Americans spend less of their income on food than ever before, in 1949 we spent 22% of our income on food. In 2009, we spent 10% of our income on food due to industrialized agriculture. Processed food is cheap and convenient but has a negative impact on our health. A prepackaged dinner has 1,000+ calories, with a low ratio of nutrition per calorie. A dinner made from whole fresh foods will have far fewer calories, and a higher ratio of nutrients per calorie. The real cost of processed foods can be found in an overview of our country’s health: in 1959, 4% of the country’s children were obese. In 2009, 19% of the country’s children were obese. In 1979, 28% of the country’s adults were overweight. In 2009, 64% of the country’s adults were overweight. In 1979, 2% of Americans had type-2 diabetes; in 2009, 6% of Americans had the disease. We spend 15%+ of our income on healthcare, more than any other country.

Advice: avoid processed foods; buy the most nutritious foods available to you; cook from scratch. Nutritious meals are the key to vibrant health and longevity. Sponsored by Good Magazine.