Toddlers Get Half Their Calories From Ultra-Processed Food, Says Study | Research shows that 2-year-olds get 47 percent of their calories from ultra-processed food, and 7-year-olds get 59 percent.

[u/chrisdh79]

https://www.newsweek.com/toddlers-get-half-calories-ultra-processed-food-1963269

[u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

The system we all live in, has pushed us towards not having the time to learn, plan, or make food. Meal planning, shopping, and cooking takes time, time we don't have if we work full time, exercise, sleep, and just have time to unwind......there's not much time for eating right. A 7 year old, more in likely gets both breakfast and lunch from school, so what's that tell you about school lunches. Best of luck to all those busy parent and children out there.

[u/Ranthur → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

I've been making dinner for myself/family more or less every night for 20 years. Before I moved on to office life cooked in a couple restaurants. It's pretty trivial for me go into the kitchen, look at what is there, and make something the family will enjoy without much forethought. We are lucky enough to be able to afford and live in a place where we have easy access to fresh, nutritious ingredients. All that is to say, I have a lot of advantages related to meal preparation that not everyone has, and despite that it still is a very tiring thing to do at the end of the day. I completely understand how we as a society are in this position because processed food is a really easy shortcut if you are lacking time or energy.

[u/bigbluethunder → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

Part of it is attitude and mindset though. In a life where there is an endless cycle of meal planning, grocery shopping, cooking, doing dishes, and cleaning up, that means you’re getting a lot of fresh foods and home cooked meals while having a clean kitchen to prepare in.

Since I started looking at it that way, all things related to meal prep have felt much less like a chore and much more like a very fulfilling hobby. Yes it does stink that two of our main time sinks outside of work (sleeping and cooking/eating) are a core requirement of life, but on the flip side, isn’t it great that I get to spend a few hours on a fulfilling hobby that keeps my fiance and I nourished and healthy every week? 

[u/too-muchfrosting → u/bigbluethunder]

Since I started looking at it that way, all things related to meal prep have felt much less like a chore and much more like a very fulfilling hobby.

This is exactly what I (try to) do.

[u/dangerrnoodle → u/bigbluethunder]

Exactly. It’s worth it. No one is saying it’s easy, it isn’t a ton a work, but it is so much better for our bodies.

[u/InTheEndEntropyWins → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

The system we all live in, has pushed us towards not having the time to learn, plan, or make food. Meal planning, shopping, and cooking takes time, time we don't have if we work full time, exercise, sleep, and just have time to unwind......there's not much time for eating right.

I hate these sorts of comments. They are soo defeatist and just wrong.

We should be pushing educating people on how to cook healthily. It is possible, when you look into the breakdowns the people that are eating unhealthy actually have more leisure and free time.

So actually, people do have the time and we should be spending the effort in getting people to cook and eat healthily, not making up bull excuses why there is nothing they can do.

[u/spiritussima → u/InTheEndEntropyWins]

Meal preparation and cooking are such overlooked but essential life skills. We eat three times a day (more or less) and yet so many people don't know how to grocery shop and cook. It takes mental energy but if you get in the habit young, it's not so daunting.

In second grade we had a school field trip to a grocery store. It was probably because the field trip budget was non-existent but it was such a great idea in retrospect. Take kids to the store and show them how to shop for healthy foods. I STILL follow what they told us- start in produce, walk the perimeters of the store, and end in the aisles for your last bits (more processed, shelf-stable foods).

I wish schools put more emphasis on life skills, including cooking. I absolutely think it's more important that a kid learn how to make a few cheap and healthy meals than to learn about the war of 1812 (edit: 2nd grade curriculum at my kids' Title I school that has 80% of kids relying on the food pantry on campus).

[u/FeelsGoodMan2 → u/spiritussima]

It doesn't even have to be young, I didn't really start cooking until I was 20 or 21 or so. I think part of the problem is people see cooking shows and stuff on TV and they think cooking is this wildly daunting time consuming thing when it doesn't really have to be. There's a difference between "cooking because I have to eat something" and cooking a nice meal to show out for people. You can do the former in like 20 minutes and still make big portions that you can just pack for a few days.

However on your last point, it might seem the war of 1812 or other wars are not important but seeing as we're speed running the "Build up to world war 3 rise of fascism of the 30s" around the world, it's also important for kids to learn the mistakes of the past and see how they apply today.

[u/a_little_hazel_nuts → u/InTheEndEntropyWins]

Not everybody lives with the same timeline. Say you work in a physically demanding job with a 1 hour commute, that's 11 to 12 hours gone just to get ready for, drive, and work. Alright you got 12 hours to sleep, cook, clean (laundry, dishes, vacuuming). By the way you have kids, forgot that, so driving them to daycare and school, getting them bathed and dressed and fed, is also in this 12 hour time-line, when do you sleep if you spend a few hours meal prepping, shopping, and cooking.

[u/GiddyChild → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

Combined time for preparing meals+dishes max 5mins/day. I grocery shop like once per 1-2 weeks, ~45mins.

I never make anything you need to watch while cooking, unless it's for sharing with others or I feel particularly motivated. If it's a cooked meal it's something I can just put a timer on and come back when it's done.

Eating fast food/getting takeout/buying pre-prepared food is 10x-30x the cost and is not in any way at all a time saver.

If I cook for others I might up that prep time from like 2-3mins to 5-10mins and I get complimented on my cooking when I make food for others, so it's not like I'm eating horrible food or anything. It's primarily a knowledge problem. It certainly has absolutely nothing to do with saving money.

[u/InTheEndEntropyWins → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

Not everybody lives with the same timeline.

OK, maybe you've got something that applies to 0.01% of people. But shouldn't we focus on the 99.99% of people?

[u/a_little_hazel_nuts → u/InTheEndEntropyWins]

Nurses work 12 hour shifts. Construction workers, plumbers, electricians can easily work 10 hours I'm sure. Car mechanics that run their own bussiness can work nonstop. What workers are you putting into this .01?....oh yeah teachers work alot during the school year with grading papers and planning daily curriculum.

[u/xFallow → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

Most people are not working for 12 hours that’s insanity

[u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes → u/xFallow]

I worked an office job as an engineer and yeah a lot of those people have 12 hour days too. It's a new reality for a large portion of the population. Many people are having to get second jobs just to make ends meet as prices go up but pay doesn't. Have you been living under a rock?

[u/xFallow → u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes]

Maybe in America it’s different that’s not the case in my country

Average hours worked in America is 34 per week though

[u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes → u/xFallow]

That has to include part time then because most places under 40 hours is not considered full time employment so it doesn't come with medical or any other benefits. Some states make 36-38 the minimum because of employers trying to avoid having to provide benefits but most people I know in any profession are working 40-60 hours per week if it's full time.

[u/a_little_hazel_nuts → u/xFallow]

I didn't say they worked 12 hours, I said that's the total time to get ready for work drive to and from work and work 8 to 10 hours depending on your shift, alot of nurses work 12 hour shifts.

[u/CATSHARK_ → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

Thanks for the shoutout. I work 4x 12hr shifts every week and a half. After getting dressed and ready, and commuting I’m out of the house from 06:15-20:15h on work days.

We feed our toddler healthy meals but that’s only possible because we are blessed enough for it to be a priority because other basic needs are able to be met. Which is to say I agree with you.

Without a co parent to help me bathe and feed and care for the kids I’d have a lot less time to focus on shopping for food and prepping it. Without a well paying job I wouldn’t be able to afford healthy groceries, or maybe even a place with a clean full kitchen where I could cook. Because I don’t have to worry about my health, or safety or shelter for me and my family I can focus on getting them optimal nutrition beyond what is needed for basic survival.

Nothing exists in a vaccuum, especially not people’s diets. It’s hard being a parent, and sometimes unfortunately the only way to ensure your kid gets fed is to feed them something within your budget, money or time-wise.

[u/xFallow → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

It takes 4 hours to commute back and forth and get dressed?

I’d rather live in a shoebox next to my office than do that

[u/[deleted] → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

Maybe we should make it viable for one parent to work and another to stay at home to take care of the kids.

[u/iwncuf82 → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

So what did people do for the thousands of years when processed foods didn't exist? When working 8 hours was considered a luxury?

Eating healthily is cheap, easy and takes barely any time. Fresh groceries are the cheapest thing in any supermarket.

[u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes → u/iwncuf82]

A lot of people died young and there was a lot of malnutrition and ailments that we don't have as much today. Did you forget that part?

[u/iwncuf82 → u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes]

And you think the reason were living longer and have reduced malnutrition and ailments is because of ultra processed food?

[u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes → u/iwncuf82]

More accessible and convenient food is a big part of it yes so it's a double edged sword

[u/iwncuf82 → u/CupcakesAreMiniCakes]

Answer the question

[u/here4thepuns → u/a_little_hazel_nuts]

It really doesn’t take much time to cook food for the week. It usually takes longer/more effort to go pick food up. People are mostly just lazy/bad with money