But not everyone is able to spend that kind of time in the kitchen each night. The convenient option is to stop by the supermarket on the way home and pick up a meal already prepared and ready for the table. But the convenient alternative isn't always the healthiest one. That is according to the findings of a recent European study that examined prepackaged and frozen meals. According to a report from the online journal BMJ Open, more than half of all calories and almost 90% of all added sugar intake in the US diet come "ultra-processed" foods.
Ultra-processed foods are those which include - as well as added salt, sugar, oils and fats - any number of non-nutritional additives such as dyes, flavorings, emulsifiers and other products designed to imitate the "sensorial qualities" of "real" food. Falling into that category are foods like fruit beverages and milk based drinks, soft drinks, cakes, cookies, pies, salty snacks, frozen and shelf-stable plates as well as pizza and breakfast cereals.
To get a better grasp of the issue of how much added sugar is actually in the US diet, researchers examined data collected from more than 9,000 people in a study conducted over a 2 year period from 2009 to 2010. They compared the amount of added sugars in the average diet and discovered that ultra-processed foods were responsible for more than half of the total calorie intake. The total was just under 60%. In the average ultra-processed food product added sugars accounted for 1 in every 5 calories.
Excess sugar increases the risk of diabetes, obesity, cancer and tooth decay. The researchers went on to state, "Foods higher in added sugars are often a source of empty calories with minimum essential nutrients or dietary fiber. They displace more nutrient-dense foods and lead to simultaneously overfed and undernourished individuals."
Quicker isn't always better. Good things take time, just like last night's dinner. So prepare your meals like your life depends on it, because it does.
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