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by kinkrtyavimoodh 1842 days ago
I think when people say processed food they are referring more Doritos than canned corn.
1 comments

You have a reasonable assumption.

Unfortunately, these 'ultraprocessed' journalists commonly refer to canned corn as processed food.

Doritos, frozen pizza, cup noodles are clearly unhealthy. And I think most reasonable people know that.

But these 'ultra' journalists have... Questionable... discussion points when you dig into the articles.

> Doritos, frozen pizza, cup noodles are clearly unhealthy. And I think most reasonable people know that.

I think that's an unreasonable assumption, cup noodles sure, but for chips and frozen pizza it's obviously a question of quantity and people who work long hours end up forced to resort to these to just get calories in at the end of the day.

I understand the need for convenience, I really do.

The problem with Chips is that they're starch, and in the USA, we overeat starches. There's pretty much no reason to be snacking on starch.

Instead, you should snack on fat and fiber: nuts and fruits. Dehydrated fruits are as easy to store and eat as any chips (Raisins, Pineapple) and will instantly increase your dietary fiber intake. Canned / Processed fruits are extremely easy and incredibly healthy. Apple Sauce, canned pineapple (since its cooked, no worries about it dissolving your tongue), canned apricots, canned peaches. You've got a lot of options for a quick-and-easy fruit snack that's as convenient as chips.

Nuts are a high energy source of healthy fats. Almonds, Peanuts, Cashews, Pistachios. Plenty of good stuff, and they balance well with fruits (fruits are low on fat/lipids/protein, nuts are high on fat/lipids/protein). There's also a different set of vitamins you get from them, so the variety is key to healthy eating.

In theory: if you were low on starch for some reason, Potato chips (or corn chips) probably would be fine. But... that's just not what the typical American has problems with.

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Just watch your sugar intake. In the USA at least, a lot of these canned / dehydrated fruits have added sugar in them (yeah, we like our things sweet).

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Frozen stuffs just have too much sodium in my experience. Frozen Pizza doubly-so, because cheese often is made with amounts of salt. Still, I understand the need of a convenient dinner every now and then if you're busy, but definitely don't make a habit of it IMO.

I quite agree. I'd wager many of these "reasonable people" eat artisan sourdough baguettes thinking it's any better than doritos.