Do you wonder why diet and food are categorized as junk while they contain all natural ingredients? Here are the reasons what make junk food junk.
Many people wonder why many diet and food aredemonized as junk. For instance, take the example of a burger. It has bread, beef or chicken, salads, and cheese as its main ingredients. Bread is known as stuff of life, isn’t it? Humans have been eating bread for ages. And what about meat? Beef and chicken are considered good sources of protein. And the salads, the best a man or a woman can get. Cheese is also a good source of calcium and protein. So, how on earth these healthy ingredients are categorized as junk when they make a burger?
The answer is processing and standardization. Start from the bread. Whole grains contain fiber and many vitamins and minerals. However, the bread in most burgers contain highly processed flour. During this processing, most of the healthy fiber along with vitamins and minerals are stripped off. What remains are the calories in its most unnatural form.
Healthy meat in small quantities can be a good source of protein. However, the fast food companies need a very standardized type of meat, and this kind of meat can only come from highly processed sources. Although many would argue that despite being inhumane, meat from factory farms is still healthy.However, there is a general consensus among experts that processed meat is causing many health problems including heart diseases and cancer.
Furthermore, given our sedentary lifestyle, it is not healthy to eat the quantities of meat we currently consume. And fast food often has a lot of meat that exceeds the healthy limits of our daily intake.
It seems hard to argue against salads. However, the salads in fast food are not equal to the salads grown by your local farmer or that grown in your backyard. Fast food companies need very standardized salad dressings, both in looks and taste. This can only come from certain sources with high levels of pesticide use, artificial fertilizers, and processing.
A burger can be healthy, but it is better to make it at home and make sure that you use natural ingredients.
Alina Smith is a health blog author with an interest in the intersection of wellness and mental health. She’s worked as a writer, editor, and communications specialist for various healthcare organizations. Alina has also led projects to improve access to care for underserved populations in both rural and urban settings.
