Michael Pollen warns us in his book that processed foods, which are major element of the Western diet, can be very unhealthy to our bodies. I have been guilty of eating many foods in their processed forms without even giving it a second thought. One of the foods that I used to eat in its natural form more in the past, and when I am away from school, is pear. When I want a pear now I usually end up eating it from a can, in its processed form.
Pears in a can, while still tasty, are simply not as good as eating a fresh pear. Usually they are cut up, skin pealed off, and floating around in sugary syrup. I know when eating pear out of a can that I am not getting all of the nutrients that I would be getting from a natural pear. I am also getting added sugar that I would not be getting with the whole fruit version. The article “Benefits of pears” explains the health benefits of pears and why they are good for you. This helps to reassure me that I should be avoiding processed pears as much as possible to guarantee that I am getting all of these health benefits without the added sugar.
The reason why I eat processed, canned pears more often now is because being in college limits my access to fresh fruit. It has become more convenient for me to go out and buy a few cans of pears when I want them. I think I will return to eating the fresh kind a lot more in the future, especially in the summer when I am home. When I am older I also hope to be able to eat pears in the real version as much as possible. Pears are after all one of my favorite fruits.
*Photo taken from cookingwithkimberly.com
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