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By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

nytimes.com

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Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#11

Post by jerf »

demallien wrote: post #10
jerf wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"Having said that though, I feel that the situation is slowly changing in recent years" You have to be careful when comparing the US to the rest of the world, because the US is the one breaking the ground of new levels of relatively-well-distributed wealth. (Put aside the question of how well for a moment, please.) For instance, it turns out that the US did not have uniquely bad dietary habits around flour and sugar,…

You have to be careful when comparing the US to the rest of the world, because the US is the one breaking the ground of new levels of relatively-well-distributed wealth. Not so much, see here: http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/mint-map-global-wealth-distr... Most of the "western" countries are ahead of the US for distributing wealth amongst the population.

Yeah, that's the wrong stat to use. The US has had a healthy middle industrial-age middle class for longer than anyone else, and even if it is ailing today (which is debatable and subject to rapid change with notice in either direction), my points still stand. It also has a higher average income level than most if not all, along with a higher median and a generally larger "social wealth", even if, again, we may be letting some of that slip.

A well-distributed wealth of $15K a year will not show you how that country will necessarily behave when it has a spotty-but-$42K-average wealth.

I suggested strongly that the point not be missed, I guess I should have just cut straight to spelling it out even if it would have broken the flow. You point is not relevant to my point at all.

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#12

Post by araneae »

jvdongen wrote: post #2

I frequently read this kind of articles on the web, and every time I'm amazed by it. Preparing food yourself is the rule in my corner of the world (the Netherlands) - going out for dinner an exception. And up until a few years ago you'd be hard pressed to find a public place that actually served breakfast. Of course, not every Dutchmen is a great cook (to say the least ;-) but I think you'd have a hard time to find a…

I guess it's partially ignorance. For years I was making "instant" pudding, which was a packet combined with milk.

It turns out that you can make homemade chocolate pudding with only one extra ingredient; cocoa powder, cornstarch, and milk. (A pinch of salt usually improves it, though.)

I still buy rice pudding, though. I've tried making it and it always turns out awfully.

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#13

Post by mitko »

An year ago I could hardly cook anything except omelet - badly. During the last year I've learned a bunch of recipes - enough to feel confident in the kitchen. Looking back, I think the factors that made it easiest to me to develop the habit of cooking were:

- A decent kitchen. I've tried cooking before but the lack of kitchen appliances was just demotivating.

- A need to save some money. Bringing food with me to classes was supposed to be cheaper.

- A bet with a friend of mine on who can make 6-pack abs first. I wanted to eat healthy and tasty at the same time, so I had to control the food.

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#15

Post by dylan62 »

I eat lots of supermarket 'ready meals'. There seems to be an assumption that this is worse for my health that if I prepared and cooked the ingredients myself. Can someone point me to some concrete scientific evidence that that is true, or at least some convincing theories on why it might be true? (Ready meals are really convenient - if I'm going to motivate myself to give them up, I need some concrete evidence that they really are bad for me)

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#16

Post by orlandu63 »

dylan62 wrote: post #15

I eat lots of supermarket 'ready meals'. There seems to be an assumption that this is worse for my health that if I prepared and cooked the ingredients myself. Can someone point me to some concrete scientific evidence that that is true, or at least some convincing theories on why it might be true? (Ready meals are really convenient - if I'm going to motivate myself to give them up, I need some concrete evidence that…

Pre-made meals aren't intrinsically bad for you; it's the preservatives and other questionable ingredients (and quantity of) that the manufacturers may add that is detrimental to your health.

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#17

Post by wtallis »

orlandu63 wrote: post #16
dylan62 wrote: post #15

I eat lots of supermarket 'ready meals'. There seems to be an assumption that this is worse for my health that if I prepared and cooked the ingredients myself. Can someone point me to some concrete scientific evidence that that is true, or at least some convincing theories on why it might be true? (Ready meals are really convenient - if I'm going to motivate myself to give them up, I need some concrete evidence that…

Pre-made meals aren't intrinsically bad for you; it's the preservatives and other questionable ingredients (and quantity of) that the manufacturers may add that is detrimental to your health.

To give a specific example: many preservatives and industrial techniques can alter the flavor of a dish in unpleasant ways, so industrialized food just covers up those flavors with salt. The worst examples would be the "flavor packet" that comes with ramen noodles: some of these deliver a full gram of sodium. But most frozen meals have unreasonably high levels of sodium as well. If you prepare your food from raw ingredients, you at least have the option of using less salt, to the betterment of your blood pressure.

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#18

Post by bambax »

jvdongen wrote: post #2

I frequently read this kind of articles on the web, and every time I'm amazed by it. Preparing food yourself is the rule in my corner of the world (the Netherlands) - going out for dinner an exception. And up until a few years ago you'd be hard pressed to find a public place that actually served breakfast. Of course, not every Dutchmen is a great cook (to say the least ;-) but I think you'd have a hard time to find a…

Yes, absolutely. I live in France, I'm 40, and I don't think I've ever met anyone since I was born, who doesn't know how to do basic cooking.

Over here people invite their friends for dinner all the time, and it would be beyond unacceptable to serve anything not prepared by the host/hostess.

Reading the great Tony Bourdain I learned that what happened in the US happened after WWII; before that time the US was a pretty "normal" country, food-wise.

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#19

Post by zoomzoom »

jerf wrote: post #11
demallien wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You have to be careful when comparing the US to the rest of the world, because the US is the one breaking the ground of new levels of relatively-well-distributed wealth. Not so much, see here: http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/mint-map-global-wealth-distr... Most of the "western" countries are ahead of the US for distributing wealth amongst the population.

Yeah, that's the wrong stat to use. The US has had a healthy middle industrial-age middle class for longer than anyone else, and even if it is ailing today (which is debatable and subject to rapid change with notice in either direction), my points still stand. It also has a higher average income level than most if not all, along with a higher median and a generally larger "social wealth", even if, again, we may be le…

His point is relevant, I think. But it does not make your point invalid. The us can be considered exceptionally wealthy due to it's per capita gpa, consumption, size, and stored wealth in terms of infrastructure, resources, education, and stability.

Re: By becoming a cook, you can leave processed foods behind

#20

Post by oiuytyuioiuy »

jvdongen wrote: post #2

I frequently read this kind of articles on the web, and every time I'm amazed by it. Preparing food yourself is the rule in my corner of the world (the Netherlands) - going out for dinner an exception. And up until a few years ago you'd be hard pressed to find a public place that actually served breakfast. Of course, not every Dutchmen is a great cook (to say the least ;-) but I think you'd have a hard time to find a…

Although to be fair the Dutch diet is not exactly the most extravagantly adventurous in europe - you pretty much only need to be able to cook 3 things
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