9 Reasons Why We Shouldn’t Consume Processed Food

In recent years, there has been a drastic change in the way society views the modern diet that we consume. We grow up eating food that our family prepares for us and we never have to worry about the standard or quality of the food. But when we step out into the independent world and become the person who makes the choice, we often fail. In today’s world, people, especially students have adapted to a lifestyle that causes adverse effects on their health.

While spending long hours working on our physics assignments or while lounging in the hallways talking to friends, we tend to prefer processed food. Processed food means preserved and prepared food which is canned/oiled and is readily consumable. They may be your life savior at times but here are 9 reasons you should avoid these in your diet.

1. They are very high in fructose corn syrup and sugar. These empty calories can have devastating effects on our metabolism
2. They lead to overconsumption of food as they are hyper rewarding
3. When you eat processed food, you are eating all sort of artificial ingredients – basically chemicals
4. It has been proven that many people get seriously addicted to these and suffers from long term illness
5. They have refined carbohydrates (complex molecules of carbohydrate) that takes more time for digestion and drives the digestive system at abnormal rates
6. They do not contain any nutritive value
7. They are low in fiber, which is necessary component of a balanced diet
8. To provide for a longer shelf life, the components are easily digestible and thus don’t burn calories. This, in turn, leads to obesity in the long run
9. They are high in processed oils and trans fat as they contain an excessive amount of Omega-6-fatty acids

More often, students of LPU like to prepare their own meals instead of consuming processed food that is easily available but not healthy enough to sustain a college student. When asked about her views on her meals and eating habits, Dipali Kushwaha (B.Tech 2nd Year student) said “I always try that to eat meals which are freshly prepared. Processed food could easily be contaminated and therefore, I do not prefer it. I try and make my own meals such as a healthy breakfast of oats, which is easily available and can be prepared with just a few resources.”