What is processed food?
Any food that has been converted in some way from its real existing state is “processed food”: The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Processed food is usually prepared by mixing in many ingredients. In order to preserve and to change the real food to processed food a sequence of mechanical and chemical operations are undertaken ( SIDNEY FRY, 2015). Food like jarred pasta sauces (with added preservatives and spices) sweets, frozen prepared foods, packaged snack foods, sugary drinks, bagged spinach, packaged meats along with frozen microwave dinners fall into this category ( Johannah Sakimura, 2017).
On one hand, most of the processed foods are relatively less nutritious and hold low nutritional value and is usually not healthy for your body. Mostly processed foods have large amounts of sodium, sugar and fat which is not beneficial for the human body ( Shereen Lehman, 2018a). However, practically today it has become hard to completely eradicate processed foods from our daily life.
On the other hand some processed foods like Greek yogurt, organic stock, precooked whole grains, frozen fruits and vegetables, tofu, etc. can be very nutritious for you ( SIDNEY FRY, 2015).
Some examples of processed foods are store bought Mayonnaise, microwaveable meals, savory snacks, sodas, candies, noodles and the list can go on and on.
Will processed foods kill you?
Food processing is not a new technique to preserve food as it has been in use for centuries. It helps to preserve nutrients that would otherwise be lost during storage. The foods we eat every day as breakfast, lunch, dinner and supper undergo some process although we eat at home or a restaurant. Some food is considered unhealthy or unsafe to eat without being processed example raw meat, raw cereal, raw or unpasteurized milk, etc. Raw or undercooked meat drives the risk of being infected with salmonella ( Bruso, 2018). Food processing may sometimes improve the nutrition and digestibility of the food. For example, raw beans are not consumable however on boiling or cooking them it makes them consumable and easily digestible. Similarly, boiling vegetables destroys the vitamins C that it contains, however boiling carrots may also break down the plant cell walls which helps to release beneficial compounds like beta-carotene which would otherwise be less available when eaten raw ( Henry and Chapman, 2002, MacEvilly and Peltola, 2003).
Tip: Boiling carrots helps release beta-carotene which would otherwise be less available when eaten raw.Food is processed so that it could be safe, more tasty, edible or storable. In large-scale food manufacturing, food is processed through scientific and technological principles to make it storable and last longer during shipping times to storage warehouses and then finally sitting on shelves in the supermarket stores. For food to stay healthy for human consumption many preservatives are added so they can survive for months and years in supermarket shelves before it is finally consumed by the end consumer.
For unprocessed food, we must depend on the climate for its availability and may not meet the need and demand of population while food processing helps to endure the need of the growing population. It greatly facilitates the provision of safe food to populations around the globe ( Henry and Chapman, 2002).
Processed food isn’t bad because of the way it is processed in fact it’s the ingredients which makes consumption of such foods harmful to our bodies in the long run. The quality and nutrition of processed foods rely on those chemical ingredients ( Shereen Lehman, 2018a). Therefore, you can take advantage of processed foods simply by avoiding the foods that have low nutritional value and foods that have high sugar, sodium, fat and calories ( Shereen Lehman, 2018a) and ingredients that you don’t understand.
Processed foods like milk, oats, yogurt, frozen fruits and vegetables, vegetable juice, frozen fish, etc. are nutritious and healthy. However, you should always check the ingredient list to make sure that it is free of any preservatives, additives and sugars. Be sure to check the date of expiry of the product as well. Be careful when buying yogurt as they are sold with added sugars to improve its taste but the best yogurt you can have is one which is made of milk that is organic and free of any added sugars. It may not taste the best, but you can always add blueberries, oats and honey to make a guilt free breakfast that is delicious and nutritious.
Tip: You should avoid processed foods which have low nutritional value and are sitting on shelves for months with preservatives and ingredients you have never heard of.To kill bacteria and to separate the fat from milk, it is pasteurized, and pasteurization makes milk processed food. Fat-free or low-fat milk is good for those who are looking to cut down on caloric intake.
Frozen fruits and vegetables with no added sauce, sugar, etc. are one of best-processed foods as freezing conserves most vitamins and minerals, therefore, we can store it and consume these fruits and vegetables all year round ( Shereen Lehman, 2018a). Also, frozen fruits and vegetables are immediately frozen when they are ripe and seal the most nutritional value when frozen.
Adding oats in our morning diet along with fruits, protein, carbohydrate and dairy product (milk, yogurt, etc.) makes our breakfast more nutritious and healthier. However, you must make sure that the oats you are picking from the grocery store is natural and not processed with any added additives.
Shredded wheat, puffed wheat, bran cereals and oat cereals are high fiber cereals. We can take advantage of high fiber from these cereals. Avoid the cereal with more sugar as it contains relatively less fiber. While minimum recommended fiber per serving is 3grams, sugary cereals typically have only about 1 gram fiber per serving. So, select a breakfast cereal which meets the minimum fiber requirements ( Shereen Lehman, 2018b).
Drawbacks of Processed Foods
HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
High fructose corn syrup is a sweetener made from corn starch. With table sugar being expensive because of import tariffs HFCS has become a cheaper alternative to sucrose(table sugar) for the food industry. Sugar is similar to HFCS and both sweeteners contain the same amount of calories. To stay healthy cut down on all forms of sweeteners from your diet.
HIGH SODIUM & SUGARS
In processed foods sodium is added to prevent spoilage, enhance flavor and improve the texture of the foods. The high amount of sodium intake may increase the risk of a heart disease. Processed foods with added sugar can also increase the risk of heart disease, obesity, cavities and type 2 diabetes.
TRANS-FATS
Some commercially processed food such as margarine, desserts, frozen pizza, baked items, coffee creamers, etc. sometimes contain trans-fats which are the unhealthiest forms of fat that increase the risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, and stroke.
CHEMICALS & PRESERVATIVES
Although the preservatives and other food additives used in many processed foods are generally recognized as safe, a few may cause problems for some individuals, including sulfites, artificial sweeteners, artificial colors and flavors, sodium nitrate, BHA and BHT, olestra, caffeine and monosodium glutamate.
FAT STORAGE
Our body requires less energy to digest the processed food which may assist to retain more of the calories they contain (Food & Nutrition Research 2010). Storage of more calories induces to weight gain and many illnesses like hypertension, diabetes mellitus, coronary heart disease and also increase the risk of death due to excess fat ( Kawachi, 1999).
Conclusion
Processed food has both advantages and disadvantages. Processed foods are less nutritious and less healthy than whole foods. Processed foods may be less healthy but not life-threatening unless eaten on a daily basis. An occasional snack or two is usually fine but the majority of your diet should consist of nutritious whole foods that the nature has given to all of us.
References:
BRUSO, J. 2018. What Are the Consequences of Eating Rare Meat?
HENRY, C. & CHAPMAN, C. 2002. The nutrition handbook for food processors, Elsevier.
JOHANNAH SAKIMURA, R. 2017. What Are Processed Foods and Which You Should Be Eating.
KAWACHI, I. 1999. Physical and psychological consequences of weight gain. The Journal of clinical psychiatry.
MACEVILLY, C. & PELTOLA, K. 2003. The effect of agronomy, storage, processing and cooking on bioactive substances in food. Plants: Diet and Health: The Report of a British Nutrition Foundation Task Force , 226-239.
SHEREEN LEHMAN, M. 2018a. Are All Processed Foods Unhealthy?
SHEREEN LEHMAN, M. 2018b. How to Choose a Breakfast Cereal
Look for high fiber, whole grains, and less sugar.
SIDNEY FRY, M., RD 2015. What Is a “Processed” Food?
WEAVER, C. M., DWYER, J., FULGONI III, V. L., KING, J. C., LEVEILLE, G. A., MACDONALD, R. S., ORDOVAS, J. & SCHNAKENBERG, D. 2014. Processed foods: contributions to nutrition. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 99 , 1525-1542.
