Processed Foods???

bluedoree
bluedoree Posts: 5
edited September 23 in Food and Nutrition
I don't understand what a processed food is?
Can someone give eamples. I've heard this several times that processed foods are not good and anything full of sugar, salt or artifical sweetners. I need examples...because isn't Crystal Light good?

Replies

  • angiesteele
    angiesteele Posts: 366 Member
    To me they are:

    •canned foods with lots of sodium
    •white breads and pastas made with refined white flour, which are not as healthy as those made with whole grains
    •packaged high-calorie snack foods, like chips and cheese snacks
    •high-fat convenience foods, like cans of ravioli
    •frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners
    •packaged cakes and cookies
    •boxed meal mixes
    •sugary breakfast cereals
    •processed meats
  • bluedoree
    bluedoree Posts: 5
    Yikes! I'm definitely in trouble. >.<

    Thank you and good luck on your weight loss goals!
  • WhiteStar2351
    WhiteStar2351 Posts: 87
    Processed foods are any foods that have been chemically altered during the manufacturing stage.

    I.e. Anything thats not in its natural form / has had its natural state altered during creation.


    Stick to the simple rules to get around it:
    - The less ingredients on the packet, generally the healthier it is
    - Cook everything from scratch - don't buy pre-made foods
    - Use basic ingredients to cook with (vegetables, meats, small amounts of dairy, herbs, spices, etc)
    - Always avoid the central aisles of the supermarkets - most healthy products are around the outside (vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, fish, etc). The aisles contain the processed foods!
  • runningneo122
    runningneo122 Posts: 6,962 Member
    Processed foods are any foods that have been chemically altered during the manufacturing stage.

    I.e. Anything thats not in its natural form / has had its natural state altered during creation.


    Stick to the simple rules to get around it:
    - The less ingredients on the packet, generally the healthier it is
    - Cook everything from scratch - don't buy pre-made foods
    - Use basic ingredients to cook with (vegetables, meats, small amounts of dairy, herbs, spices, etc)
    - Always avoid the central aisles of the supermarkets - most healthy products are around the outside (vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, fish, etc). The aisles contain the processed foods!

    And by all means ..... avoid things that say DIET. Weight Watchers and Lean Cuisine are really NOT healthy choices. Remember this simple rule: Buy your food as close to the way it came out of the field. Frozen veggies are alright b/c they are usually frozen right after harvesting. If you like ground meat... switch to ground turkey. Higher in protein and less fat.
  • sophieshaped
    sophieshaped Posts: 228 Member
    I read a good thing... if it didn't grow, walk or swim, it's processed :o)
  • carmen62
    carmen62 Posts: 60
    Great quote Sophie.

    The best bet is to keep as "natural" as possible. A fresh apple is better than dried, apple pie, canned apple apple pop tarts and so on. Fresh lean steak is better than crumbed, pies, Spam (heaven forbid!!!!). Fresh nuts rather than salted or choc-coated. Have your sugar limited, not a sauce or drink that is laden with it. The more human intervention to make it easy or convenience, the more extra nasties you will have hidden in there- fat, sugar, salt and preservatives.

    Thus, as lean steak with a fresh garden salad will be far, far, better than a schnitzel with coleslaw and potato salad. Fresh fruit for dessert rather than ice cream.

    Get it?
  • literaryshots
    literaryshots Posts: 66 Member
    Pre packaged foods like boxed meals (mac and cheese, hamburger helper, jarred sauces, etc) are what people mean by processed. The best diet makes use of less processed foods-fresh stuff- because it is naturally lower it salt and sugars and other ucky stuff. Of course you can find better options in processed stuff if you read the labels, but the soup or sauce you make at home allows you to control just how much of the bad stuff you have and/or avoid. Hope that helps.
  • critter347
    critter347 Posts: 58 Member
    Oh wow, I did not know there was anything wrong with lean cuisine, etc.
    What's wrong with em?
  • 311Phil
    311Phil Posts: 397
    super high sodium is my guess...
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    Processed foods are any foods that have been chemically altered during the manufacturing stage.

    I.e. Anything thats not in its natural form / has had its natural state altered during creation.


    Stick to the simple rules to get around it:
    - The less ingredients on the packet, generally the healthier it is
    - Cook everything from scratch - don't buy pre-made foods
    - Use basic ingredients to cook with (vegetables, meats, small amounts of dairy, herbs, spices, etc)
    - Always avoid the central aisles of the supermarkets - most healthy products are around the outside (vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy, fish, etc). The aisles contain the processed foods!

    What he said - and, if the ingredients label reads like a chemistry experiment, it is definitely processed!!
  • amycal
    amycal Posts: 646 Member
    A good rule of thumb is to shop the perimeter of the store (produce, dairy, meats) Although in my grocery store all the horrible processed meats are by fresh meats and there are cups of jello and HFCS yogurts next to the Greek Yogurt. And beans and lots of whole grain products are in the middle rows.

    If you go to this website:
    http://www.ehac.com/ilostit
    Scroll down part way and next to weekly wellness meeting there is a downloadable pdf on some tips for shopping to avoid processed foods.
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    Oh wow, I did not know there was anything wrong with lean cuisine, etc.
    What's wrong with em?

    It's subjective. I think they're great - you get your protein/carbs/veggies in a reasonable ratio, in properly controlled portions, and you can eat typically "high fat/comfort food" for very low calories. I eat a lean cuisine or "smart ones" at least a few times a week. I don't have a problem with sodium, so that doesn't concern me. :smile:
  • jojuvanlaanen
    jojuvanlaanen Posts: 29 Member
    I understand the canned "raviolis" and kraft mac and cheese are not good for you and I definately consider them "processed". But is having a lean cuisine or healthy choice meal a couple times a week really bad? Or using Ragu instead of making your own sauce, why is that so bad? I don't know about everyone else but I really don't have the time or money to eat all fresh, natural ingrediant foods all the time. I SOO WISH I did though!!
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    Oh wow, I did not know there was anything wrong with lean cuisine, etc.
    What's wrong with em?

    They are typically much lower in essential nutrients than fresh foods would be. They are filled with preservatives and sodium. While low in fat, they tend to be high in sugar which is equally, if not worse, as bad for you as high fat. It is highly processed and packed with nice label to make us think we are eating healthy. Sure, it's low calorie and that in the end will cause weight loss...but the nutrition is just not there when it is compared to fresh veggies, lean meats, whole grains, etc.

    But on the other hand, if this is the alternative to Burger King, I say go for it.
  • Lyadeia
    Lyadeia Posts: 4,603 Member
    I understand the canned "raviolis" and kraft mac and cheese are not good for you and I definately consider them "processed". But is having a lean cuisine or healthy choice meal a couple times a week really bad? Or using Ragu instead of making your own sauce, why is that so bad? I don't know about everyone else but I really don't have the time or money to eat all fresh, natural ingrediant foods all the time. I SOO WISH I did though!!

    Ragu is nothing but sugar. I was shocked when I started reading the labels of canned and jarred sauces.

    There are brands out there that are sugar free or low sugar, but I have never seen anything like that from name brands like Ragu, Hunts, or Prego. Colavita is a good alternative. They have one sauce that is fat free AND sugar free, and I just add my own spices to it and it tastes fantastic!

    We just gotta read the labels and decide for ourselves what to buy...and remember to look at the serving sizes, cause then you gotta double or even triple the sugar content listed for what you will actually be eating (typically, since serving sizes are much smaller than we are accustomed to eating).
  • carmen62
    carmen62 Posts: 60
    You really have to watch out for sugar and salt, especially in things promoted as low fat.
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    I understand the canned "raviolis" and kraft mac and cheese are not good for you and I definately consider them "processed". But is having a lean cuisine or healthy choice meal a couple times a week really bad? Or using Ragu instead of making your own sauce, why is that so bad? I don't know about everyone else but I really don't have the time or money to eat all fresh, natural ingrediant foods all the time. I SOO WISH I did though!!

    You absolutely need to read the labels. I buy the "Organic" brand spaghetti sauce at Safeway - ingredients list reads like the produce aisle (NOT like a chemistry set!)

    Eating fresh is not really all that difficult. I buy green, yellow and red peppers, onions and fresh ginger then chop them all up and store them in the freezer. One any given night you can just pull from the frozen bags and whip up a healthy stir fry in less then 20 minutes because everything is already chopped up. We also buy organic frozen veggies, then steam them - again, less than 20 minutes. I even buy organic chicken broth then freeze it in ice cube trays for quick use in recipes. If I want to make something a little fancier, I prepare it the night before so when I get home after my busy day all I have to do is pop it in the oven. Eating fresh is very easy.

    We *rarely* go down the aisles of the grocery store unless I need spices, frozen veggies and sometimes organic tomato based sauces or the organic broth. If you are concerned about cost, plan your meals around what fruits and vegetables are in season or on sale on a given week. It can be done!
  • mmtiernan
    mmtiernan Posts: 702 Member
    Oh wow, I did not know there was anything wrong with lean cuisine, etc.
    What's wrong with em?

    They are typically much lower in essential nutrients than fresh foods would be. They are filled with preservatives and sodium. While low in fat, they tend to be high in sugar which is equally, if not worse, as bad for you as high fat. It is highly processed and packed with nice label to make us think we are eating healthy. Sure, it's low calorie and that in the end will cause weight loss...but the nutrition is just not there when it is compared to fresh veggies, lean meats, whole grains, etc.

    But on the other hand, if this is the alternative to Burger King, I say go for it.

    I nixed the 'healthy' frozen dinners over a year ago because of the preservatives and sodium - and I was always steaming extra vegetables to round them out and make the meal healthier, so I wasn't really 'saving' anything! Plus, they don't taste nearly as good as what I can make fresh in just about the same amount of time!
  • elassey
    elassey Posts: 7 Member
    My rule of thumb for the "lean cuisines" etc is that they are an every once in a while thing, if I don't have time to put something else together. Plus they just aren't filling at all to me - you'll find that if you take just a little bit of time (doesn't take much) to make a meal instead, you can eat a much bigger volume of food for the same (or less) calories and definitely less sodium, sugar, etc.

    I also usually don't buy anything that is "Fat Free" - there is usually a heck of a lot of sugar to make up for the lack of flavor from no fat. I do get the Yoplait fat free yogurts sometimes though, they have lots of yummy flavors that will satisfy my craving for dessert!
  • TMR001
    TMR001 Posts: 37
    It can be as simple or hard as you want to make it. You can eliminate a majority of the processed food you eat without doing away with in completely.. although getting rid of anything processed is a great idea. Just not what a lot of people are going to do.

    Read the ingredients list! If everything in it is a whole food... real food... as in grown, walk, or swim then it's safe.

    Avoiding foods that have chemicals in the ingredient list (including HFCS) is the best way to easily reduce the amount of processed foods you eat. Watch for high fructose corn syrup and sugar in all its forms..... Not all packaged food is created equal. Be willing to spend a little more money to get quality food.
  • ccsmiller
    ccsmiller Posts: 54 Member
    Jojuv,

    Instead of Ragu, Just use canned tomato sauce and/or canned crushed or diced tomatos and add seasonings like garlic powder and italian seasoning to taste. For sweetness you can add a grated carrot. I've done this for years and it's lots cheaper too. I usually get the salt free tomato sauce so I can control the sodium.
  • carmen62
    carmen62 Posts: 60
    Garlic powder? Why not fresh garlic? Can't you get it where you are? Fresh garlic is a wonderful food and tastes so damned good!
  • NOLAdy
    NOLAdy Posts: 133 Member
    Don't know if this has already been mentioned because I skipped to the bottom but, a good rule is to eat things that don't require an ingredient label. Fruits, veggies, nuts, grains, eggs, meat (not deli/sandwich)... Than move on from there. Some things do require more than one ingredient, in that case read the label and the less the better.
  • Pebble321
    Pebble321 Posts: 6,423 Member
    If you want to do some reading I highly recommend Michael Pollan's book "In Defence of Food".
    He talks about how a lot of the things that are marketed to us don't contain much actual food. I haven't read a Lean Cuisine label for a while but I'm guessing there may be a number of things there that I wouldn't put in my meals if I was cooking.
    His key rule is "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" which is great advice!
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