Why We Need to Spend Less Time in the Drive Through and More Time in the Kitchen

This post touches on the unpopular opinion of pushing processed foods aside and grabbing for healthy foods instead. We all know that processed food and fast food are not the best thing for us. Processed and fast foods taste good, and they make us feel good, however diets that revolve heavily around processed foods and fast foods can result in poor health.

That is why it is important to spend less time in the drive through and more time in the kitchen, preparing and cooking meals to ensure that we have the opportunity to eat healthier every day. In turn, this means that we can take better care of our health and the health of our loved ones. Keep reading to learn why we need to spend less time in the drive through and more time in the kitchen.

America: The Land of Convenience

In the United States, we live in a land of convenience. Fast food and junk food is available on every corner making them easy to grab (especially when we are tired and hungry after a long day). Such easy grab-and-go “meals” may seem like an easier and inexpensive option. It is, however, cheaper to make your own meals with good, healthful ingredients from home.

The Processed Food Goliaths

These companies may not have our best interests in mind. As businesses, they are interested in getting the public to buy their product. They want to make the best profits to beat the competition by any means they can. This includes using cheaper ingredients and methods to shorten the cooking and packaging processes, to companies formulating the perfect ratios of salt, fat, and sugar to their advantage.

Quite literally, there are mathematical equations for salt, sugar, and fat (here I am going to call them The Main Three). There are also scientists, known as flavorists, that are working to create the best tasting foods they can.

Unfortunately, the results are packaged products that are full of chemicals; highly refined versions of salt, sugar and fat; and a lot of calories with very little nutrients. The ratios of salt, sugar, and fat that are used in junk food creates a “wow” moment as soon as the processed food hits our taste buds. Essentially, eating these foods takes over the pleasure centers in the brain that make us feel good.

In essence, processed foods are not naturally occurring. They are designed to taste as good as they can, make you feel good, and create the want for more both after eating and further in the future.

Health Effects Caused by Convenience Foods

Convenience foods can cause undesirable health effects when eaten regularly. Low quality foods that are full of unnecessary chemicals and highly refined ingredients confuse the natural signals within the body during eating, such as increasing the feeling of hunger and creating intense desires for such foods later on. This can result in food addiction. The adverse health effects can be seen with the rise in preventable diseases across the country from the past couple of decades including the rise in heart disease, diabetes, and obesity among both adults and children. The quality of the foods we eat is important for long-term, sustainable health.

Some Awesome Resources

YouTube

Kiana Dochery, a YouTuber focused on bettering health through science and psychology, does a great job of explaining what happens to our bodies when we eat fast food. Her video, “If You Eat Fast Food, THIS Happens To Your Body“, is very informative and does a great job at explaining what happens in the body when fast food is eaten.

“Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us”

“Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us,” written by Michael Moss, is an investigative journal that dives into the processed food world and discuss why processed food companies utilize salt, sugar, and fat in their products. This book is informative and a great read. It provides a look behind the curtains of how processed foods are made and designed to be so addictive (and, in turn, unhealthy).

Amazon: Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us

Let’s Chat!

Were you aware of the negative health effects that processed foods can have? Let me know in the comments down below!

Related: Can You Lose Weight in College?