What’s for dinner tonight? While your ancient ancestors may have been stuck with gnawing on nuts and berries, and whatever meat they could catch, today’s menu options are quick, easy and bursting with energy – and also don’t run away. You eat meals that people centuries ago wouldn’t have even been able to imagine: crunchy crisps, doughnuts covered in sprinkles, juicy meat patties in soft burger buns, pizzas loaded with toppings, and dinosaurs made of turkey. So, how were these new foods first invented? What are they made of? What do they do to our bodies and brains? And why do they taste so yummy? Let’s tuck in and find out!
Food, glorious food
Most foods that people eat today are processed. All this really means is that the ingredients have been altered from their original form. Some foods can be cooked and eaten in the same form they are found in, such as eggs, fruit and vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, fresh fish, fresh meat and milk. These are called wholefoods. Everything else is modified. It’s not so unusual when you think about it – in fact the ability to turn natural ingredients into tasty, energy-rich foods is a skill that is unique to humans. Chips, pastries, ready meals, soft drinks, vegetarian sausages and tofu are all processed, but so are biscuits, bread, cheese, breakfast cereal and yoghurt.
This story is from the Issue 65 edition of The Week Junior Science+Nature UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the Issue 65 edition of The Week Junior Science+Nature UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
SUGAR RUSH
Join the candy craze as Claire Karwowski studies the sugary science of sweets.
Wildlife watch
Stevie Derrick shows you what to spot in nature this month
The Sixth Sense
Could humans have more than five senses?
Catherine Heymans
Meet the starry-eyed astronomer who loves backyard stargazing.
WORLD OF WHIFFS
Stevie Derrick follows her nose to track down the world's grossest stinks and nastiest niffs.
Dogs can understand names of objects
Humans enjoy talking to their dogs. If you have a four-legged friend of your own, you might have taught them to respond to commands like \"sit\" and \"stay\".
Smoke rings in the sky
In April, videos were filmed of Mount Etna, a volcano on the Italian island of Sicily, puffing what looked like smoke rings into the sky.
Huge gold nugget found
A gold nugget that could be the largest ever found in England was recently put up for auction. Metal detectorist Richard Brock discovered the nugget on farmland during an organised expedition in Shropshire last year.
Evolutionary tree shows birds in a new light
Researchers have produced the most detailed evolutionary tree of birds ever.
The largest plane to ever fly
Take a first look at the mighty Radia WindRunner aircraft