Differences between Whole Food and the Processed Food - Essay Example

Whole Food and Processed Food Describe the differences between the whole food items and the processed food items. Consider taste and flavor, texture, color, nutritional value, etc. Whole foods are very different from the processed food as they are just in their natural form with no additives, sugar or tampering with their form which is exactly what processed food is all about. Processed food have additives and preservatives added onto them which alters their natural form and makes them last even longer when packaged. When it comes to taste, the two types of food taste different and this explains why many people do not like canned foods after eating whole foods. The canned food lacks in the original taste and has a mixture of tastes as well as the taste of the can and the additives making it more tasteless compared to eating whole foods. The flavor of whole food is more natural especially that of fruits compared to eating the same from a can which has a totally different flavor and only maintains very little of the original taste of the product. Canned foods are much smoother than the whole food which is rough is texture an example being taking wheat cookies and the processed types. This is so because the wheat has yet to be removed in the cookie or biscuit but it has been completely eliminated in the processed food. Lastly, when it comes to color, the whole food maintain their original color while the canned or processed foods have a variety of colors depending on the amount of additives added onto them. The change of color makes the processed food less appealing compared to the whole food. Talk about any transformations in your perception about food and your diet that may have materialized because of the information gained in this class My life had been busy what with classes and work and dealing with family and friends and I find that I tend to eat more processed food as it is not easier to prepare, but can be stored for longer and is relatively cheaper than the whole foods. All of these however changed once I got information from this class about the importance of eating whole foods in a diet as a way to maintain good health. I have started purchasing more whole foods even when I lack time to prepare them. I have realized foods such vegetables and fruits which I rarely ate do not even require much preparation as the vegetables just need steaming for like three minutes and some of the vegetables as well as fruits are eaten raw and one gets satisfied equally. I have also stopped eating so much takeout food which consists of processed food that is not only unhealthy but can cause serious diseases in my body including the one I most fear which is cancer. I have terminated eating of the pizzas and McDonald’s food which I had almost gotten addicted towards. . These transformations and change of perceptions about my diet have been extended to my family and close friends who had similar habits as mine. By using the knowledge from this class, I have taught them about the importance of a healthy diet and I have seen much more changes in the family dinners as well as lots of fruits and salads at my friends’ places. Has the class caused you to appreciate new foods or the idea of specialized diets as a way to maintain health? When I started the class, I admit I was a little pessimistic about it changing my diet or appreciating new foods to maintain my health. However, all this has continued to change as I continue learning about the importance of food to our health and maintaining a good diet through eating the correct types of food. I have learnt that my health is very important and since I hate the idea of hospitals or even simply visiting the doctor, I have to comply with what I have learnt. The most amazing thing I have learnt is that the world has so many different exciting foods that are healthy and which are in the existence for me to taste and experiment with cooking them. The new foods may be different cuisines from different nations and continents as far as Africa but they are healthy and can assist me change the diet that I am used to on a regular basis which to say the least is becoming a bit monotonous. I have learnt of existence of different types of vegetables and whole foods that are healthy and I am looking forward to trying them over the course of the year and the next several years as well as passing the same information to others in a bit to have a healthy nation and world in general. Inform about a contemporary topic There is one topic that was not delved in detail during the course but which is very important to be discussed and which is about the health risks that the processed food brings to the human body. Processed food lacks minerals, vitamins or fiber or those that do have them in limited quantity to have any real impact in people’s health. They are rather rich in fat, calories, sugar and chemicals in the form of additives and preservatives which are a time bomb to the body once they accumulate. The fats for example is simply cholesterol which when it accumulates in the body lead to cardiovascular diseases such as thrombosis where the blood vessels become blocked to even circulate the blood and the much needed oxygen in the body. Individuals are at high risk to get heart attacks which may eventually lead to deaths in extreme circumstances (Cook & Marshall, 2012). There is also the risk of diabetes due to the sugar in the poor diet and processed food. Diabetes is now among the leading causes of death in not only the US but the world at large and is now affecting even young children due to the exposure to unhealthy food products from the moment they start to eat. In addition to diabetes, there is also the different type of cancers where one of its causes is the unhealthy food products and diets people are getting exposure to nowadays (Cook & Marshall, 2012). In a bit to end all of these diseases or at least mitigate them , I have learnt that healthy eating which basically means eating whole foods such as lots of fruits and vegetables as well as proteins and limited amount of carbohydrates and nothing or very limited food with a lot of sugar. References Cook, T. & Marshall, S. (2012). Food That Grows: A Practical Guide to Healthy Living with Whole Food Recipes. New York: Food that Grows. Read More