What is "Processed Food"?

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  • melindasuefritz
    melindasuefritz Posts: 3,509 Member
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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
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    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.
  • goldfinger88
    goldfinger88 Posts: 686 Member
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    Very good definition.
  • magerum
    magerum Posts: 12,589 Member
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    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.

    Correct. I did omit water, fiber, sugar and only a couple other that were easily identified. You got the jist of it tho.
  • FlaxMilk
    FlaxMilk Posts: 3,452 Member
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    I do think processed varies from person to person. I usually mean stuff that isn't close to its natural form. It doesn't necessarily mean I won't eat it, but I will minimize it if I can't find a compelling reason to include it more regularly in my diet. (I drink non-dairy milk in my coffee daily because I love the taste and can easily fit it into my macros and calories. I don't eat non-dairy ice cream daily because I can't fit that in as easily. 25 calories for the milk versus 140-200 calories for the ice cream. The milk is a small daily sacrifice, the ice cream costs me more than is usually worth. Except for days like tonight.) I don't minimize them because of allegiance to clean eating but because I just generally seem to feel better.
  • jonibc
    jonibc Posts: 104 Member
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    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.

    The thing is, the apple grows that way. Some corporation isn't injecting these substances in it artificially.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    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.

    The thing is, the apple grows that way. Some corporation isn't injecting these substances in it artificially.

    And you think your body knows or cares if that aspartic acid was put there by a tree or a guy in a lab?
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    ^true. The body breaks nutrients down into individual components, so it "sees" the food as the same, whether you eat an apple or ingest its components from a laboratory slushie.
  • jonnythan
    jonnythan Posts: 10,161 Member
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    ^true. The body breaks nutrients down into individual components, so it "sees" the food as the same, whether you eat an apple or ingest its components from a laboratory slushie.

    Exactly.

    You can make the claim that the apple or broccoli spear or whatever has some compounds in it not found in another food of similar macronutrient content and therefore the apple or broccoli spear is better.

    However, you cannot pretend that it makes any difference whether an individual amino acid molecule was placed into a food by a factory or a tree.
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    ^true. The body breaks nutrients down into individual components, so it "sees" the food as the same, whether you eat an apple or ingest its components from a laboratory slushie.

    Exactly.

    You can make the claim that the apple or broccoli spear or whatever has some compounds in it not found in another food of similar macronutrient content and therefore the apple or broccoli spear is better.

    However, you cannot pretend that it makes any difference whether an individual amino acid molecule was placed into a food by a factory or a tree.

    it actually does make a difference in how quickly/easily food is absorbed. an apple "slushie" will get absorbed faster and more easily than an apple. same reason we chew our food before swallowing.

    OP, for a comprehensive list of processed foods, see jonnythan's food diary. :tongue:
  • CoachReddy
    CoachReddy Posts: 3,949 Member
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    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

    those also aren't ingredients.

    they're also natural.

    i don't see phosphates. I don't see nitrates. I don't see HFCS. I don't see anything that's been bleached or enriched or fortified. i don't see anything that was synthetically added to the apple...

    yeah... not all long lists of words are created equal. :wink:
  • slkehl
    slkehl Posts: 3,801 Member
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    ^true. The body breaks nutrients down into individual components, so it "sees" the food as the same, whether you eat an apple or ingest its components from a laboratory slushie.

    Exactly.

    You can make the claim that the apple or broccoli spear or whatever has some compounds in it not found in another food of similar macronutrient content and therefore the apple or broccoli spear is better.

    However, you cannot pretend that it makes any difference whether an individual amino acid molecule was placed into a food by a factory or a tree.

    it actually does make a difference in how quickly/easily food is absorbed. an apple "slushie" will get absorbed faster and more easily than an apple. same reason we chew our food before swallowing.

    But it's still an apple whether you chew or swallow. And the body cannot physically absorb it from your small intestine until it's broken down into individual molecules so that's kind of irrelevant anyway.