Processed Foods 101
Choosing Healthy Foods
Knowing which foods are actually healthy has become incredibly difficult. On the one hand, we are constantly being fed new, contradictory narratives as diets and health fads go in and out of fashion. On the other hand, our decisions are being subtly (or not-so-subtly) guided as soon as we enter the supermarket: the layout, including easy-to-grab snacks at the checkout line, is designed to make you consume more; the packaging crafted with catchy buzzwords and colors to appeal to desires and make you buy more; and the nutrition labels guide you to think in terms of calories and fats instead of quality of ingredients.
The first step to making healthy choices when shopping for foods is to understand the spectrum of minimally processed to ultraprocessed foods.
What are unprocessed, minimally processed, and ultraprocessed foods?
Almost 60% of the calories consumed in the U.S. now come from ultra-processed foods. While supermarkets are increasingly catering to gluten-free, vegan, low-fat, no sugar, and other dietary trends, these specialty “health” products often still fall under the ultraprocessed category and can be incredibly expensive.
The first step to mindfully choosing foods at the supermarket is to understand this spectrum from ultraprocessed to unprocessed foods.
Ultraprocessed foods are made from industrially manipulated ingredients that are no longer recognizable as their original plant or animal source. These are foods with no redeeming nutritional qualities that often contain ingredients that have negative health effects, such as high fructose corn syrup, monosodium glutamate, or guar gum. Examples include most packaged products: cereals, baked goods, chips, sauces/spreads, plant milks, frozen meals, etc. Simple, preservative- and additive-free versions of these foods can often be made at home for less money at a much higher quality.
Minimally processed foods are foods from which some nutritional quality has been lost through processing but that retain substantial nutritional value. Examples include white rice or other refined grains/flours, yogurts/cheeses, canned beans or tomato sauce, tofu, etc. These foods generally have less than five ingredients, all derived from natural origins. Checking the label for ingredients can help you determine if these products are minimally or ultraprocessed foods. Often, buying minimally processed foods in bulk can reduce the cost, and staples like beans can be purchased dried and prepared at home for less money (making sure that they are soaked and correctly prepared).
Unprocessed foods include whole foods where nothing new has been added and no nutritional value has been taken away, or foods that are as close to their natural form as possible. These include most fresh produce, raw nuts, (organic, pasture-raised) eggs, (organic, hormone-free) meats, (wild-caught) seafood, herbs, and spices. Although animal-based products that are organic and produced more ethically come with a higher price tag, their superior quality and positive impact on the environment, animal welfare, and human health make them a worthwhile investment.
Tips for choosing healthy foods in the supermarket:
Aim for the bulk of the items you purchase and ingest to be unprocessed foods and minimally processed foods, and to avoid ultraprocessed foods as much as possible.
Within the variety of processed foods available, the best trick is to look for products with the lowest number of ingredients and the most whole, natural ingredients (and thus, the lowest amount of processing).
To eat healthy,
you have to be a detective and critically think about the foods you consume:
Ask yourself, “will this actually nourish me?”