How brands trick you into eating more processed food

Once you start, you can't stop?

You're not alone! Many of us indulge in ultra-processed foods that don't leave us feeling very satisfied. Even after eating, the cravings continue.

Ultra-processed vs. processed

The difference with ultra-processed food is that ingredients are added that are unrecognizable. The final ingredient list contains things you would never find at home.

Fighting evolutionary factors

Our craving of unhealthy food actually has its roots in evolutionary biology, back when we had to hunt for our food and might need to survive for long periods of time between catches.

Industrial processes

Ultra-processed foods undergo industrial processes. These can include moulding or hydrogenation, as well as the inclusion of additives such as stabilizers, dyes, emulsifiers, or flavor enhancers.

Something sinister?

Time and money is spent engineering food that tastes so good it feels almost impossible to stop eating it. Are we being manipulated on a massive scale?

Highly modified

Ultra-processed foods are highly modified. They usually contain a lot of added salt, sugar, fat, and industrial chemical additives.

Hard to avoid it

In general, processing means food has been treated in some way to alter its natural state, to improve the taste or give it a longer life. Canning, fermenting, and freezing are all types of processing.

Starch slurry

Crops such as wheat, potatoes, and corn are broken down into oils, protein isolates, starchy flours, and fats. These substances are called "slurries" by food manufacturers.

Missing nutrients

Another problem with food that's been broken down and reassembled again is that it might no longer contain the nutrients we need and crave.

Fast digestion

Ultra-processed food is fast and easy to digest, things our digestive system is not set up to handle. When food is digested too quickly, the brain's signal of feeling full has been bypassed.

Gut health

Aside from weight gain, some scientists also believe the lack of fiber in most ultra-processed food can lead to a less healthy gut microbiome.

Hyper-palatability

When food has been designed to appeal to our sense of palatability, while skipping our normal digestive process so we don't register when we're full, it's all too easy to overeat.

"Eat more" environment

But problems arise because these are the same reasons why it's very difficult for some people to stop eating once they begin.

Healthier alternatives

Fruits and vegetables, dried fruits and nuts, whole grain starches (such as oats), fresh meat, eggs, natural yogurt, and teas/coffee/water are healthy alternatives.