The less junk the better. and that doesn't mean eat only perfectly...I'm sure even homemade french fries are healthier than fast-food or frozen ones.

that "real" foods are much more expensive than processed foods?

A small shop for fruit, veggies and a little protein will run me $50. I could overflow a large cart with junk food for that.

A bag of frozen chicken nuggets is $3-5 per pound. I can get fresh chicken thighs for around $1 per pound.

A bag of frozen corn is $1-2. I bought fresh ears of corn at Aldi this weekend for 0.30 each. 5 ears of corn would easily give as much as that little frozen bag

A $4 watermelon will give you healthy snacking for a couple days. As will a bag of apples for that price. Both will be healthier and more filling than a jumbo bag of Doritos for about the same price.

Salads are cheap as long as you buy it yourself and don't pay the crazy mark-up for the premade bagged stuff.

Pasta and rice are cheap cheap cheap.

I can usually get a dozen eggs for $2 or less.

Eating preprocessed junk is a choice, claiming that real food is unaffordable is lazy BS.

My family is doomed.

You also have to factor in what will actually fill you up.

It doesn't matter that I can buy a bag of potato chips for $1 if I can eat the whole bag, have a blood sugar crash and be starving again in an hour. I could have three hard boiled eggs or half a dozen almonds for the same amount of money and feel full for a lot longer. What's the point of a .10 cent packet of Ramen noodles that leaves me hungrier than I started and with a hypertensive headache forty minutes later?

I eat almost no processed food now because of my four years in poverty after the GFC. If you want to fill up on the cheap, you buy beans, rice, oatmeal and whatever produce is seasonal and on sale not Coco Pops, chips and Coke. Poor people who are in it for the long haul (as opposed to college kids flirting with poverty for a few years) learn to make lentil soup, meatloaf, spaghetti bolognese and iced tea. They don't go to Taco Bell or eat Ramen noodles or waste money on soft drinks.

Run $1.49. Read meat, like for roasts, is very expensive.

Publix runs 2 for 1 specials on lots of shelf groceries, but fruits and vegetables are still expensive.Apples can run 50 cents to a dollar or more per apple, but get cheaper and affordable in the fall.

Don't get me wrong - I think we should eat foods in variety and mostly as close to their natural state as possible. That being said, if I can't get my kid to eat watermelon in season when he prefers pink grapefruit, I'll get him the grapefruit, even though it cost more.

Can’t believe they have been yielding for 3 months! Total cost if you already have the pots and a partial bag of soil and fertilizer—about $10. Would be even less if I had started from seed rather than larger plants.

Delicious too.

They were outstanding!

or over easy super runny.

And wonderful companions too! They are the most fun pets I have. Smart as can be!

have a thing going. He barks at her with his nose right up against the wire fence, and she pecks at him through the fence every single morning - it's their morning ritual.

because animal feeds are allowed to have higher levels of glyphosate (Roundup). I will only eat organic and free range.

blend. Taste for salt and acidity and add more salt or lemon juice to taste.

A small container of non organic raspberries can cost up to 4 dollars. Where are you shopping, I want to go.
For someone with SNAP it's almost impossible to eat anything but grass.

I will concede that berries are expensive no matter where you shop. They are more of an exception and for most people are only a small part of their diet.

I stand by my statement that overall it is cheaper to make fresh than buy junk.

I have 3 choices. Albertsons, Safeway and Walmart.
Is this a Midwest chain? I don't drive so I get the Walmart bus to come for me.
Generally your right , when my mom was in better health we went to the commissary at McCord AFB where prices were more reasonable.

A Quarter to rent a shopping cart was what I remember most . I thought that was weird but a person told me a coin to use a cart was very European is it ?

Have the same feature. Either a quarter or a loonie. Cuts down on cart theft is their reasoning.

Blueberries and raspberries were 2.99, but well worth it to me.

I wonder how many folks spend WAY more on beer, wine, or liquor...al the while bemoaning the cost of good food. I know some of those folks personally.

And lost 40 lbs.

not left overs for the next day.

JAMA wrote an insightful research paper in 2016 which disputes your anecdotal experience as well, an anecdotal experience.

Try giving research a chance, a read and a try. Granted, while less convenient than simplistic allegations and bumper stickers, it allows us the added bonuses of supporting evidence and a rational conclusion.

Last edited Mon Jun 25, 2018, 03:02 PM - Edit history (1)

I can get ten pounds of Russett potatoes on sale for $1.99. A ten-ounce bag of brand name potato chips (Utz, Lay's) is $4.29.

is more expensive than real raw food.

Lentils, for example are around a buck a pound. A pound of lentils is a lot of lentils. If I want to buy lentils already prepared (by the can) then I can expect to pay 3x-4x the cost of dry bulk. It’s a convenience thing.

I made a huge pot of curry last night using dry lentils, frozen tomatoes from last year’s garden and some spices. The only processed ingredient was a can of lite coconut milk. Served over rice that I’d bought in bulk from a large store. (Running the recipe through weight watchers’ calculator shows that it’s a very low point meal even with the lite coconut milk.)

But it took time- time to plan the meal and time to prep the ingredients. Not everyone has the time or skills to cook meals from scratch.

I would have thought it would have caught up with him by now

Just waiting for the brain to let go.

he can't focus enough to read more than a few sentences at a time, has no attention span, and lies constantly.

Strong
Really really
Good
Very very
Other superlatives (I suspect he does not know what that means)
Labels so he doesn't have to think up another adjective

My son's psychiatrist said he has the vocabulary of a third grader.

He repeats the same words over and over again, because he has so little to say and so few words to say it with. He just doesn't want to pause long enough to let go of the stage.

Not only does he have an extremely limited vocabulary, he often uses words in awkward and inappropriate ways. His use of the word "beautiful" can be very odd, head-scratching ways.

“They have a gas, that’s a beautiful sleeping gas, that puts people to sleep.”

“It’s gonna be a real wall, it’s gonna be a high wall, it’s gonna be a beautiful [wall].”

“We’re gonna have that big, beautiful door in the wall.” — Describing the door that would allow legal immigrants into the US to a rally crowd in Nov. 2016

I cannot imagine that Congress would dare to leave Washington without a beautiful new HealthCare bill fully approved and ready to go!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 10, 2017

“One of the things that we will discuss is the purchase of lots of beautiful military equipment because nobody makes it like the United States.” — Describing his idea to sell weapons to Qatar in June 2017

James Clapper, who famously got caught lying to Congress, is now an authority on Donald Trump. Will he show you his beautiful letter to me?

“My temperament is totally controlled, so beautiful."

“We’ve ended the war on beautiful, clean coal.”

We should immediately stop sending our beautiful American tax dollars to countries that hate us and laugh at our President’s stupidity!


It would seem he doesn't even know what "beautiful" means.

It is apparent to a 6th grader.

We were just talking about him, and that is what she said about him.

Maybe that explains some it, him, whatever...

Remember the noise he was making during the debates ?

Trump needed a golf cart to keep up with the other world leaders that were all walking - including Angela Merkel, who is only a few years younger than Trump. A real manly Alpha Male is Trump.

I was hoping it would be spinach and kale.

I hate them with a red hot passion!

Here, they taste so bitter that I spit them out.

A gene variant predicts that some people taste some veggies as bitter. I found that interesting.

Tasted delish to me and to my hubs in the UK.
Could be the soil and the chemicals used to grow them in the US.

I assume pesticides have a bitter taste, which in evolutionary terms is a warning of toxicity.

Last edited Mon Jun 25, 2018, 06:30 PM - Edit history (1)

I try to eat only organic. I have 12 chickens that I feed organically, I grow greens and a few vegetables on my patio and I have a small garden. I live in a ranching area so I can buy grass fed beef for a good price.

Being our government is being so secretive about their testing of glyphosate (Roundup) and will not release any results, I think it's a good idea to eat organically. Organic carrots are about $2.00 a bag. Organic celery and beets are also cheap.

Yuck.

I cannot eat several vegetables because of the taste.

I have always hated onions; and now I'm allergic
to them.

Hate: beets, brussel sprouts, kale

I had to learn to tolerate broccoli, squash, pumpkin, cabbage, etc

I have always liked the ones that tend towards sweet
or a good taste.

I like these a lot, although I realize that adding sweetener makes them less healthy.

I have the gene variant that predicts your tasting raw broccoli and Brussels sprouts as bitter. But I don’t mind them cooked.

Boiled sprouts are Satan's creation.

Grilling some now. Yum.

and oven roasted works too.

I absolutely hated them. Then I figured out a way to cook them so they don't taste like... Brussel sprouts.

Make a boat with foil. Quarter the sprouts - or make them smaller if they're big - and toss them in with some crushed walnuts. Sprinkle some walnut oil over them.

Cook over a coal/wood fire, direct for about 15-20 minutes and indirect for another 5-10.

When they're dark, they're done.

They're crunchy, smoky and tasty.

or likes candy. Even as a child, my daughter would eat Halloween candy for a day or two and then get sick of it and stop, leaving 90-95% of it behind.

I've had the occasional frozen pizza and still have chips on occasion, but not as much as when I was younger.

My parents never had soda in the house, so I never developed a taste for it.

I really do not care for junk food. I guess I am just lucky. If I suddenly say I want a doughnut lol, my friends and family look at me like “who the hell are you?”

We were never even allowed to have chips or soda in the house and NO FAST FOOD ever. I was the skinniest kid you ever saw but I still don't eat junk food (especially soda and chips). I got in good habits young.

Despite your username?

When I had my braces tightened each month my dad bought me a McDonald's cheeseburger. It was like caviar. When I got 30-40 allergy rests (needles) at a time I got a slice of apple pie from HoJo's. My sister was jealous and wanted allergy tests too so she could get a slice of cherry pie.

Now, I still don't buy junk food and I am too broke to eat out and I still do not like soda. I am sick a lot so I lose weight without trying. When I taught first grade my class learned about nutrition and making healthy food choices. I would go through the cafeteria line with them. Each morning we reviewed the school lunch menu we voted thumbs up or down with each item and why ("too much sugar, too much fat...&quot . At class parties we had fresh raw veggies and they loved them.

I have improved since starting on it (well, did it for a few years in my youth too). Lost the weight and the CPAP machine. Plus I can climb stairs a lot better.

I ignore them all.

I just had a doctor tell me a good high protein snack was a hard boiled egg. I had to laugh. I remember when eggs were the devil’s work. Same with butter. I didn’t stop eating either. I’m just waiting for them to decide smoking doesn’t cause cancer so I can start again!

Otherwise everything seems to be ultra processed

I was just making a grocery list and I was like oh crap I thought I saw this post

There is no such thing as a pretzel tree. There is no such thing as a cookie bush. There is no such thing as a field of bread. All those things are ultra processed. If you eat foods that remain the way they began, you're doing fine. Fruit, vegetables, protein, some grains like oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice. Steel cut oats is the least processed. Then you roll the oats ad it becomes slightly processed. Once you get to the instant oatmeal, you might as well be eating cookies.

I never eat corn in any form. American corn, or maize, is a highly inflammatory grain. Most corn is genetically modified, and GMO corn is particularly linked to digestive inflammation. This one is a total avoid food for everyone – including corn-based ingredients like high-fructose corn syrup and corn oil. Think about what farmers use corn for - making hogs fat. It does the same thing to people.

non processed oats. I never eat corn unless I grow it myself as it's rare to ever find organic non gmo corn.

All that gmo corn is fed to the animals we eat. It's loaded with Roundup too. I would rather eat less but higher quality meats - free range beef and organic chicken.

If I get tired of eating raw vegetables, I just juice them. I love carrot, beet, lemon juice served super cold.

Thanks for the thread packman

Just read the labels, and you'll see that they're full of stuff you can't even pronounce, most of it artificial flavors, preservatives, and other crap. And, most of the nutrients have been processed out of them. A lot of it is full of sugar, too, and that's the worst culprit. It may not cause cancer, but it's been determined to be a source of cardiovascular disease.

From the linked BMJ research report. Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort. * Take a few minutes to read the original report. Note the high incidence of breast, prostate and colon cancers. (The American Cancer Society recently recommended the age for initial screening for colorectal cancer be lowered to age 45, from 50 because cancers of this kind are increasing in younger populations).

- Relative contribution of each food group to ultra-processed food consumption in diet:



Conclusions and policy implications

To our knowledge, this study was the first to investigate and highlight an increase in the risk of overall—and more specifically breast—cancer associated with ultra-processed food intake. These results should be confirmed by other large scale, population based observational studies in different populations and settings. Further studies are also needed to better understand the relative effect of nutritional composition, food additives, contact materials, and neoformed contaminants in this relation.

Rapidly increasing consumption of ultra-processed foods may drive an increasing burden of cancer and other non-communicable diseases. Thus, policy actions targeting product reformulation, taxation, and marketing restrictions on ultra-processed products and promotion of fresh or minimally processed foods may contribute to primary cancer prevention.69 Several countries have already introduced this aspect in their official nutritional recommendations in the name of the precautionary principle.
https://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k322#T1

to know what these foods have in common. Our bodies don’t recognize something as “junk food,” so what’s the common thread. Or threads?

I can make a gallon of fresh soup or broth in about an hour (I like adding butter beans, lentils, barley) with lots of veggies and a minimal amount of meat, usually a couple of good-sized chicken breasts - that stuff is like rocket fuel !

I suppose I could substitute in more rice. Does anyone know how fattening rice is? I have heard different things about that.

What about adding organic carrot and celery sticks to your meals. When I was a kid, my grandmother and mother always kept cut carrots and celery in a glass of cold water in the refrigerator. It came out for every meal. Just grilling a burger seems healthier than frozen meals with added salt and chemicals.

Limit your rice intake and make sure you soak it really good or overnight before cooking.

I should eat more carrots and celery.

The problem is I am not a good cook.

The plastic its wrapped in is probably doing you more harm than the food inside.

is very unhealthy but I think smoking has to be just as bad if not worse. Processed grains act exactly like pure sugar(unprocessed arent much better) in your system and are linked to many autoimmune and allergic reactions. Grain and gluten free is best if you can do it. There are many factors, the preservatives, processed additives, packaging, sweeteners, added sugar, corn syrup and so on. You can add all those things yourself. There are packaged healthier alternatives for many ready made foods.

It was still dissolving in my mouth. Will be in my stomach for 6 - 8 hours.........................

Oh well, I posted this, but I am number 68, it will probably not be read.........?????????????

Maybe I ought to throw that stuff out..........................but I really like the taste??????????

Did you know that the sugar industry got a law passed so that it does not have to list what the actual percentage of sugar in the product is in regard to the RDA? All other nutrients in the product will have this information listed on the box in the nutritional breakdown but not sugar.

Sugar is the primary driver of the Diabetes Type 2 epidemic and obesity. Now there is research indicating a link between sugar and cancer growth. Also, many doctors are calling Alzheimers diabetes type 3 which also indicate a link to excess sugar in the body.

Sugar (except fruit) and carbohydrates in general.

Unless you are diabetic then you must absolutely give up all carbs except for berries. lettuces and above ground vegetables. I know. When I eat starchy foods such as potatoes,rice and pasta my blood sugar goes into the diabetic range and then I need meds. As long as I avoid these types of food I am in the normal ranges. For me those foods are only occasional treats.

nt

All major ingredients are listed including sugar by number of grams and then the percentage of the RDA per diem. But not sugar. Only the number of grams. OJ has 22 grams of sugar per 8 oz. serving. What is percentage of that sugar to the RDA? It is not on the label. So unless you know that 25 grams is 88 percent of RDA for a child you will not know that that one glass of OJ is nearly the entire amount of sugar that child should have from all sources for a day.
I would say most parents do not know that. If that percentage was on the label it might influence that amount and types of food they give their children. It would help everyone trying to eat a better diet.

You can easily google the recommended RDA for children and adults. There is an RDA for the amount of sugar a person should consume daily.

then it's exposed to all kinds of chemicals in our stomach and intestines. It should be obvious that food can only be carcinogenic if it contains carcinogens. Your body doesn't care how those carcinogens got in the food.
I hope that no one changes their diet based on not what is actually in a food, but how it is prepared.

W the tariffs...fruits and veggies are going to sky rocket w everything else. Roadside stands!! Stock up. Can it. Eat your fill while the sun is shining.