Ditch the doughnuts; get bananas instead
Lewis DiuguidThe next time your mom tells you to eat your vegetables and fruits instead of potato chips and doughnuts, please take her seriously.
A new U.S. Department of Agriculture study released Wednesday shows that not only are fruits and vegetables healthier for us than junk food, but they cost less than the things we eat that are high in salt, fat and sugar. The Associated Press reported that bananas, carrots, lettuce and pinto beans, for example, are less expensive per portion than French fries, ice cream, ground beef and soft drinks.
Not only that, but eating a chocolate glazed doughnut with 240 calories may not satisfy a person’s hunger like a banana will with just 105 calories.
But people turn to the costlier, unhealthy and less filling junk food because that is what the processed food industry pushes with slick advertising. Processed food generally has a longer shelf life than fresh fruits and vegetables do, making it easier and less messy for stores to push and stock.
The bad food also continues to drive up this country’s weight problem. More than half of all Americans are overweight, and a third of the population is obese — a figure that is expected to grow to 42 percent by 2030.
The country has to step off the destructive junk food wagon and on to the healthier-way-to-go fresh fruit and veggie truck. The sooner, the better.
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