Can Processed Foods Be Healthy?

Author: Maryam Ayres Time for reading: ~1 minutes Last Updated: August 08, 2022

Processed foods have traditionally been the enemy of healthy eating, but does the coin have only one side?

If you choose the foods you eat carefully, the answer is yes. Read food labels carefully . This is the only way you can check what is contained and how these products are processed.

Choose products without added sugar and those with low salt content and unhealthy fats. Learn what to look for and how to read food labels.

Prefer frozen fruits and vegetables to their ultra-processed versions. They are convenient and affordable and can be just as useful as fresh fruits and vegetables. Read the label again and watch for the amount of salt and added sugars. Choose the product with the least additional ingredients.

Be careful with the food you order in restaurants. Choose proven restaurants that cook healthy and do not resort to the use of unhealthy products and methods of culinary processing. Nowadays, there are many ways to check restaurants and their way of working. Don't put too much emphasis on sauces and dressings. These are products that cannot be classified as healthy foods.

Minimize ultra-processed foods. One solution is to cook more food at home. You don't have to be a chef to cook dinner for your loved one and family. Find your recipes and start cooking. Even if the products you use are not first quality, cooking at home you know how you prepared the food and that there is nothing unhealthy in it. It is treated again, but in a way that will not harm our health.

Replace highly processed foods with less processed ones. For example: instead of buying ready-made Caesar salad sauce, make it at home. Replace the cake in the afternoon with a bowl of fresh fruit. Replace all snacks (such as waffles, snacks, salads, cookies) with fresh fruits and vegetables or homemade cakes.

If you have this opportunity, you grow your own fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately in the big city this is almost impossible, so you can try growing fresh spices. Children will be fascinated by the fact that they have grown something themselves that they can then eat.

Can Processed Foods Be Healthy?

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