Should you be afraid of processed foods?
There is so much chatter about avoid ultra-processed foods and eating 'clean' lately. I feel like ultra-processed foods get an unfair reputation.
To be honest, the majority of foods we eat are processed. The health gurus who tell you to avoid them, don’t tell you the whole story.
The 4 types of food processing:
Processed food just means that the food has been altered in
some way when it was being prepared. This could be anything freezing, drying, preserving,
fortifying, or heating. So technically, any time you cook a meal or bake
something, you’re processing the food.
It doesn't help that there's lots of different ways to classify processed foods so it can be confusing. But the one I find the most useful is the NOVA system.
There are 4 categories in the NOVA system food processing, depending on how much alteration has occurred.
- Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: these foods have been slightly changed in order to ensure they’re edible. This could be things like washing, cleaning, or removing inedible parts. Foods like fruit, vegetables, meat, grains, and nuts fall into this category.
- Processed culinary ingredients: these foods are also minimally processed and typically undergo milling, grinding, or refining. They are not eaten on their own but are used in cooking. Foods like flour, vegetable oils, and salt are processed culinary ingredients.
- Processed foods: these are foods from the previous 2 categories that have other ingredients added. They typically contain a few ingredients and come ready to eat. Things like fresh bread, fresh cheese, and canned fruit and veg are all examples.
- Ultra-processed foods: these foods are one above from processed foods. They often have sugar, salt, or fat added, along with artificial colours, flavours, or preservatives. They undergo multiple stages of processing and tend to be shelf stable. Another way to think of it is that the ingredients that are used wouldn't be found in a home kitchen. Foods like cakes, breakfast cereals, and biscuits fall into this category.
However, the same food could be also in 2 categories, depending on how it's made.
I'll use yoghurt as an example. A plain natural yoghurt with no added sugar would be minimally processed. But a
flavoured yoghurt with added sugar/sweetener and other additives becomes
ultra-processed.
As you can see, there are levels to food processing. But it’s
not all bad.
Food processing can make food more nutritious and last longer:
It might surprise you, but food processing is also really useful.
Food fortification:
Fortifying food means adding nutrients to it. This is a type
of food processing. An example of this is bread. In the UK, wheat flour has to
be fortified with calcium, iron, vitamin B1 (thiamine) and, vitamin B3 (niacin). This
is a significant source of nutrients for the population. For instance, flour accounts
for 35% of the population’s calcium intake.
Another example is non-dairy milks. These are often
fortified with calcium, iodine, vitamin B12 and vitamin D. Again, this is a
great way to get nutrients in, particularly if you follow a vegetarian or vegan
diet.
Preserving:
Food preservation is another crucial form of food processing. Preservation stops the growth of harmful microbes and keeps food safe to eat for longer. Fruit and vegetables are processed and preserved by freezing, drying or canning.
This also saves money as there's less waste. If you get fresh vegetables and don't use them in time they'll go bad and have to be thrown away. But with frozen vegetables, they'll keep in the freezer for months.
Food processing can save time too:
Convenience:
When you picture a convenience processed food you might think oven chips and frozen chicken nuggets. But there are lots of other processed foods that can be used to save time in our busy lives. Foods like microwave rice and grain pouches, tinned tuna, and peanut butter are all processed. And they're all quick to turn into a meal if you have a few other ingredients.
It's not always practical to spend time every day cooking everything from scratch. So a processed food can free up time for other things you have to do, and there's nothing wrong with this.
What about ultra-processed foods?
Ultra-processed or ‘junk’ foods have the highest level of
processing. These are the foods that health gurus are talking about when tell
you to avoid all processed foods. Foods like pastries, crisps, and chicken
nuggets are ultra-processed.
A diet high in ultra-processed foods can contribute to weight
gain and obesity as these foods tend to be higher in calories, fat, and sugar. They are also linked to an increased risk of heart disease and stroke. If
you eat a lot of ultra-processed foods, it can be helpful to try and reduce this by swapping to something else.
You can aim to eat ultra-processed foods in moderation, but other processed foods don’t have to be avoided.
As you can see, there is more to processed foods than simply avoiding them like the plague. A lot of the foods you eat are processed, so blanket statements don’t work. Processed foods can save time, save money, and add extra nutrition to your life.
I hope this post has given you the facts to make informed
choices about your food.
Key points:
- There are different types of processed foods from minimally processed to ultra-processed.
- You don't have to avoid all processed foods.
- Food processing is really useful to make food more nutritious and to make it last longer.
- Eating lots of ultra-processed foods can contribute to obesity and heart disease. Eating these in moderation would reduce the risks.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post! I’d love to hear your
thoughts in the comments below.
Bye for now! 👋
References:
https://ecuphysicians.ecu.edu/wp-content/pv-uploads/sites/78/2021/07/NOVA-Classification-Reference-Sheet.pdf
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/what-are-processed-foods/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/articles/what_is_ultra-processed_food
https://www.ukflourmillers.org/nutritionalcontributionofflour
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7946062/
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