As the Year Ends, Emphasizing the Importance of Food Quality

The Sustainable Food Bulletin is a space for reflection and production of knowledge about food systems. During this festive period, when eating is part of a ritual that we share with family and friends, one of our concerns is the quantity and especially the quality of what we eat. Check out this selection of healthy tips that can accompany you not only during the holidays but also throughout the new year, which will begin soon. Oh, and Happy Holidays to you who follow us in our programming on Rádio USP and Jornal da USP.

Does a healthy diet depend only on food?

You are what you eat. This phrase is often used and may seem outdated, but it is much more important than you might think. Culture, individual and regional characteristics are fundamental to building a healthy and sustainable eating pattern.

“In general, these standards are based on natural and minimally processed foods, that is, those closest to what we find in nature and what we usually call ‘real food’. This is the case of fruits, vegetables, greens, rice and beans and other cereals and legumes, in addition to eggs and unprocessed meats”, says researcher Nadine Marques from the Josué de Castro Chair in Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems at the Faculty of Public Health (FSP) from USP.

She also adds that little processed foods can be present, such as cheese and bread, in moderate quantities. However, ultra-processed foods should be avoided.

Meat consumption and its consequences

Around the world, it is possible to observe an increase in the number of people who avoid eating meat or who adhere to vegan or vegetarian eating patterns.

The discussion about whether eating meat can actually be harmful is very present in the lifestyle with less environmental and economic impact. Eating meat, in itself, is not harmful, as meat is a nutritionally rich food and has many important nutrients for our health. The problem is the consumption of excessive meat, especially red and processed meat.

A high intake of these foods can increase the risk of some diseases such as heart disease, some types of cancer, diabetes and obesity, which are also the diseases that kill the most in Brazil and around the world.

In this bulletin, we spoke with Aline Martins de Carvalho, professor and researcher at the Faculty of Public Health at USP, to address the new trend of reducing meat consumption.

How to avoid ultra-processed foods that seem healthy?

Have you ever stopped to think that you might be eating an ultra-processed food, thinking that it is a healthy option? Research reveals that, increasingly, Brazilians are consuming ultra-processed foods. This is very common, even more so with a busy routine full of commitments.

But there are those who, even without time to prepare a meal, opt for ready-made foods that look – or say they are – healthy, with the intention of avoiding those that are harmful. A good example are the foods that make up breakfast, such as cereal bars, flavored and sweetened functional yogurts, turkey breast, cream cheese, wholemeal or white bread, among others. However, they are not limited to just this meal.

Camila Borges, from the Center for Epidemiological Research in Nutrition and Health at the Faculty of Public Health at USP, explains how to avoid ultra-processed foods that seem healthy, but are not.