Healthy Eating – The New York Times

I love those sprinkle-covered sheet cakes you can buy at the supermarket – so much so that when my daughter was little, I trained her to hold a corner piece for me at birthday parties.

When you hear the phrase “processed food,” those rainbow-colored desserts — with their long and complicated list of ingredients — are probably the types of products you think of.

In fact, the category is much broader than that.

Unprocessed food includes anything that cannot be made in a home kitchen because you do not have the ingredients or equipment. (Most of us don’t have a jar of, say, methyl cellulose in our pantries.)

These types of foods have become ubiquitous in the United States, and experts say they appear to be taking a toll on our health.

The Times’s Well Desk begins each January with a week-long challenge to improve some aspect of our lives. This year, the focus is on reducing unprocessed foods from our diet. In today’s newsletter, I will explain the science behind the challenge.

Health concerns

Almost all food is processed in some way, whether it is chopped, frozen or cooked. But ultraprocessing is different. Ultra-processed foods are made using industrial methods.

Highly processed foods often contain ingredients that improve taste, texture and shelf life – things like hydrogenated oils, modified starches, emulsifiers, and artificial colors and sweeteners. Yes, my favorite sheet cake is a highly processed food, but so are many products that we might consider nutritious, such as packaged breads, flavored yogurt, vegan “meat” and protein shakes. About three-quarters of the food in the US is highly processed, according to an estimate published in the journal Nature Communications.

Research suggests that a high intake of highly processed foods is linked to health concerns including heart disease, type 2 diabetes and mental disorders. And a small but powerful study found that people who ate the most processed foods ate about 500 more calories per day.

As my colleague Alice Callahan reported, researchers don’t know what specifically it is about highly processed foods that can affect our health, and it may be years before they really understand the connection. Even with the unknown, however, many experts agree that eating fewer processed foods can benefit your health.

Cutting back

I’ve spent the last six months interviewing dozens of nutritionists to better understand processed foods. I learned that cutting yourself off isn’t just about being serious. Ultraprocessed foods are easier, and some cheaper than less processed foods. And many of them are made so irresistible that it becomes a challenge for us to stop eating, even when we feel full.

It doesn’t make sense to swear that all food has been processed forever, says Kevin Hall, a nutrition and metabolism researcher at the National Institutes of Health.

“Not all processed foods are bad for you, and you shouldn’t think you should try to eliminate them,” says Hall.

The most important thing, he adds, is to focus on your overall eating pattern, rather than individual foods — and there are tweaks you can make to help you do it.

Over the next five days, the Well Challenge will provide tips, guidance and inspiration to better understand highly processed foods. The goal is not to completely overhaul your diet. (I, for one, never give up a supermarket sheet cake.) Instead, we’ll explore simple ways to cut back, so you can be on your way to feeling better in the long run. I hope you’ll join me — you can sign up here.

PROBLEM IN THE CHURCH

What is Jimmy Carter’s legacy?

Respect. Carter expressed honesty and transparency, was a supporter of human rights, and won lasting peace agreements. However, what caused us eternal shame, was not enough for us who wanted to call him ‘Mr. President,’” Larry Smith of the Indianapolis Recorder writes.

Weakness. Carter made the same mistake as president as Joe Biden. “They share a fate as one-term Presidents are pushed back by the same political problems – inflation and the perception of growing US weakness abroad,” wrote the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal.

FROM THE IDEA

Gov. Kathy Hochul’s pricing plan could garner more support if she included it in a larger story about restoring order to New York City, Henry Grabar he writes.

Trump’s nominees should remember that while he often shies away from consequences, his loyal supporters do not, John BoltonTrump’s former national security adviser, writes.

Here is the column that says Nicholas Kristof’s “win the trip” winner for the need for menstrual products.

Oaths: He did not believe that the institution of marriage was good for women. Then she met Richard.

Lives Lived: Tomiko Itooka, who was born in Japan before the start of World War I and the sinking of the Titanic, is believed to be the world’s oldest person. His secret to longevity: eating bananas and drinking Japanese milk drink. Itooka died at the age of 116.

BOOK OF THE CHURCH

“Full Life,” by Jimmy Carter: In addition to being the 39th president of the United States, James Earl Carter Jr. he was the author of 32 books. If you’re looking for one that combines his respect, curiosity, eye for detail and appreciation for nature, “Full Life” is a great place to start. Carter, who died last week at the age of 100, looks back on his first 90 years, including his time in the White House. You’ll learn about important policy initiatives, but you’ll also see the Carters on secret fishing trips, bowling in their basement and catching up on current events at the dinner table. The audiobook is narrated by the author himself – the voice of reason, with notes of pain and pride. The president’s boat? Astronomical food bills? Unnecessary construction at Camp David? Not on his watch.

More about books

• Looking for more books on Carter’s life? Start here.

• The cheating plot is temporary. What is causing all these plagiarism issues? Emily Eakin investigates.

CONVERSATION

This week’s topic of discussion is outgoing Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who four years ago inherited the world from the Trump administration and is now about to pass it back. We talked about his focus on strengthening America’s alliances, his perspective on diplomacy in a country plagued by crises and major unresolved conflicts.

We know that President-elect Trump has people around him who are more than willing to see Ukraine cede territory to Russia. There was no common diplomatic track, and the weapons would probably dry up. Do you feel that you left Ukraine in the strongest possible position? Or are there things you could have done differently?

Well, first of all, what we have left is Ukraine, which did not appear because Putin’s wish was to wipe it off the map. We stopped that. Putin failed. Ukraine stands still. And I believe that it also has an amazing power not only to survive, to thrive and move forward. And that depends on the decisions that will be taken by future administrations and many other countries.

Do you think it’s time to end the war, though?

These are the decisions that the people of Ukraine must make. They must decide where their future lies and how they want to get there. Where the line is drawn on the map right now, I don’t think it will change much.

Do you mean the areas under Russian control that you feel will have to be evacuated?

Ceded is not a question. The question is whether the line, as a reality in the foreseeable future, is almost impossible to move too far. Ukraine’s claim to that territory will remain. And the question is, will they find ways with the support of others to regain the lost land? Putin is unlikely to give up his ambitions. If there is a ceasefire, then, in Putin’s mind, the ceasefire might give him time to rest, reset, re-attack at some point in the future.

So what will be very important is to make sure that any ceasefire that takes place continues to ensure that Ukraine has the ability to move forward to prevent further violence. And that can be in many ways. It can come through NATO, and put Ukraine on the path to NATO membership. It may come with security guarantees, commitments, guarantees from different countries to ensure that Russia knows that if it attacks again, it will have a big problem.

Read more about the interview here.

THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE

In this week’s Five Dishes of the Week newsletter, Mia Leimkuhler offers five recipes that align with her 2025 cooking goals. Alongside her decision to explore more plant proteins, Mia highlights the sticky, spicy temeh. And for his desire to cook with extra chicken breast: Pierre Franey’s classic recipe for chicken and lemon.

NOW IT’S TIME TO PLAY