DIET & NUTRITION

Have you seen the viral video of the fast food burger that doesn’t rot, or looked at an ingredient list a foot long with words only a chemist could pronounce? If you are familiar with processed foods, these two examples are prime reasons why they get a bad reputation. Processed foods have been linked to obesity, type two diabetes and hypertension, but are all processed foods bad?

According to the International Food Information Council, “food processing is any deliberate change in a food that occurs before it is available to eat.” Avoiding processed foods can be very difficult since almost all foods are processed at some point before consumption. There is a broad range of processed foods. Minimally processed foods are foods that have undergone only slight changes such as packaged fruits and vegetables that have been washed and cut, or ground nuts and seeds such as coffee. There are foods that have been processed to enhance freshness or retain nutrients at their peak such as canned tuna, canned beans, frozen fruits and vegetables, and pureed baby foods. Then there are foods that contain added ingredients such as seasonings, sweeteners, oils, colors, flavors and preservatives. This is done to keep food fresh longer, improve taste or improve appearance. This includes packaged foods such as instant potatoes, cake mix and jarred tomato sauce. Lastly, there are “ready-to-eat” foods and frozen meals that have been processed and packaged to stay fresh and save time such as such as breakfast cereal, packaged oatmeal, granola bars, lunch meats, yogurt and prepackaged frozen meals.

So back to the question: Are all processed foods bad? No. Minimally processed foods can add convenience and reduce prep work when cooking. Fruits and vegetables that are picked and flash frozen when they are at their peak can help preserve the nutrients, and allows them to be readily available when not in season. In fact, some foods are improved with processing. Milk and juice are typically fortified with Vitamin D and calcium, and some breakfast cereals are fortified with iron and fiber.

However, there are some added ingredients you should limit: sugar, salt and fat. Sugar can be added to foods to improve flavor, color and texture. Added sugars should be limited to no more than 10 percent of calories. Look for added sugars as they start to appear on Nutrition Facts Labels, or read ingredient lists and avoid foods with added sugar as one of the first four ingredients. Sodium, better known as salt, is used in many foods as a preservative. When looking at processed foods, look for foods with “no added salt” or “low sodium” to help limit salt intake. Sodium intake should be limited to 2,300mg/day. Fat is also added to foods to improve shelf life or to enhance flavor and texture. The amount of trans fat found in processed foods has decreased recently, which is good since trans fats raise our bad cholesterol and reduce our good cholesterol. The FDA has set a ban on adding trans fats to foods. Companies have until 2018 to comply or appeal this ban. Trans fats can currently be found on nutrition facts labels and in ingredient lists as partially hydrogenated oils. Intake of trans fats should be minimal.

While processed foods cannot be avoided, limiting the amount consumed can be very beneficial. Choosing foods with smaller ingredient lists and preparing foods from scratch can help reduce the amount of processed foods consumed. If you do consume ready to eat foods, keep in mind the amount of added sugar, salt and fat for overall health.

Alicia Smith, RD, CDE, is affiliated with Willis-Knighton Health System.

She may be reached at [email protected].