What is "Processed Food"?

slkehl
slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
I studied nutrition science in college, and "processed food" wasn't a term I remember being used. I looked up the definition today, and here's what I found:

"Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients into food, or of food into other forms."

By that definition, processed food seems to include just about everything at the supermarket except for raw produce. Milk, flour, meats, orange juice, granola ect. This sounds like a stringent raw diet to me. However, I've seen many people on here saying that they've cut out processed foods, so I doubt that they're defining processed food in the same way. Is there a general connotation for this term, or is it something like "clean eating", where everyone has their own rules?
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Replies

  • Most people define 'processed' in their own way. Depends on what diet guru they're following.
  • I tend to view "processed" foods as things that are made with raw ingredients that I wouldn't have in my kitchen or be able to easily locate and buy.

    Or something like bread having like 10 ingredients. I don't make bread with HFCS, but much of the bread on the market has it.
  • zillah73
    zillah73 Posts: 505 Member
    Like the person above me, I view "processed" foods as those which contain ingredients I can't just pick up on my own (with the exception of yogurt and cottage cheese – obviously, I can't just swing by the store and pick up active live cultures. :laugh:) If the ingredient list reads like a recipe, I'm probably cool with it. That said, I still opt to do most of my own cooking to make things from scratch and control the ingredients. And I don't have a "diet guru." I just have common sense. :smile:
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Would you all eat this piece of food?


    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    I studied nutrition science in college, and "processed food" wasn't a term I remember being used. I looked up the definition today, and here's what I found:

    "Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients into food, or of food into other forms."

    By that definition, processed food seems to include just about everything at the supermarket except for raw produce. Milk, flour, meats, orange juice, granola ect. This sounds like a stringent raw diet to me. However, I've seen many people on here saying that they've cut out processed foods, so I doubt that they're defining processed food in the same way. Is there a general connotation for this term, or is it something like "clean eating", where everyone has their own rules?

    It's a buzzword that food alarmists use to scare you away from eating foods that you enjoy and are nutritious.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Would you all eat this piece of food?


    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine

    Sounds like a multivitamin+amino acid supplement of some kind?
  • Querian
    Querian Posts: 419 Member
    I don't eat a lot of processsed foods but I do eat things like bread, pasta, tortillas, yogurt sometimes. All of those things I do consider to be processed foods. Sometimes I do make my own bread, rarely do I make my own pasta but I've done it on occassion. I usually make my own salad dressings and stuff like that but today I used some prepared hoisin sauce and yesterday I used miracle whip and ketchup. Still, I eat a lot more unprocessed foods than I eat processed foods.

    Oh, and I drink wine, which is processsed too but so good I can't say no :wink:
  • RhineDHP
    RhineDHP Posts: 1,025 Member
    Would you all eat this piece of food?


    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine

    I see what you did there.

    On a side note, wow! Congrats on your weight loss! That's amazing!
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
    watch "Hungry For a Change". Great movie that will inform you of what processed food really is.

    It is a "food like" substance made to last a long time on the shelf and make the food companiews a huge profit.
  • keem88
    keem88 Posts: 1,689 Member
    unless you live in amish country, most things are processed. which isn't always a bad thing
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    watch "Hungry For a Change". Great movie that will inform you of what processed food really is.

    It is a "food like" substance made to last a long time on the shelf and make the food companiews a huge profit.

    If you think the goal of that film was to educate you in an unbiased manner, then you were totally and completely fooled.
  • Deipneus
    Deipneus Posts: 1,855 Member
    Would you all eat this piece of food?


    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine
    I can't tell by just the name. Even water sounds scary when you call it by its chemical name: Dihydrogen Monoxide. Some people may not remember the old joke someone started to get it banned. A lot of people signed up! http://www.lhup.edu/~dsimanek/dhmo.htm
  • PikaKnight
    PikaKnight Posts: 34,971 Member
    I like this topic. OP, thank you for bringing this up because every time I hear people going on about processed food, I always think: "So you eat only raw foods?"

    That would suck for me because I like cooking and baking lol
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    I like this topic. OP, thank you for bringing this up because every time I hear people going on about processed food, I always think: "So you eat only raw foods?"

    That would suck for me because I like cooking and baking lol

    Exactly. I had a friend post this on my Facebook wall today:
    "Avoid CRAP!
    C-carbonated drinks
    R-refined sugar
    A-artificial sweetener
    P-processed foods"

    And I was pretty sure she wasn't meaning a raw diet when she said processed foods, but I wasn't sure what she meant. From the responses here, it seems like it's not so much unprocessed foods, but foods that you could potentially make yourself, judging by the ingredients list.
  • Mom4Liz
    Mom4Liz Posts: 55
    I trained as a Chef and basically processing a food is changing a food from one form to another so technically slicing a tomato is processing it. Most people when they talk about processed foods are referring to foods with chemicals or additives.

    Both meanings are correct but I don't think anyone would consider the first example to be unhealthy.

    Clean eating usually refers to eating foods made from natural ingredients.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    watch "Hungry For a Change". Great movie that will inform you of what processed food really is.

    It is a "food like" substance made to last a long time on the shelf and make the food companiews a huge profit.

    That movie was just a huge commercial for juicing.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine


    ^ This is an apple.
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    Also, this is one of my favourite charts when it comes to talking about what people consider "processed foods"
    how-to-find-real-food-at-the-supermarket-graphic.jpg
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
    Also, this is one of my favourite charts when it comes to talking about what people consider "processed foods"
    how-to-find-real-food-at-the-supermarket-graphic.jpg

    ....... I can't tell if this is satire, or if someone was serious when they made it.
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    I think that it's one of those things where everyone's definition is different, and completely apart from the actual technical definition.

    I often use it for lack of a better term, and I don't find it to be "alarmist," just descriptive of foods that have non-nutritive additives or have had a lot of their nutrient value extracted. They're not "bad," but it does pose some difficulty getting all the nutrients you need in a calorie restricted diet if a large part of your calories are comprised of those foods.
  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
    Answer: Processed foods have been altered from their natural state, either for safety reasons or for convenience. The methods used include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing
  • misskerouac
    misskerouac Posts: 2,242 Member
    Also, this is one of my favourite charts when it comes to talking about what people consider "processed foods"

    ....... I can't tell if this is satire, or if someone was serious when they made it.

    I kinda take it as if someone took really simple common sense and made a chart with a bit of sarcasm. The dog food part always makes me giggle.
  • holothuroidea
    holothuroidea Posts: 772 Member
    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine


    ^ This is an apple.

    This isn't even close to the chemical composition of an apple. It's missing lipids, sugars, fibers, flavor compounds, water, and things we haven't even isolated yet and also don't forget toxins like acetaldehyde.

    Regardless, I appreciate this post.

    I get really tired of people being like "TEH CHEMICALS!!!"
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine


    ^ This is an apple.

    This isn't even close to the chemical composition of an apple. It's missing lipids, sugars, fibers, flavor compounds, water, and things we haven't even isolated yet and also don't forget toxins like acetaldehyde.

    Regardless, I appreciate this post.

    I get really tired of people being like "TEH CHEMICALS!!!"

    Exactly what I was thinking! I couldn't come up with any foods in my mind that were pretty much straight vitamins, minerals, and amino acids.
  • Willowana
    Willowana Posts: 493 Member
    My definition of processed food is a food that is not anywhere near the original state in which it was found. When I think of corn and wheat, I think of animal feed. It's cheap, and it plumps the animal up to be butchered. Much of what I consider "processed" is the stuff that often is "cut" by adding these ingredients. It's used for many reasons, but one of those reasons is to save the manufacturer money on more costlier ingredients. Processed foods also contain a lot of preservatives. A long shelf life is great, but you also lose more nutrients that way (ie. canned vegetables vs. fresh)

    And then there is the sodium issue....
  • KayteeBear
    KayteeBear Posts: 1,040 Member
    Literally almost everything in the grocery store is processed in some way. I usually say that I avoid premade/prepacked foods (like frozen pizzas, chicken nuggets, frozen dinners, etc) but sometimes I say it as processed foods but I really mean premade stuff. Of course I do still buy some of it sometimes. If somebody were to cut out ALL processed foods then they'd be eating pretty much...nothing...but I think it is just that people define it differently or have different "levels" of processed. I don't think people think of processed food as taking a chunk of beef and turning it into ground beef or a hamburger...
  • KyliAnne26
    KyliAnne26 Posts: 209 Member
    While it's true that nearly everything is processed, I tend to use the word for foods that exist on the inner aisles of the market and have an unnaturally long shelf life :) Dried pasta, beans, rice etc... these things are okay to me. When I say 'processed' I'm generally referring to poptarts, potato chips, pastries. I guess I sort of use it synonymously with 'unhealthy'. Hm, interesting, I'd never thought about this question before!
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    If you don't understand more than half of the ingredients list... it's the bad kind of "processed" to me :tongue:
  • angelcurry130
    angelcurry130 Posts: 265 Member
    Would you all eat this piece of food?


    Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic acid, Pyridoxine, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Folate, Calcium, Copper, Iron, Manganese, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Selenium, Sodium, Zinc, Phytosterols, Amino acids, Alanine,Arginine, Aspartic acid, Cystine, Glutamic acid, Glycine, Histidine, Isoleucine, Leucine,Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine,Proline, Serine,Threonine, Tryptophan,Tyrosine, Valine

    well, not right now, but that's because i'm minimizing my carbs...let me get to goal, and i'm all over it. ;)
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
    Processed food is pretty much any food that is not in its whole state. If it's in a can or box or bag, it's processed for the most part. Processed food is full of transfats (even if it's not on the label) and PCBs and lots of toxic chemicals. Foods you buy in the produce section, like apples, oranges, potatoes, etc, are not processed but may be GMO, as in the case of most corn and pesticides. Buying organic virtually eliminates this problem.