11 Reasons to Ditch Processed Foods: Rodale Press

[Stuart G]

http://www.rodale.com/processed-foods?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1188298-_-02022013-_-ProcessedFoodDitch-body

11 Reasons to Ditch Processed Foods
Processed foods hide some dirty secrets. Here's how to avoid them.
BY LEAH ZERBE

(Reason One...in a slide show , my brackets)

Your Wallet

The Facts: Processed foods may seem like a deal in terms of convenience, but when you break down the cost, it's generally cheaper—and way healthier—to make those same foods from scratch. For instance, a popular brand's microwave bowl of chili costs $3.39 and includes harmful bisphenol A, fake food dye, and industrial meat raised using antibiotics, as well as other questionable additives.

Healthy Tip: You can whip up a batch of gourmet, 100-percent-organic chili from scratch using fresh ingredients, including omega-3-rich, heart-healthy grass-fed beef, for about $2.86 per serving. Cheaper, tastier, organic, and healthier!

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I think most of the info here is not new, but well worth looking at for the sum of its parts...some of this is very good.some worth questioning..but...I would like to add this : A friend of mine who I have known for a number of years, recently,3 months ago, went off refined sugar and sodas. His blood sugar was 290. Now it is 90. I don't see him very often, but he looks healthier than I have ever seen him.He lost 7 pounds and my be able to off some medications if he keeps it up..... It is true that refined foods and too much sugar is killing people in this country.

[Kalidurga]

1. I found this at the same site...

http://www.rodale.com/gross-food

And I am totally grossed out. There are a few things on the list that I was still eating. Microwave popcorn yuck!!!

I am going to buy some paper lunch bags now and a big jar of popcorn. I can't believe it is as easy as measuring 1/4 in the bag and folding the top and popping for 5 minutes or so. Wowsers.

[Stuart G]

2. Life is strange...because

a moment ago, I was reading the exact same article about grossest foods at that link. I just switched back to see if anyone had read the OP. Some of the crap that goes on in the processed food industry is so bad..Just one example: a couple of years ago, there was a wide spread problem with popular peanut butter brands that were processed in unhealthy plant. Perhaps you remember? I do. The stuff was recalled and people either got very sick or perhaps died. That one fact is almost unbleiveable. Well, the owner has been charged and I think will go on trial some day..But, we are talking about peanut butter processed in this country under current strict laws. What the hell..???

OK...I found a link to an October 2012 story on one peanut butter recall:

http://news.yahoo.com/peanut-butter-recall-round-two-check-pantry-195900562.html

Now, if you read the entire article..you will see info about the 2009 recall that killed 8 people and poisoned hundreds of others. ....OK don't read the article....
here is the excerpt:
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A peanut butter recall due to potential Salmonella contamination in 2009 killed eight people and sickened more than 500 in 43 states, a U.S. Senate food recall summary said. According to the New York Times, the manufacturer of the contaminated peanut butter, Peanut Corporation of America, closed after investigators found fault with its Salmonella testing practices, and the Food and Drug Administration opened a criminal investigation into its activities.


In 2007, ConAgra, maker of Peter Pan peanut butter, pulled 326 million pounds of Peter Pan and Wal-mart brand product, along with almost 100,000 cases of peanut toppings, from the market due to potential Salmonella contamination. The company estimated the value of the withdrawn products at $1 billion, and it spent an additional $78 million to effectuate the recall. The recall covered a 2 1/2-year production period, CIO noted. According to a U.S. Senate report on food recalls, 628 people in 47 states became ill as a result of that 2007 Salmonella outbreak

[Kalidurga]

3. That is scary...

I eat a lot of peanut butter. It's a reliable source of protein, which I am constantly in danger of being deficient. I know weird right? Who gets protein deficient? Well it's easy if you don't particularly like meat or other sources of protein too much and love grains, fruits, and veggies. But, peanut butter is one source I actually do like so I will eat it.

[Kurovski]

4. Hey! Who DOESN'T enjoy a beaver anal gland juice cocktail on the weekend?

Needless worry over folks enjoying the good life!

[FirstLight]

5. sugar and SALT both

I have Hypertension and have been reading more ingredients as a result...you would not believe the horrific amounts of sodium even in plain canned goods. Most of my favorite 'naughty foods' are seriously off limits now

I've been a proponent of cooking from scratch for years, and it is a skill that always keep shifting and growing

[midnight]

15. If your going to use salt use sea salt..... table salt contains sand that destroys your arteries...

[tabbycat31]

6. The chili example is a poor example

I don't eat organic foods (the budget does not allow for it) but I can make chili with dried beans, ground turkey, and crushed tomatoes for a lot less than $2.86 a serving.

They're not comparing apples to apples here.

[msongs]

7. interesting website. thanks for posting this nt

[cbrer]

8. Good Read indeed

I know it's hackneyed and overused, but

OMG!

[fasttense]

9. Most of the time you don't even know what is in processed foods.

Food Processing corporations have managed to restrict what they list as ingredients. Have you ever read on a processed food label the amount of GMO products in it? How about how much and what type of pesticide was used? How about if the food was gassed or glued? Did you know canned meat processors are allowed to use recalled meats in their products? How about calling horse meat beef?

[alp227]

10. So if the free market works,

why do food companies put so much shit in food and make healthy food so expensive and hard to find?

[Archae]

11. Rodale is still a home for quacks and crackpots.

http://www.quackwatch.com/search/webglimpse.cgi?ID=1&query=rodale

[blkmusclmachine]

12. .

.

[Stuart G]

13. Got five minutes...read this review of a new book on processed food. Salt Sugar Fat: Micheal Moss

Condemns the process food industry, like the above story..and the author is a legit investigative reporter..
and confims some of what is in this link..maybe not all, but enough for me................
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from the last paragraph of the NYT review...

"Healthful eating, in this cheesy-crust nation, is too often perceived as the province of those with the “resources.” “But most of us can’t simply stop eating processed foods,” Moss writes sympathetically. “We are still scrambling to get out the door in the morning in one piece, or to please picky eaters, or to put a decent dinner on the table without getting fired for leaving the office early.” By methodically laying out all he’s learned in “Salt Sugar Fat,” though, Moss has provided a resource available to anyone who cares to crack its pages."



http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/books/review/salt-sugar-fat-by-michael-moss.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

[midnight]

14. Good example of making a healthier chili... To replace the meat... use Quinoa

Pronounced “kinwa”, this super food is said to be the most nutritious of all grains. Naturally gluten free, quinoa is a wonderful source of iron, fiber, calcium and iron. Equipped with all eight essential amino acids, Quinoa is a complete protein source. Quinoa, used as an alternative to rice or couscous, originates from the South American Andes and was once held sacred by the Incas. It has a fluffy consistency and a nutty aroma. Quinoa is easy to prepare and is ready to eat in a short amount of time, making this nutritious whole grain perfect for the busy family. With its slightly nutty flavor, and its versatility in recipes, you just can’t go wrong with quinoa. It can be served warm or chilled as a side dish along with vegetables, or as a breakfast cereal with fruit.



Easy and quick way to eat well..

http://www.olivenation.com/Quinoa-P2406.aspx