Argumentative Essay On Eat Whole Fresh Food Versus Processed Food

Eating is an activity that humans do at least two times a day. It is, therefore, important for one to have a good diet as there are a multiple choices of food to choose from every day. People at times forget that the body needs vitamin, proteins, carbohydrates and minerals so as to be healthy and reduce the chances of getting sick. Demand for foods that have been processed and are within reach is growing. It is easy to warm food like soup in a microwave than spend some time making soup from natural ingredients. There has been a debate on whether it is healthy to eat whole fresh food or go for processed food.
Processed foods are not as healthy as fresh food but are very convenient and can be bought almost anywhere hence consumed at will with little preparation involved. Processed food include meat, dairy products, sweeteners, juice drink and bread which are bought form a grocery stores, restaurants, fast-foods and supermarkets. Carrying them around is easier and do not take a lot of space to store as compared to fresh food. They have a long expiry date and are therefore suitable in events such as charity, donations, going on a long trip or even during vacation. Fresh food is healthy but bulky to carry around. They are fresh hence should be cooked within days because they do not stay for long.
Whole fresh food like fruits and vegetables have higher water content than processed food and therefore offer natural hydration that is important for body cells. Increased intakes of natural foods that are high in fiber and water content have positive consequences (Glen, 121). Refined foods are dried so as to remove moisture and therefore will last longer in the shelf than whole fresh food.
Dietary saturated fat, sugar and sodium are contained in the processed food than in whole fresh food. In addition, they provide portions of fiber, iron and potassium as well as vitamin B but with very low nutritional value. Whole fresh food have a lot of important nutrients required by the body. These nutrients help the body to work correctly and prevent diseases. Flue is easily prevented by fruits like oranges, strawberries, mangos and pineapple which are rich in vitamin C. In addition, bright colored fruits (green, red purple, yellow and orange) contain phytochemicals which protect body cells against oxidative damage and reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer (Shweta, 11). Fish, milk and eggs are rich in protein which are broken into amino acids and helps the body to develop muscles. Both processed and whole fresh food contain nutrients but it is healthier to go for whole fresh food because they have more nutrients but less sugar which are harmful to the body.
Some fresh food has natural sugars. Sugar is broken down to glucose in the body hence gives energy to the body. Manufactures of processed food add sugar to it to taste good and excessive amounts of these sugars have harmful effects when taken into the body. Calories from these sugars contribute to fat stores (Sizer and Noss 132). This is contrary to fresh food because if a person wants to lose weight a balanced diet of fresh food is equally important. Okner and Clorfene note that for one to lose weight, vegetables, lean meat and fruits should be eaten (112).
During processing, ingredients laced with chemicals that are deleterious are added to processed food. Most often, these ingredients contain high fats such as saturated and trans fats, sugar and fructose made with additives, flavors of different kinds, preservatives and other chemicals in excessive amounts and hence lowers the nutritional value of food. The natural state of the food under process is altered because there are a lot of processes involved which denatures enzymes unlike fresh food where the food is eaten in its natural state with all the nutrients intact.
Whole fresh food is considered as a food with only one ingredient, for instance, corn on the cob and cucumber. This food helps one in maintaining body weight and at the same time assists in reducing the amount of cholesterol, regulates blood and reduces the risk for diabetes. Unlike whole food, processed food contains more than one ingredient, for example fruit juice which undergoes additional sugars and preservatives.
Eating whole food helps in fighting against foreign particles hence some health problems are eliminated. Whole fresh food contains nutrients that boost the body defense system. The availability of processed foods encourages people to purchase them in large quantities and require little effort in preparation. In light of this, one should put checks and balances when eating such. When people buy them, a risk is created and when disease sets in, a huge amount of money is used in treatment. Convenience and subsequent consumption of these foods are risky.
In conclusion, whether fresh food or processed food is a choice or not is still a controversial issue in the world today. They both supply the vital nutrient that the body requires but the nutrients supplied by processed food are less than what whole fresh food supplies. In any case, processed food have additives such as sugars, fats and other preservatives which are harmful to the body in the long run. Alternatively, there are other varieties of food which can be consumed for one to get a mixture of nutrients required by the body. To realize a balanced diet, whole foods like legumes, potatoes and milk are encouraged in the daily diet rather than hotdogs, snacks and cupcakes which are harmful.

Works cited

Gabbard, Glen.Gabbard's Treatments of Psychiatric Disorders. Fifth ed. Arlington: American Psychiatric, 2014. Print.
Okner, Joel, and Jeremy, Clorfene. The No Bull Book on Heart Disease: Real Answers to Winning Back Your Heart and Health. New York: Sterling Publishing Company, 2009. Print.
Rastogi, Shweta. Eat Right to Stay Bright: Manage Diet to Manage Disease. Mumbai: Popular Prakashan, 2010. Print.
Webb, Frances Sizer, and Eleanor Noss Whitney. Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies. 10th ed. Melbourne: Thomson Wadsworth, 2006. Print.