The simple lunch a nutrition researcher feeds his kids every day includes carrots, popcorn, and some ultra-processed foods

""There are plenty of ultra-processed foods that are available to folks that are still reasonable in terms of their nutritional profile," he told Business Insider."

""The evidence on optimal nutrition has been clear and consistent over decades," Hall and Belluz write in the book. "It's boring by this point. Eat more vegetables - along with fiber, legumes, whole grains, and fruits.""

""For the vast majority of people, it's really the processed and refined carbohydrates that they should avoid," Hall said. (Think: Wonder Bread and doughnuts)."

Kevin Hall studied diet and metabolism for 21 years at the National Institutes of Health and found people consume about 500 extra calories per day on ultra-processed diets. He incorporates selected ultra-processed foods into his children's lunches while prioritizing balanced components: complex carbohydrates, healthy fats, protein, and some homemade popcorn. He maintains a set lunch routine to curb food waste and reduce daily decision-making, and he selects foods his children actually like so lunches vary by child. Core nutrition guidance emphasizes vegetables, fiber, legumes, whole grains, and fruits while avoiding processed, refined carbohydrates.

Read at Business Insider