Processed vs Ultra-processed Food

Processed vs Ultra-processed Food

You’ve heard it before.  Researchers, Dietitians and wellness advocates give the same advice: To start and maintain a healthy diet, cut out processed foods.
But what is processed really?  If you go by the American standard, which is ridiculous, picking a tomato from the vine is processing.  This is the work of lawyers and lobbyists who want to make everything so confusing, you give up. 

For our purposes, processed will be using the NOVA processing guide:

• Group 1 - Unprocessed or minimally processed foods
• Group 2 - Processed culinary ingredients
• Group 3 - Processed foods
• Group 4 - Ultra-processed food and drink products

You can read the full NOVA article which gives a breakdown of each group here: https://world.openfoodfacts.org/nova  It’s fairly simple and easy to understand.  Not good for sewing confusion.

Because many processed foods are high in sugar, salt, fat and carbohydrates, a diet high in processed foods is linked to obesity.  There are also studies that suggest a link between processed foods and an increased risk of cancer. 

Cancer causing processing is bad, but not all processing is bad.  Frozen veggies and fruit are processed, but they retain their nutritional value because they are frozen when ripe.  Canned veggies and fruit are also minimally processed and retain their nutritional benefits, but you have to watch out for added sugar and salt.  Most processed foods have two or three ingredients, and are recognizable as modified versions of NOVA Group 1 foods

Ultra-processed foods are different.  Foods, such as soft drinks, sweet or savory packaged snacks, reconstituted meat products and pre-prepared frozen dishes, are not modified foods but formulations made mostly or entirely from substances derived from foods and additives, with little if any intact NOVA Group 1 food.  Ultra-processed foods, which include ready-made snacks, canned and bottled soft drinks, and packaged meals, usually contain additives, artificial colors, preservatives, and plenty of sugar, salt, and fat but very little nutrition.  What nutrition they do contain usually is added.   

So, how do you know if a food is processed or ultra-processed?  Read the ingredient label. Ingredients are listed by quantity, from highest to lowest. If the list is long or contains words you don’t know or can’t pronounce, the food is probably highly processed.

Ways to decrease ultra-processed foods in your diet:

Drink more water, tea and home-made drinks.  Making your own fruit, herb and energy drinks, tea and iced tea, as well as making your coffee drink at home and using real milk, (not artificially flavored creamers, although you can buy extracts like almond extract and add a few drops) honey, agave, or maple syrup instead of sugar are great ways of decreasing ultra processed drinks.

Eat more fresh and minimally processed foods.  As you remove ultra processed foods, add recipes with vegetables, beans, and fruits.  Think green smoothies, mixed lettuce salad with cherry tomatoes and baby carrots, roasted veggies, or oatmeal with cinnamon and maple syrup. 

Shop on the perimeter of the grocery store:  This is where you will find most for the minimally processed foods.  You can start with frozen fruits and veggies instead of fresh.  This way they won’t spoil before you decide how to use them.  Whole grain breads, real meats as opposed to lunch meats, etc.  Before you buy something, ask yourself “can I make a healthier version of this from real food?”

Learn how to read food labels; before you buy anything unknown, always read the ingredient list.  Avoid foods with added sugar in the first 3 ingredients, including corn syrup and (especially) high fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, and fruit juice concentrate.

Be wary of sensationalized claims on the front of the package:  This means that whole grain fruit loops are still unhealthy.  The food industry has learned that if they print the right false claim on the front of the package, they sell more of it.  Always check the ingredient label as well as the nutrition label.  Popular front label postings are: 100% natural (we all know ‘natural flavoring’ is not really from nature, not natural), heart healthy, low fat, reduced fat, but do they say anything about sugar content, salt content, or other health concerns?  Reduced fat doesn’t mean it is healthy; it’s less bad for you than its counterpart.

Newsweek article on Ultra-processed food.

Next week: How to read a food label made easy.