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> processed foods are bad Are they? What kind of food is not processed that we should be eating? I think I know what people mean usually when they use this te

> processed foods are bad Are they? What kind of food is not processed that we should be eating? I think I know what people mean usually when they use this term and like that in a sentence, but this term has always confused me even far into adulthood. Still pointing it out, since I think it's such a bad or misleading term to use.

cynicalpeace 2y ago
"quite obvious but are hard to prove" ... "people love to poke holes in obvious truths, especially in well educated spaces like HN" yes they're bad. It's not confusing, you're just overthinking it.
- mewpmewp2 2y ago
  According to NHS: A processed food is any food or drink that has been changed in some way when it’s made or prepared. Most foods we eat are processed in some way. Processing can be used to: make foods safe, for example milk is pasteurised to remove harmful bacteria make foods suitable for use, such as pressing seeds to make oil preserve foods or help them last longer, such as tinned or frozen foods change how food tastes, such as adding salt or sweeteners create ready meals and snacks Not all processed foods are unhealthy, but many ultra-processed foods are high in calories, saturated fat, salt or sugar. Eating too many calories, too much saturated fat, salt and sugar, and not enough fruit and vegetables and fibre is not good for you. ---- Like why should processing something make it inherently unhealthy? Do you want to eat raw meat? > people love to poke holes in obvious truths, especially in well educated spaces like HN Someone makes a statement that they say is obvious truth, yet it seems false or misleading. You can't get away by later saying that someone will try to counter this "obvious truth".
  - cynicalpeace 2y ago
    This is a disingenuous question because you obviously know cooked meat is not what we usually mean by processed food.
    - mewpmewp2 2y ago
      And that's why the term is confusing, because there's a magical meaning behind that, which who knows what it exactly means. And you use this term to raise children - I absolutely was confused as a child about the meaning behind it. It felt like this magical term that I was unable to comprehend. Almost like circular reasoning - if something is processed it's bad for you. What does processed mean? That it's made bad for you! It's the same thing about the word "chemical". It's also hiding what are the exact and true health problems behind certain foods. Then you get those terms that are used and you get the anti-terms. "All natural", that is supposedly good, etc. Except there are quite many poisons and things in nature that can kill you. Then people get those strong feelings associated to those labels, and they get manipulated in various directions, because something can be considered to be of that label.
      - cynicalpeace 2y ago
        Cooked carrot = not processed Oreo = processed Soda = processed Steak = not processed Sugar = processed We can keep on going with all possible ingredients and all possible combinations and most sane people will agree on what is called "processed" or not. This is disingenuous discussion dressed up in smarty pants talk. Shall we continue or actually discuss something substantive? Like the fact that Americans are morbidly obese and eat 60 pounds of sugar a year. We look like crap.
        bryanlarsen 2y ago
        cooked carrot = processed oreo = ultra processed a raw carrot and a cooked carrot have different nutritional profiles.
        mewpmewp2 2y ago
        First answer in Google says that cooked carrots and baked potatoes are processed. But I'm supposed to take your definition over what is available elsewhere? In addition frozen broccoli is processed. This is coming from Harvard Health Publishing and UCLA Health. Are they all insane?

cynicalpeace 2y ago

"quite obvious but are hard to prove" ... "people love to poke holes in obvious truths, especially in well educated spaces like HN" yes they're bad. It's not confusing, you're just overthinking it.

mewpmewp2 2y ago
According to NHS: A processed food is any food or drink that has been changed in some way when it’s made or prepared. Most foods we eat are processed in some way. Processing can be used to: make foods safe, for example milk is pasteurised to remove harmful bacteria make foods suitable for use, such as pressing seeds to make oil preserve foods or help them last longer, such as tinned or frozen foods change how food tastes, such as adding salt or sweeteners create ready meals and snacks Not all processed foods are unhealthy, but many ultra-processed foods are high in calories, saturated fat, salt or sugar. Eating too many calories, too much saturated fat, salt and sugar, and not enough fruit and vegetables and fibre is not good for you. ---- Like why should processing something make it inherently unhealthy? Do you want to eat raw meat? > people love to poke holes in obvious truths, especially in well educated spaces like HN Someone makes a statement that they say is obvious truth, yet it seems false or misleading. You can't get away by later saying that someone will try to counter this "obvious truth".
- cynicalpeace 2y ago
  This is a disingenuous question because you obviously know cooked meat is not what we usually mean by processed food.
  - mewpmewp2 2y ago
    And that's why the term is confusing, because there's a magical meaning behind that, which who knows what it exactly means. And you use this term to raise children - I absolutely was confused as a child about the meaning behind it. It felt like this magical term that I was unable to comprehend. Almost like circular reasoning - if something is processed it's bad for you. What does processed mean? That it's made bad for you! It's the same thing about the word "chemical". It's also hiding what are the exact and true health problems behind certain foods. Then you get those terms that are used and you get the anti-terms. "All natural", that is supposedly good, etc. Except there are quite many poisons and things in nature that can kill you. Then people get those strong feelings associated to those labels, and they get manipulated in various directions, because something can be considered to be of that label.
    - cynicalpeace 2y ago
      Cooked carrot = not processed Oreo = processed Soda = processed Steak = not processed Sugar = processed We can keep on going with all possible ingredients and all possible combinations and most sane people will agree on what is called "processed" or not. This is disingenuous discussion dressed up in smarty pants talk. Shall we continue or actually discuss something substantive? Like the fact that Americans are morbidly obese and eat 60 pounds of sugar a year. We look like crap.
      - bryanlarsen 2y ago
        cooked carrot = processed oreo = ultra processed a raw carrot and a cooked carrot have different nutritional profiles.
      - mewpmewp2 2y ago
        First answer in Google says that cooked carrots and baked potatoes are processed. But I'm supposed to take your definition over what is available elsewhere? In addition frozen broccoli is processed. This is coming from Harvard Health Publishing and UCLA Health. Are they all insane?