Real vs Fake Food: Peaches

In Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food, Pollan believes that we can improve our health by eating “real” foods, such as fruits and vegetables. He claims that many of the things that we eat today are “fake” foods, which consist of anything that is highly processed. When I was a kid, my mom would bring home a bag of peaches from the market at least once a week. Now that my mom does not take care of me anymore, I resort to getting my peach fix by buying them in canned form. The “fake” form of peaches actually taste sweeter than the normal peaches from the market. They also have a more slimy texture, as opposed to the fuzzy skin of the normal peach. In addition, canned peaches smell the same as the normal peach. The major difference between the two is that the canned peaches have less nutrients and essential vitamins than a fresh peach. With the addition of preservatives and other sugars, canned peaches have less nutritional value and are not nearly as healthy as people believe. However, I will admit that canned peaches are more consistently sweet than normal peaches because of the corn syrup and other added sugars. Also, I eat canned peaches more often for several reasons. First, canned peaches are more available than fresh whole peaches. Second, canned peaches are always sweet, whereas normal peaches aren’t always in season. Third, canned peaches are much cheaper than normal peaches. I will switch back to normal peaches when I have the time and money to grocery shop. I still would rather prefer a sweet market peach than canned peaches because they have more nutrients. Canned fruit in general definitely lacks nutritional value, as seen on this website. This website describes the benefits various fresh fruits and vegetables as opposed to their canned form.