosity comes from.
      • hnick 6y ago
        While that food doesn't look healthy I don't think it would be enough to become obese alone from a calorie perspective, unless portion sizes are massive (you said one sandwich but maybe it was multiple?). Especially with a teenage metabolism. Snacks, desserts, and sugar drinks in between meals are a huge contributor for a lot of people.
        • 6y ago
• blakesterz 6y ago
  I did wonder that same thing, this breaks it down nicely: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed... One example: Corn vs Canned corn vs Corn chips Where corn is not, canned is processed, and chips are Ultra. My favorite example is Doritos. "Favorite" because they're soooo damn good, but sooo damn bad for me. Ultra Processed for sure.
  • dragontamer 6y ago
    > Where corn is not, canned is processed And that's where this distinction immediately becomes ridiculous. Fresh corn vs canned corn is well studied: the nutrition in canned corn can be higher due to preserving the food at peak-ripeness. Fresh corn loses nutrition the longer it sits around. If you're able to grab corn from a farmer's market, its really good and nutritious. But if that corn was shipped for miles, sat at the back of a warehouse for a week, then got to the grocery store, and then sat at your house for a few days before eating... well... a lot of that nutrition evaporated away --------- Canned corn loses some nutrition into the water as its canned. But you can preserve that nutrition by integrating that water into your meals. Ex: canned corn in chili, just pour the corn AND the water into your meal, and you keep all the vitamins. In either case, the dietary fiber of the vegetable remains in tact even though the canning process. And that's the stuff that a lot of people are missing in their diets.
    • dolni 6y ago
      Which is part of why, in a below, I mentioned how egregious it was to oversimplify foods to "processed" or not. There needs to be more information disseminated about what kind of convenient foods people _can_ choose and what the impacts are to your health are. Most people would consider frozen or canned fruits and vegetables as more processed, and therefore less good, than fresh fruit or vegetables. Although I do have a bone to pick with your assessment of why "fresh" produce tends to be less nutritious. While you correctly note that frozen or canned items are picked at peak ripeness, the fresh items don't have less nutrition simply because the nutrients "evaporated away". Instead, they have to be picked _far before_ peak ripeness in order to avoid spoilage. That means the plants just take in fewer nutrients.
• froasty 6y ago
  For breakfast you could have a Pop Tart, a jam-filled pastry: Ingredients: ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B1 [THIAMIN MONONITRATE], VITAMIN B2 [RIBOFLAVIN], FOLIC ACID), CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, DEXTROSE, SOYBEAN AND PALM OIL (WITH TBHQ FOR FRESHNESS), CRACKER MEAL, CONTAINS TWO PERCENT OR LESS OF WHEAT STARCH, SALT, DRIED STRAWBERRIES, DRIED PEARS, DRIED APPLES, LEAVENING (BAKING SODA, SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), CITRIC ACID, CARAMEL COLOR, SOY LECITHIN, XANTHAN GUM, MODIFIED WHEAT STARCH, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, RED 40, NIACINAMIDE, REDUCED IRON, VITAMIN B6 (PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE), YELLOW 6, VITAMIN B2 (RIBOFLAVIN), VITAMIN B1 (THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE). Or a blueberry muffin: INGREDIENTS: Blueberry Muffin (Bleached Enriched Flour [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Sugar, Water, Soybean Oil, Whole Eggs, Blueberries, Modified Food Starch [Corn], Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Salt, Emulsifier [Propylene Glycol Esters, Mono- and Diglycerides, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate], Nonfat Dry Milk, Sodium Aluminum Phosphate, Sodium Bicarbonate, Cellulose Gum, Natural and Artificial Flavor [Milk], Sodium Caseinate [Milk], Xanthan Gum, Egg Whites, Soy Flour), Confectioners Sugar (Sugar, Carnauba Wax). CONTAINS WHEAT, EGG, MILK AND SOY INGREDIENTS. Produced in a facility that uses tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, milk, and eggs. For lunch, consider a frozen beef and bean burrito: Ingredients: WATER, ENRICHED FLOUR (BLEACHED WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, FOLIC ACID), BEEF, PINTO BEANS, VEGETABLE OIL (SOYBEAN, CANOLA AND/OR CORN OIL), CONTAINS 2% OR LESS, TEXTURED VEGETABLE PROTEIN, TOMATO PASTE, SPICES, JALAPENO PUREE (JALAPENO PEPPERS, WATER, CITRIC ACID), GARLIC POWDER, CHILI PEPPER, BAKING POWDER (SODIUM BICARBONATE, CORN STARCH, SODIUM ALUMINUM SULFATE, CALCIUM SULFATE, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SOY SAUCE (WATER, SOYBEANS, WHEAT, SALT), MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, ONION, DOUGH CONDITIONER (SODIUM METABISULFITE, CORN STARCH, MICROCRYSTALLINE CELLULOSE, DICALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, GUAR GUM, PAPRIKA. Or a bologna sandwich: Bologna: Ingredients: Mechanically Separated Chicken, Pork, Water, Corn Syrup, Contains Less Than 2% Of Salt, Ground Mustard Seed, Sodium Phosphates, Potassium Chloride, Sodium Propionate, Sodium Diacetate, Beef, Sodium Benzoate, Flavor, Sodium Ascorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Hydrolyzed Beef Stock, Autolyzed Yeast, Dextrose, Extractives Of Paprika, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Lactate, Celery Seed Extract. White bread: Ingredients: Unbleached Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Water, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Yeast, Contains 2% or Less of Each of the Following: Calcium Carbonate, Soybean Oil, Wheat Gluten, Salt, Dough Conditioners (Contains One or More of the Following: Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate, Monoglycerides, Mono- and Diglycerides, Distilled Monoglycerides, Calcium Peroxide, Calcium Iodate, DATEM, Ethoxylated Mono- and Diglycerides, Enzymes, Ascorbic Acid), Vinegar, Monocalcium Phosphate, Yeast Extract, Modified Corn Starch, Sucrose, Sugar, Soy Lecithin, Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3), Soy Flour, Ammonium Sulfate, Calcium Sulfate, Calcium Propionate (to Retard Spoilage). And follow it up with a Fried Chicken Dinner: Boneless Fried White Meat Chicken Patties (Cooked White Meat Chicken, Water, Enriched Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil [TBHQ and Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness]), Mechanically Separated Chicken, Chicken Skins, Soy Protein Concentrate, Salt, Sodium Phosphates, Monosodium Glutamate, Dextrose, Spice Extract, Isolated Oat Product). Mashed Potatoes (Water, Dehydrated Potato Flakes (Potatoes, Mono and Diglycerides, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, Citric Acid), Seasoning Sauce (Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil [TBHQ and Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness]), Water, Mono and Diglycerides with BHT and Citric Acid to Protect Flavor, Beta Carotene for Color (Corn Oil, Dl-Alpha-Tocopherol)), Contains 2% or Less of: Salt, Dried Dairy Blend (Whey, Calcium Caseinate)), Corn. Brownie (Sugar, Water, Enriched Wheat Flour [Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid], Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil [TBHQ and Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness]), Cocoa, Eggs. Seasoning Sauce (Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil [TBHQ and Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness]), Water, Mono and Diglycerides with BHT and Citric Acid to Protect Flavor, Beta Carotene for Color (Corn Oil, Dl-Alpha-Tocopherol)), Acacia and Xanthan Gums, Sodium Bicarbonate (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil), Salt, Natural and Artificial Flavor [Water, Propylene Glycol, Ethanol, Natural and Artificial Flavor, Caramel Color, Vanilla Extractives]), Seasoning Sauce (Water, Sugar, Seasoning Sauce (Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil [TBHQ and Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness]), Water, Mono and Diglycerides with BHT and Citric Acid to Protect Flavor, Beta Carotene for Color (Corn Oil, Dl-Alpha-Tocopherol)), Salt, Vegetable Oil (Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil [TBHQ and Citric Acid to Preserve Freshness])). These weren't even picked for their egregiousness. This is the norm for the food culture of the working class in America. All of American processed food is like this. Add that it's packaged in frequently toxic plastics and contaminated with pesticides, and it's clear that this is the lead pipes of the American empire.
• Junk_Collector 6y ago
  Well to start with ultra processed as defined by the article would include... All cured meats Meat that has been shredded ground and or blended such as hamburger or meatballs Breads and pastries Yogurts, cheese, and ice cream Anything with a roux or other thickening agent Candy Most fried foods Anything with preservatives added Anything including alcohol Anything that has been artificially colored It's not hard to see how those add ups.
  • jriot 6y ago
    Roux is an odd one as that is butter (oil) and flour at a 1:1 to ratio cooked over heat until the desired color is reached. It's the key ingredient in gumbo which has been made since at least the early 1800s.
• SoSoRoCoCo 6y ago
  Can't believe no one has quoted Michael Pollan yet, but his 7 rules still ring true (see #4 for your question): 1. Don't eat anything your great grandmother wouldn't recognize as food. "When you pick up that box of portable yogurt tubes, or eat something with 15 ingredients you can't pronounce, ask yourself, "What are those things doing there?" Pollan says. 2. Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce. 3. Stay out of the middle of the supermarket; shop on the perimeter of the store. Real food tends to be on the outer edge of the store near the loading docks, where it can be replaced with fresh foods when it goes bad. 4. Don't eat anything that won't eventually rot. "There are exceptions -- honey -- but as a rule, things like Twinkies that never go bad aren't food," Pollan says. 5. It is not just what you eat but how you eat. "Always leave the table a little hungry," Pollan says. "Many cultures have rules that you stop eating before you are full. In Japan, they say eat until you are four-fifths full. Islamic culture has a similar rule, and in German culture they say, 'Tie off the sack before it's full.'" 6. Families traditionally ate together, around a table and not a TV, at regular meal times. It's a good tradition. Enjoy meals with the people you love. "Remember when eating between meals felt wrong?" Pollan asks. 7. Don't buy food where you buy your gasoline. In the U.S., 20% of food is eaten in the car.
  • dolni 6y ago
    There are some good rules of thumb here, but this: > 2. Don’t eat anything with more than five ingredients, or ingredients you can't pronounce. This just smacks of so much ignorance as to be disgraceful. Something isn't good for you just because there's a short word for it, or bad for you because it has a scientific name. And it's definitely not bad for you just because it has more than 5 ingredients. I remember hearing how people were duped in the past by the dangeous chemical dihydrogen monoxide: https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dangers-dihydrogen-monoxide/ https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/dangers-dihydrogen-monoxid... People should do research and be informed, not make ridiculous decisions about food based on whatever words happen to be associated to their ingredients.
    • hnick 6y ago
      This is true but the purpose of such lists of rules is that they are easy to follow for people who otherwise would have no idea what to do. Every rule has exceptions and once someone tries such a system for a time they'll probably learn them. Having them avoid such food until then and start eating healthier right now would be more beneficial than waiting. Most of rule #2 would be encapsulated by rule #1 anyway, it just reinforces it.