Article On Healthy Food Vs. Junk Food
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Many people don’t have a good understanding of the differences between healthy food and junk food.
They assume healthy food is better, but also more expensive. Is this really the case? Let’s take a closer look.
Let’s examine the breakdown of calories first.
Calories are a unit of measurement for energy.
You may have heard the following:
* 1 calorie is is the amount of energy it takes to raise the temperature of one gram of water one degree
* 1 calorie equals 4.184 joules
* 1 calorie in the context of food is really 1 kilocalorie (kCal).
All of these are true and as you can see, it’s all a way to measure energy.
Whether you get a calorie from a fruit, vegetable or ice cream, you’re still ingesting the same amount of energy, so in that sense, the calories are the same.
However, there are important differences in the MAKEUP of those calories.
Macronutrient differences:
The calories in food come from protein, carbohydrates, or fat, which are the three types of macronutrients.
* Protein is 4 calories per gram, so a calorie of protein is 1/4 of a gram of protein
* Carbohydrates (carbs) are 4 calories per gram, so a calorie of carbs is 1/4 of a gram of carbs
* Fat is 9 calories per gram, so a calorie of fat is 1/9 of a gram of fat
Although each of these calories provides the same amount of energy, the body uses energy from different macronutrient sources in different ways.
Here is a very simplistic view of how the energy from each macronutrient is utilized:
* Protein calories help to build and repair muscle
* Carbohydrate calories provide energy for strenuous activity
* Fat calories provide energy for mild activity and help you absorb vitamins and minerals
There’s much more to all three, but for the sake of this answer, I’ll keep it simple.
Micronutrient differences:
Foods also contain various micronutrients, which are what we commonly know as vitamins and minerals.
Micronutrients do not contain a significant enough amount of energy to be “counted” in terms of calories, but they do play an important role in your health and well-being.
Micronutrients enable your body to perform daily functions. Some are even critical for survival.
A lack of micronutrients in your diet will lead to deficiencies which can result in serious health problems over time.
Healthy foods, such as fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and high-quality meats, contain more micronutrients than junk foods, such as chips, cookies, and candy.
You may have heard these junk foods referred to as “empty calories” for this reason.
This is why getting the majority your calories from healthy foods is ideal.
If you do this, your nutritional bases will be covered and you can still enjoy occasional “junk food” without sacrificing your health.
To recap:
* A “healthy food” calorie is the same as a “junk food” calorie in terms of energy
* Calories differ in their source of macronutrients, which determines how that energy is used in the body
* Calories also differ in their micronutrient (vitamin and mineral) content, which are essential to bodily functions and overall health
Healthy Food vs. Junk Food Prices:
Is eating healthy more expensive?
It depends on where you are eating.
If you’re preparing meals from scratch at home, then eating healthy is not more expensive.
In fact, it can be a lot cheaper.
I bought two Publix Greenwise 8 oz. top sirloin filets last night for under $10.
That’s a fraction of what you’d pay at even a mid-tier chain restaurant and if you know how to prepare steak, it will taste just as good, if not better.
This is how I cook steak.
Add some potatoes and veggies for a few bucks and you’ve got a healthy, delicious, and satisfying meal that serves two people for under $15.
If you’re eating out, eating healthy may or may not be more expensive.
In my experience, I’ve found that eating healthy isn’t more expensive at high-end restaurants.
At high-end restaurants, healthier choices like salmon or chicken are usually about the same price or cheaper than unhealthy entrees like burgers or
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Answer:
they are unhealthy
contains no nutrition
only makes a person fat
no health benifts
cause harm in the long run
Healthy food:
contains nutrients and many other things
are good for the body
helps to keep body fit
certain vegetables and fruits give vitamins like carrots,spnich etc
makes a person live for a long time
Explanation:
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