First and foremost, to differentiate, what is the opposite of processed food?
A non-processed food is any type of food found in its natural state that has not been altered. Fresh fruits and vegetables are perfect examples of non-processed foods. Some foods are processed more than others. Typically, the longer the ingredient list is and the more unfamiliar the ingredients are, the more processing was involved to make the food. Non-processed foods are typically healthier options, but you need to take precautions to prevent food-related illnesses.
Processed foods have a bad reputation. The term often brings to mind things like chemicals, additives, and strange cooking methods, saturated fat and excess sugar or sodium. For this reason, processed foods often are pointed to as playing a significant role in public health problems such as obesity, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes.
There is some truth to this, but only in the case of certain types of processed foods. Because while "processed" may have become synonymous with unhealthy, in truth the term simply means "any deliberate change in a food that occurs before it's available to eat," according to the International Food Information Council Foundation—which means that simply coring and slicing an apple could be considered processing it. Processed foods aren't just microwave meals and other ready meals. A processed food is any food that has been altered in some way during preparation.
Food processing can be as basic as freezing, canning, baking and drying. It is the transformation of cooked ingredients, by physical or chemical means into food, or of food into other forms. Food processing combines raw food ingredients to produce marketable food products that can be easily prepared and served by the consumer.
(Still, the word "processed" often causes some confusion, so let's clarify further. Obviously, most foods we eat are processed in some way. Apples are cut from trees, ground beef has been ground in a machine and butter is cream that has been separated from the milk and churned. But there is a difference between mechanical processing and chemical processing. If it's a single ingredient food with no added chemicals, then it doesn't matter if it's been ground or put into a jar. It's still real food. However, foods that have been chemically processed and made solely from refined ingredients and artificial substances, are what is generally known as processed food. Ingredients such as salt, sugar and fat are sometimes added to processed foods to make their flavour more appealing and to extend their shelf life, or in some cases to contribute to the food's structure, such as salt in bread or sugar in cakes.)
That being said, the methods most commonly associated with processing foods include more elaborate preparations. Some are perfectly OK and may actually render foods safer and healthier to eat as well as easier to cook with and store. Some foods need processing to make them safe, such as milk, which needs to be pasteurised to remove harmful bacteria. Other foods need processing to make them suitable for use, such as pressing seeds to make oil. Meanwhile, there are plenty of processed foods made from refined ingredients (meaning they've been stripped of nutrients) and artificial substances that truly aren't good for you.
The best way to tell the difference between a healthy refined food and one that's not so healthy is by doing a little nutritional sleuthing (as in label reading). Read on to learn more.
Processed Foods Defined
It's useful to view processed foods as being on a spectrum of "minimally to heavily processed," as the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics does here:
Minimally processed foods are ones that have been pre-prepped for convenience. Think washed and bagged salad greens, peeled and sliced fruits, roasted nuts, and hard-boiled eggs.
Foods that have been processed while at their peak in terms of ripeness, flavor, and nutrition. Examples include canned tomatoes, canned tuna and salmon, and frozen fruits and vegetables.
Foods with ingredients added for flavor and texture, such as sweeteners, spices, oils, colours, and preservatives. These are foods such as jarred pasta sauce, bottled salad dressing, yogurt, and cake mixes.
Ready-to-eat foods. Some examples of these more heavily processed foods are crackers, potato chips and similar snacks, granola, and deli meat.
Heavily processed foods. These often are pre-made meals like frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners. This category also includes man-made concoctions such as soda, donuts, cookies and other baked goods, and candy. Heavily processed foods often contain artificial ingredients such as preservatives, colourants, fake flavourings, and chemicals designed to give them a particular texture.
Beneficial Processed Foods
Certain foods benefit from processing. Some examples include:
Milk that's been pasteurised to kill bacteria and homogenised to keep fats from separating.
Fortified grain products such as bread and breakfast cereal have extra nutrients. Watch out for added sugar and sodium, though. It's important to read the Nutrition Facts label on any processed-food package
Orange juice with added calcium is nutritionally superior to fresh-squeezed. (Flavour is another matter, depending on your personal preference.)
Frozen and canned fruits and vegetables. Because it's processed as soon as it's harvested, frozen or canned produce tends to retain more vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and other nutrients than fresh produce that sits around in the produce department of a grocery store for days on end. Be aware that the addition of sugar (including high-fructose corn syrup), salt, syrup, or sauce to frozen or canned vegetables or fruits will negate their nutritional value.
Dried fruits. Ounce for ounce, they have more fibre (important for fighting heart disease obesity and certain types of cancer) and phenols (a type of antioxidant) than fresh fruit, according to Harvard Health. As with other processed foods, keep an eye out for added sugars.
Processed Foods to Avoid
Steer clear of processed foods that contain ingredients like trans fats, large amounts of sodium and sugar, and chemicals with unpronounceable names. They tend to be low in vitamins and minerals and can lead to weight gain.
Canned foods including canned vegetables with significant amounts of sodium or fat
Pasta meals made with refined white flour instead of whole grains, some breads
Packaged high-calorie snack foods such as crisps, candies, gum
Frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners that are high in sodium
Packaged cakes and cookies, sweet desserts, sausage rolls, pies and pasties
Boxed meal mixes that are high in fat and sodium, microwave meals, ready meals, fried fast food
Sugary breakfast cereals
Processed meat such as bacon, sausage, ham, salami and paté
Sugary carbonated beverages (soft drinks)
Indulging in these foods once in a while shouldn't harm you, but if you make a steady diet of them there's a very good chance it will have an impact on your overall health. Sticking with whole, fresh, and minimally processed foods is an easy way to get the most nutritional bang for your buck.
Now, what about the term "junk food"?
It's the 21st century and "junk food" has gone global. For better or for worse (mostly worse), junk food is now available all over the world. We see it most everywhere we go -- in grocery and convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, on television -- usually looking very appealing. But just what are the facts about junk food?
"Junk food" generally refers to foods that contribute lots of calories but little nutritional value. Of course, what's considered "junk food" depends on whom you ask. Some might say pizza is junk food, for example. But some personally don't think so, since it contributes real food with nutrients, like cheese and tomato sauce. Add whole-wheat or part whole-wheat crust, plus veggies as a topping, and some would say pizza completely exits the junk food category.
One problem with junk foods is that they're low in satiation value -- that is, people don't tend to feel as full when they eat them -- which can lead to overeating. Another problem is that junk food tends to replace other, more nutritious foods. When people drink lots of soda, for example, they are usually not getting plenty of low-fat dairy or other healthful beverages like green tea or orange juice. When they're snacking on chips and cookies, they're usually not loading up on fruits and vegetables.
Buying processed foods can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts of sugar, salt and fat as they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating. These foods can also be higher in calories due to the high amounts of added sugar or fat in them. Find out more about calories.
Most "junk food" falls into the categories of either "snack food" or "fast food." And then there are things like breakfast cereals. They seem innocent enough, but some of them could definitely be considered "junk food," as they mostly contain sugar or high-fructose corn syrup and white flour or milled corn.
OK, back to processed foods.......
Why are processed foods bad for your health? Here are 9 reasons.
1. High in sugar and high-fructose corn syrup
Processed foods are usually loaded with added sugar... or its evil twin, High Fructose Corn Syrup. It is well known that sugar, when consumed in excess, is seriously harmful. As we all know, sugar is "empty" calories - it has no essential nutrients, but a large amount of energy. But empty calories are really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the harmful effects of sugar... Many studies show that sugar can have devastating effects on metabolism that go way beyond its calorie content. It can lead to insulin resistance, high triglycerides, increased levels of the harmful cholesterol and increased fat accumulation in the liver and abdominal cavity. Not surprisingly, sugar consumption is strongly associated with some of the world's leading killers... including heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer. Most people aren't putting massive amounts of sugar in their coffee or on top of their cereal, they're getting it from processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages.
Bottom Line: Processed foods and beverages are the biggest sources of added sugar (and HFCS) in the diet. Sugar is very unhealthy and can have serious adverse effects on metabolism when consumed in excess.
2. Engineered for over consumption
We all want to eat good food. That's just human nature. Evolution provided us with taste buds that are supposed to help us navigate the natural food environment. Our appetite gravitates towards foods that are sweet, salty and fatty, because we know such foods contain energy and nutrients that we need for survival. Obviously, if a food manufacturer wants to succeed and get people to buy their product, it has to taste good. But today, the competition is fierce. There are many different food manufacturers, all competing with each other. For this reason, massive resources are spent on making foods as desirable as possible.
Many processed foods have been engineered to be so incredibly "rewarding" to the brain, that they overpower anything we might have come across in nature. We have complicated mechanisms in our bodies and brains that are supposed to regulate energy balance (how much we eat and how much we burn) which, until very recently in evolutionary history, worked to keep us at a healthy weight. There is quite a lot of evidence that the reward value of foods can bypass the innate defence mechanism and make us start eating much more than we need, so much that it starts to compromise our health.
This is also known as the "food reward hypothesis of obesity." The truth is, processed foods are so incredibly rewarding to our brains that they affect our thoughts and behaviour, making us eat more and more until eventually we become sick. Good food is good, but foods that are engineered to be hyper rewarding, effectively short circuiting our innate brakes against over consumption, are NOT good.
Bottom Line: Food manufacturers spend massive amounts of resources on making their foods as "rewarding" as possible to the brain, which leads to over consumption.
3. Contain artificial ingredients
If you look at the ingredients label for a processed, packaged food, chances are that you won't have a clue what some of the ingredients are. That's because many of the ingredients in there aren't actual food... they are artificial chemicals that are added for various purposes. This is an example of a processed food, an Atkins Advantage bar, which is actually marketed as a low-carb friendly health food.
Highly processed foods often contain:
Preservatives: Chemicals that prevent the food from rotting.
Colourants: Chemicals that are used to give the food a specific colour.
Flavuor: Chemicals that give the food a particular flavor.
Texturants: Chemicals that give a particular texture.
Keep in mind that processed foods can contain dozens of additional chemicals that aren't even listed on the label. For example, "artificial flavor" is a proprietary blend. Manufacturers don't have to disclose exactly what it means and it is usually a combination of chemicals. For this reason, if you see "artificial flavor" on an ingredients list, it could mean that there are 10 or more additional chemicals that are blended in to give a specific flavor. Of course, most of these chemicals have allegedly been tested for safety. But given that the regulatory authorities still think that sugar and vegetable oils are safe, I personally take their "stamp of approval" with a grain of salt.
Bottom Line: Most highly processed foods are loaded with artificial chemicals, including flavorants, texturants, colourants and preservatives.
4. People can become addicted to junk food
The "hyper-rewarding" nature of processed foods can have serious consequences for some people. Some people can literally become addicted to this stuff and completely lose control over their consumption. Although food addiction is something that most people don't know about, it is a huge problem in society today. It is the main reason why some people just can't stop eating these foods, no matter how hard they try. They've had their brain biochemistry hijacked by the intense dopamine release that occurs in the brain when they eat these foods.
This is actually supported by many studies. Sugar and highly rewarding junk foods activate the same areas in the brain as drugs of abuse like cocaine.
Bottom Line: For many people, junk foods can hijack the biochemistry of the brain, leading to downright addiction and cause them to lose control over their consumption.
5. Often high in refined carbohydratesThere is a lot of controversy regarding carbohydrates in the diet. Some people think that the majority of our energy intake should be from carbs, while others think they should be avoided like the plague.
But one thing that almost everyone agrees on, is that carbohydrates from whole foods are much better than refined carbohydrates. Processed foods are often high in carbs, but it is usually the refined variety. One of the main problems is that refined, "simple" carbohydrates are quickly broken down in the digestive tract, leading to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels.
This can lead to carb cravings a few hours later when blood sugar levels go down again. This phenomenon is also called the "blood sugar roller coaster," which many people who have been on a high-carb diet can relate to. Not surprisingly, eating a lot of refined carbohydrates is associated with negative health effects and many chronic diseases. Do NOT be fooled by labels like "whole grains" that are often plastered on processed food packages, including breakfast cereals. These are usually whole grains that have been pulverised into very fine flour and are just as harmful as their refined counterparts. If you're going to eat carbs, get them from whole, single ingredient foods, not processed junk foods.
Bottom Line: The carbohydrates you find in processed foods are usually refined, "simple" carbohydrates. These lead to rapid spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels and cause negative health effects.
6. Low in nutrients
Processed foods are extremely low in essential nutrients compared to whole, unprocessed foods. In some cases, synthetic vitamins and minerals are added to the foods to compensate for what was lost during processing. However, synthetic nutrients are NOT a good replacement for the nutrients found in whole foods. Also, let's not forget that real foods contain much more than just the standard vitamins and minerals that we're all familiar with. Real foods... like plants and animals, contain thousands of other trace nutrients that science is just beginning to grasp. Maybe one day we will invent a chemical blend that can replace all these nutrients, but until that happens... the only way to get them in your diet is to eat whole, unprocessed foods.The more you eat of processed foods, the less you will get of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and various trace nutrients.
Bottom Line: There are many nutrients found in whole foods that are not found in processed foods. The more processed foods you eat, the less you will get of these nutrients.
7. Low in fibre
Fibre, especially soluble, fermentable fibre, has various benefits. Processed foods may have less fibre than unprocessed fruits, oats, and bran. One of the main ones is that it functions as a prebiotic, feeding the friendly bacteria in the intestine. There is also evidence that fibre can slow down the absorption of carbohydrates and help us feel more satisfied with fewer calories. Soluble fibre can also help treat many cases of constipation, which is a very common problem today. The fibre that is found naturally in foods is often lost during processing, or intentionally removed. Therefore, most processed foods are very low in fibre.
Bottom Line: Soluble, fermentable fibre has various important health benefits, but most processed foods are very low in fibre because it is lost or intentionally removed during processing.
8. Require less time and energy to digestFood manufacturers want their processed food products to have a long shelf life. They also want each batch of the product to have a similar consistency and they want their foods to be easily consumed. Given the way foods are processed, they are often very easy to chew and swallow. Sometimes, it's almost as if they melt in your mouth. Most of the fibre has been taken out and the ingredients are refined, isolated nutrients that don't resemble the whole foods they came from. One consequence of this is that it takes less energy to eat and digest processed foods. We can eat more of them in a shorter amount of time (more calories in) and we also burn less energy (fewer calories out) digesting them than we would if they were unprocessed, whole foods.
One study in 17 healthy men and women compared the difference in energy expenditure after consuming a processed vs a whole foods-based meal. They ate a sandwich, either with multi-grain bread and cheddar cheese (whole foods) or with white bread and processed cheese (processed foods). It turned out that they burned twice as many calories digesting the unprocessed meal. The Thermic Effect of Food (TEF) is a measure of how much different foods stimulate energy expenditure after eating. It totals about 10% of total energy expenditure (metabolic rate) in the average person. According to this study, people who eat processed food will cut their TEF in half, effectively reducing the amount of calories they burn throughout the day.
Bottom Line: We only burn half as many calories digesting and metabolising processed foods compared to whole foods.
9. Often high in trans fats
Processed foods are often high in unhealthy fats. They usually contain cheap fats, refined seed- and vegetable oils (like soybean oil) that are often hydrogenated... which turns them into trans fats. Vegetable oils are extremely unhealthy and most people are eating way too much of them already. These fats contain excessive amounts of Omega-6 fatty acids, which can drive oxidation and inflammation in the body.
Several studies show that when people eat more of these oils, they have a significantly increased risk of heart disease, which is the most common cause of death in Western countries today. If the fats are hydrogenated, that makes them even worse. Hydrogenated (trans) fats are among the nastiest, unhealthiest substances you can put into your body. The best way to avoid seed oils and trans fats is to avoid processed foods. Eat real fats like coconut oil and olive oil instead.
When we replace real foods like fish, meat, fruit and vegetables with processed junk foods, we increase our risk of illness and poor health. Real food is the key to good health, processed food is not. Period.
What is "clean eating"?
“Clean eating” is hot, with the term being at an all-time high on Google search. While clean eating doesn’t refer to the cleanliness of food from a safety standpoint, it points to nourishment in its most whole, natural state, free of added unpleasantries. It’s a lifestyle, not a short-term diet, and one that I’ve been following for years. To help you on the path to your healthiest and happiest body yet, follow these simple clean eating dos and don’ts.
Do: Choose foods in their purest state, such as an orange.
Don’t: Select foods manipulated and processed beyond recognition, like diet orange juice drink.
The less processed foods are, the more naturally occurring vital nutrients and the fewer harmful ingredients they contain. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient on the label, you probably shouldn’t eat the food. Instead of components that sound like things from lab experiments, opt for foods with ingredients you find in home kitchens.
Do: Enjoy foods at their peak season.
Don’t: Purchase foods that travelled from far away countries—think strawberries in December.
Most foods taste better and contain higher amounts of nutrients when they are eaten during peak season and haven’t been sitting in warehouses for months. The better foods taste naturally, the less you have to manipulate them with added sugar, fat, and salt, which means fewer calories and less bloat. Start by reading signs next to produce and labels on the backs of packages. Ideally choose foods from your country rather than the other side of the world. Even better, choose foods from within your region.
Do: Enjoy a colourful array of foods.
Don’t: Limit yourself to your comfort zone.
Dark green, blue, red, yellow, orange, purple, and even white vegetables deliver a range of phytochemicals for fighting inflammation and stopping invaders dead in their tracks to keep you healthy. The better you feel and more energy you have, the more you can commit to butt-kicking workouts. Bonus: The better you nourish your skin, the more glowing and elastic (read: fewer wrinkles) it will be.
Do: Be a mean, clean, shopping machine.
Don’t: Assume that you don’t have enough time to cook.
In the time that you would call in your takeout order, drive in traffic, wait in line, and drive back, you could have prepared a fresh meal, provided that you had the needed supplies standing by. I use weekly, monthly, and quarterly shopping lists, breaking buying groceries down into manageable pieces to provide healthy meals. Keep a piece of paper stuck to the fridge where you can jot down things you need from the store so your list is ready when you are. A thought-out grocery list will produce nutritious meals and snacks so you don’t have to resort to go to the stall, drive-through, vending machine, or other fast-food outlets..
Do: Enjoy every bite.
Don’t: Feel guilty.
Food not only nourishes and fuels our bodies and minds, it also provides entertainment, invites togetherness, and rejuvenates the soul. Food should taste good first and then be good for us also. A variety of flavors, including salty, sweet, sour, pungent, and bitter, paired with different textures makes for the most satisfying meals. We should feel free to savour flavorful foods until satisfied, rather than eat around cravings and long for something else minutes later. As often as possible, enjoy food seated at the table.
