UNITED STATES—There has been plenty of talk as of late about the consumption of processed foods. I hate to say it, but just about everything we eat is processed to some degree. I’m just going to say it, everything we snack on that comes in a box or package is processed. Even those veggie straws that are supposed to be a healthier substitute to potato chips are still processed to preserve the shelf life.
So, what are we to do to encourage healthier substitutes when it comes to food, especially for youngsters? You have to spend more time in the kitchen it feels like. You have to craft things from scratch and the problem is NOT many people have the time or want to spend the time to craft less processed foods. Think about packing lunch for three kids each morning or preparing those lunches the night before.
Yes, you have fruits and veggies that you can craft as snacks, but you need a protein and most parents are going to head towards lunchmeat. We are all aware that lunchmeat is heavily processed and we have been warned to steer clear of the consumption of lots of lunchmeat.
I will admit, I do love a sandwich. I find sandwiches to be quick, versatile and you can be crafty and creative. I don’t purchase package lunchmeat often if at all. I tend to go to my local farmer market and head to the deli counter for fresh lunchmeat. Even then, the level of sodium, cholesterol, carbs and calories is pretty high. However, I think if you indulge in moderation that is okay.
That is the thing about processed foods, we’re all eating them 24/7. We eat them because they are so quick to open and chow down on. You don’t have to do a lot of preparation or work with processed foods. After a 10-hour work day, you don’t want to craft a three-course meal, you want to pop a frozen dinner into the microwave or open a can of heavily salted soup and warm up in the microwave.
Try to pause before you do that and consider what you’re placing into your body. That is the issue. We don’t think about what we’re eating until we’ve already consumed it, and by that time it is too late America, the bad things are already inside your body doing whatever it is they do. It is not all about Americans making the right choice, its about companies that provide food to us to lower the cost.
I get so sick and tired of hearing the argument to eat organic and healthy, yet the costs of those food items are double, triple, if not quadruple the cost of something that is not as healthy. You’re asking Americans to pick and choose what they eat based on what you can afford and that is not a good sign if you ask me. I shouldn’t have to pay $15 for a bag of flour that is supposed to be super healthy for me, then you have another bag of flour that is $5.
See the difference it is $10. That $10 can go a long way to purchasing other food items and the consumer shouldn’t have to pick and choose when it comes what they buy because of the cost of the healthy items compared to the non-healthy items. There is also that issue of food deserts in many regions of America, particularly inner cities and urban regions where there are no supermarkets. They have to rely on local gas stations or inadequate local ‘stores’ that sell nothing but processed foods.
This America, there shouldn’t be a reason people don’t have access to healthy foods, there is no excuse for making food affordable. That inflation time frame in 2021 and early 2022 was simply a money grab for businesses to charge as much as they can to consume money from the American public because spending was at an all-time high. We have to do better if we want to be healthier. One person alone cannot change things, but as a collaborative group we can do a ton.
Written By Jason Jones
