What is considered processed food?

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th1nkth1nmama
th1nkth1nmama Posts: 158
in Health and Weight Loss
I'm still learning but is it everything that comes in a box and not fresh?

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  • mkennedym
    mkennedym Posts: 253 Member
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    generally "processed foods" are foods that have been processed in a manner that they don't spoil or go bad quickly. so any food that has preservatives or are made from ingredients with long shelf lives.

    not all processed food is bad, however. for instance, milk is pasteurized to kill bacteria thus it is "processed" but it is good for you. just try to stay away from stuff that uses a lot of preservatives.
  • th1nkth1nmama
    th1nkth1nmama Posts: 158
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    ok Thanks!!
  • 1111renee
    1111renee Posts: 108 Member
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    Basically if it doesn't grow on a tree, bush or in the ground, or if it doesn't have a mother, then it IS processed :)
  • sziemba1
    sziemba1 Posts: 34
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    If the product does not come directly from the ground (such as produce) or directly off the animal (such as fresh meats) then it is processed food. Processed foods vary in their degree of being bad for you. The more additives in terms of preservatives, dyes, and other chemicals the worst they are for you.
  • shreddingit
    shreddingit Posts: 1,133 Member
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    if its touched by man its processed!
  • Ely82010
    Ely82010 Posts: 1,998 Member
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    if its touched by man its processed!

    We need to be more specific with this statement because some people that are not too savy about nutrition or the measning of processed food (not offense) may get the wrong idea. "Man" touches fruits and vegetables to bring them down from a tree, grains to take them out of the soil, etc. so here is a web definition for all of us to read:

    Web definitions

    Food processing is the set of methods and techniques used to transform raw ingredients into food or to transform food into other forms for consumption by humans or animals either in the home or by the food processing industry. ...

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Processed_food

    Foods that have been processed in a factory. Examples: Canned fruits, TV dinners

    www.thepalettefund.org/what_we_do/more/glossary/

    any food that was "processed" such as enrichment, frozen, freeze dried, etc.

    www.four-h.purdue.edu/foods/Glossary%20Level%20B%20fra…
  • susanswan
    susanswan Posts: 1,194 Member
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    I realize you are asking a question, but I like to think that my diet is low in processed foods. That means I don't buy already prepared meals and time saving boxed foods like Mac & Cheese, & spaghetti sauce, soup, etc. I buy all fresh fruits and veggies and make my own soups & sauces. However I do prepare most of my own meals myself at times using ingredients such as low sodium chicken broth, unsweetened soy milk, canned tomatoes and beans, spice concoctions, whole grain crackers, whole grain breads, packaged chicken breasts and chickens, ground chicken or turkey, & condiments mostly. But I make sure that nothing I buy has corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup or a list of chemicals on it. I'd rather see sugar on a label than corn syrup. Recently I hve added processed meats that contain nitrites (nitrates? I get confused on those two!) - cancer causing, I believe so no more deli meats for hubby or a quick snack for me. I have to cook the meat myself now. Maybe some will scoff at me when I say my diet is very low in processed foods, but I give it a good try anyway.
  • RMinVA
    RMinVA Posts: 1,085 Member
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    I realize you are asking a question, but I like to think that my diet is low in processed foods. That means I don't buy already prepared meals and time saving boxed foods like Mac & Cheese, & spaghetti sauce, soup, etc. I buy all fresh fruits and veggies and make my own soups & sauces. However I do prepare most of my own meals myself at times using ingredients such as low sodium chicken broth, unsweetened soy milk, canned tomatoes and beans, spice concoctions, whole grain crackers, whole grain breads, packaged chicken breasts and chickens, ground chicken or turkey, & condiments mostly. But I make sure that nothing I buy has corn syrup or high fructose corn syrup or a list of chemicals on it. I'd rather see sugar on a label than corn syrup. Recently I hve added processed meats that contain nitrites (nitrates? I get confused on those two!) - cancer causing, I believe so no more deli meats for hubby or a quick snack for me. I have to cook the meat myself now. Maybe some will scoff at me when I say my diet is very low in processed foods, but I give it a good try anyway.

    I'm with Susan. That's about how I eat too. I'm far from perfect and I do allow for some "convenience" foods (dairy and some canned or frozen veggies come to mind). But I do make make as much as I can from scratch including soups, sauces, dressings, etc. What surprises me is the # of people that say they don't eat a lot of processed foods, but everything on their journal is out of a bag or box w/few fruits and veggies in sight.

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