Before reading the articles, the first thing that comes to my mind when hearing processed foods is unhealthy. I thought that processed foods were the worst thing for you and that we should stay away from them. Also, that they offer no nutritional benefits to you and are one of the major causes of obesity. One of the main reasons for thinking this is that there are so many advertisements pushing the idea that processed foods are the worst thing for you. So naturally never taking a nutrition class before, I assume that we should all stay away from processed foods and try to eat more organic and natural foods.
b. After reading the articles, what is your viewpoint …show more content…
Discuss at least 3 risks of processed food as it relates to the United States food supply. Each risk should align with at least one of the following aspects: risk to the economy, risk to the food production/processing/manufacturing industry, risk to food access/availability, risk to food purchasing power, risk to food safety, or risk to health. Provide specific examples, where applicable.
One of the main issues with processed food is the amount of calories that some of the foods can contain. Americans tend to eat the foods that have been put in many unhealthy batters and oils. This can lead to immense weight gain and obesity. Processed foods wouldn’t be a problem if Americans knew how to eat the food they like in moderation.3 Also processed foods that Americans like to consume tend to be higher in calories, sodium, sugars, and saturated fats.2 Additionally some processed foods contain no vitamins or minerals. For example, foods considered “junk food” have nutritional value and don’t benefit the consumer what so ever. But, another risk that can come from consuming only processed foods is too little calorie intake. If someone decides to only consume processed foods that are considered minimally processed, they will not get enough of the recommended calories. This is also detrimental to someone’s health.2 The only way to really consume processed foods is by balancing what foods you choose to consume and eating them in