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Processed Foods Aren’t Always Bad

processed foods

I was reading comments on Facebook the other day on an article about frozen vegetables. I learned a couple of things: 1) I need to stop reading comments on Facebook and 2) I had no idea that people were such purists when it came to their vegetables. In this particular comments section, fights were breaking out about what was in frozen vegetables. One man in particular was adamant that frozen vegetables contained so many added ingredients — and that he would never buy anything that came in a bag in the frozen section. Even when the only ingredient listed on the bag was “green beans” this man was sure we were ingesting poison. For him, “processed” foods were an absolute no-go.

Going back to our philosophy that there are no foods that are off limits, I want to address the concept of “processed” foods. Maybe I’m too liberal in my eating choices, but I certainly don’t consider foods “processed” simply because they’ve been cut or thrown into a bag. Besides, processing foods isn’t necessarily a bad thing and shouldn’t be equated with poor nutritional choices. There is a whole range of “processed” foods, from minimally processed to neon-orange-level highly processed. On one end of the spectrum you’ve got frozen vegetables with nothing added. They’ve been picked at the height of freshness, frozen right away to preserve nutrients and are a great way to make sure you’ve always got broccoli on hand. They’re also a great way to quickly make a stir fry for a healthy meal and they’re great for when you want to make a soup but don’t want to chop onions and peppers. And what smoothie is even a smoothie without frozen fruits? Heck, I “process” my own frozen bananas all the damn time. Then there’s grabbing pre-cut fruits such as watermelon or pineapple because you’re on the go and didn’t bring your chef’s knife in your purse —also “minimally processed” for convenience. I’m not going to scream that people must eat melon from the rind or it doesn’t count.

Then there are more heavily processed foods, like canned tomatoes and soups. Items like roasted nuts, and yogurt. Beans. Canned tuna. Those items still have nutritional value even though they’ve been “processed.” Sure, you have to start watching out for added sugar, sodium and fat, but to act like those items don’t have nutrition simply because they’ve been processed is preposterous. Processing actually has — gasp — benefits like when milk and juices are fortified with calcium and vitamin D. It lets you have packaged fruit as a quick option when you run out of fresh fruit. “Processing” in the form of freezing lets you have access year round to cherries and mangoes and peaches.

So, yes, we should definitely be eating more of the whole foods and minimally processed items. But don’t be afraid of some of those “processed” items or some of those middle aisles of the grocery store. How else will you buy your olive oil? Just read the labels and make choices that are right for you.

Are you a processed purist or do you embrace the right processed foods wholeheartedly like I do?Erin

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Comments

21 Comments
  1. Gina says:

    I completely agree with this article. 1. People get intense about facebook. and 2. Although it is nice that people take such an interest in their foods– it is a bit much. A frozen strawberry is just a frozen strawberry. 3. That being said– I have actually seen certain companies (usually the store brand itself) that occasionally put a salt preservative in with their fruits to ensure that they are “fresh”? I’ve never seen it for vegetables though. And– funny thing– although this article was about processed foods– I totally forgot about putting frozen veggies into a soup.

    Weird huh?

  2. Lesley says:

    I totally agree with this article! I am so glad that someone finally put this information out there for everyone to read!

    http://www.lesleyandeve.com

  3. Samantha says:

    If there were not frozen vegetables or frozen fruit, I would NOT be able to meal prep as efficiently. Also most of my produce would probably go bad. Let’s be real.

  4. K says:

    I always have a bag each of corn kernels, peas and diced carrots in the freezer, along with some frozen spinach cubes. And 80%+ of my go-to recipes use canned tomatoes.
    If not for frozen and canned veges, takeaway would happen way more often in our house!
    It’s a bit crazy how full-on people get on facebook sometimes.

  5. Nadina says:

    I agree with this article! I eat frozen corn and carrots all the time! They are easier for me when I’m busy during the day and also, it’s better I have those than no veggies at all.

  6. Andi Atari says:

    Hi Erin! I can think of a handful of processed foods that are very good for you right now. Greek yogurt, cheese, kimchi, apple cider vinegar, peanut butter, other nut butters, whole grain bread, whole grain pasta, coconut milk, almond milk, and the list goes on. Oh, and chocolate! Luscious, rich, dark chocolate! That’s a heavenly processed food that’s good for your body, mind and soul right there. 🙂

  7. The habit of living in a hurry, eating processed foods, fast food, red meat … and smoking anytime and anywhere makes many people with early lung damage.

  8. Obviously not all processed foodstuffs are essentially bad. Most food wants to go through certain kinds of dispensation for it to even be comestible and edible. Some processed foods proposal valued nutrients as fine as suitability.

  9. Processed foods are basically the preserved foods in a tin, can, etc. The main concern with processing food is that it reduces a food’s nutritional wealth or adds things, like sodium and sugar. People may avoid using that.

  10. I wanted to thank you for this very good read!! I definitely enjoyed every bit of it. I have got you bookmarked to look at new stuff you post

  11. I am fully satisfied with you and your work to make better the system of the food supply with different areas where people live very far. If we are succeeded to control the affected food we will succeed ourselves from many diseases.

  12. KGF says:

    nice post

  13. Not entirely processed foodstuffs are harmful, but processed foodstuffs that comprise components like Trans flabs, huge quantities of sugar and sodium, and elements with unsayable terms. They incline to be small in vitamins and reserves and can lead to weight achievement.

  14. Growing up, I was an extremely energetic child and was in great shape because of it. But in my 20s, I gained a whopping 35 kilos because I was feeling stressed. That really took a toll on my confidence, but I remained determined and ltimately took matters into my own hands.

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  16. Thanks for this great post, loved reading your blog

  17. Nice post your content is very informative thanks for sharing

  18. I think frozen and processed foods should not be consumed constantly, I think that such foods lead to cancer.

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  20. I agree with this article! I eat frozen corn and carrots all the time! They are easier for me when I’m busy during the day and also, it’s better I have those than no veggies at all.

  21. This is a very interesting article to read. As for me, there are pros and cons of such food. Moreover, it’s up to the person which variant to choose. Personally, I feel no difference in such food

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