59
Ultraprocessed foods make up to 70% of the US food supply (www.cnn.com)
submitted 9 months ago by [B] to c/hackernews@lemmy.bestiver.se
13 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

Comments

all 13 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 8 points 9 months ago (12 children)

One tip I learned for roughly figuring out which foods are likely ultra processed is to look at the ingredients list for words you struggle to pronounce. It’s not a perfect system, but it helps a little.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • hideshow 12 child comments
    •
  • [–] 9 points 9 months ago (1 child)

    Checking ingredients is fundamental to buying food

    They’re legally required to be listed by weight so you can compare brands to see who if there’s more tomatoes, tomato paste, or tomato puree, or water in your sauce

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 7 points 9 months ago (3 children)

    Why did I have to be a biochemist?!?!?

    :risitas: 1
  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago (4 children)

    I use this system, as well as shopping the perimeter of the grocery store, in my area the outter edges of the store are either fresh produce or refrigerated meat, eggs, dairy.

    Anything that's down one of the many rows in the middle of the store is likely ultra processed to be shelf stable without refrigeration.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago (3 children)

    The outer edges are literally the majority of their profit, your grocer loves you.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago (1 child)

    I'm not sure this makes sense. Just taking the headline at face value if 70 % of the food supply in the US accounts for less than 50% of the profit why not devote a greater % of the stores sf to those goods that generate profit? Or have profoundly smaller stores? Why don't convience stores just sell fresh meat and veg if that's where the money is? Why isn't Dollar General cashing in on the highly lucrative fresh green bean and Salmon market?

    Fuck the "baking" isle, where is the brussel sprout isle? Frozen foods? No thanks, take me to the shrimp quadrant.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 9 months ago

    Whole foods are generally better.

    But the level of processing doesnt define wether a food is healthy or not. Compare the nutritional info on pringles vs regular potato chips. Its almost exactly the same despite one being "ultra processed" and one being "Potatoes, salt, oil" Neither is a health food. Multivitamins and protein powder are ultraprocessed, pork belly isnt.

    Learning how to read nutrition labels is something too few people know how to do.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent