Processed Foods - Arlington Heights,IL

I think there are processed foods (pasta, bread, canned goods, etc.) and then there are highly processed foods (frozen entrees and snacks, packaged donuts, cookies and chips, etc.) The highly processed ones are the ones I try to avoid as much as possible. Basically the more ingredients listed, the more I tend not to buy it.

Like Teresa S, I break them into the same two categories. I also now refuse to buy anything where I don't recognize every ingredient on the label.

I define processed by the degree of change from it's natural state. Whole fruit and veggies for instance are better than juice or frozen or salted and topped with cheese and microwaved. But sometimes frozen fits the need. It's all about degree of change fromit's natural state... I try to stay away from what I consider to be fake food - something out of a box compared to how I would make it myself. My mac n cheese is quite different than the one from the box. I have made baked french fries rather than buy frozen ones.- where I can't control the oil, salt, quality. So we treat ourselves to potato chips or tortilla chips and jar salsa or onion dip - but it is a matter of asking yourself: What would be in this if I made it myself? Rule of thumb - out of a box or can is likely "processed" (salt added, sweetened with sugars, fake cheese versus real, etc.). From my perspective it means food has been changed so you aren't tasting the real thing. Also losing some nutritional value. Juice for instance loses fiber compared to whole fruit.

I say that generally if it is made by God and in nature, its OK. But if it is a man-made food product, can we make another choice?

Of course when my son was a teen, he reminded me that God made hemlock and he was pretty sure HE made a Cheeto tree too!

The "processing" is different in breads, pastas, cereal, yogurt...etc. If I were on a farm and I had access to making my own cheese, yogurt, mill my own grain...I would STILL have to process them. They are processed without added ingredients. They are processed in a normal way. When I personally think of precessed food, I think of food that is processed in unnatural ways, with ingredients added. For example, the bread we get has 100% whole wheat, honey, and one other ingredient, it might be yeast. If I were to make bread myself, it would still have those ingredients. If I were to get a frozen dinner bread, it would have dozens of ingredients. When there are ingredients that DON'T need to be in there if you were making them yourself, that's processed.

My take on the whole thing is you should eat things in their most whole and natural form. Fresh Veggies and Fruit are best but if you cant get fresh then frozen is the next best thing and then canned after that. Yes Bread and Pasta are "processed" but whole wheat versions of both are the least processed since the flour hasnt been bleached, same with cereal. Yogurt is a whole other topic though, you need to find a yogurt that isnt high in sugar a good alternative for this is a plain unsweetened yogurt and adding fresh fruits.

I hope this helps.

Hi S.O. What the people are probably mostly commenting on is, deli meats,hot dogs and polish sausage. frozen vegetables are not really processed foods. Because they're as good for you has fresh vegetables. what makes processed food unhealthy in all of the sodium and other chemicals that are in them. So check the label on food and see what go's in them.

I always say that we avoid "overly" processed foods. In our house anything that doesn't have a parent or doesn't come from the ground is considered processed. We do fall into the trap of convenience...we buy bread, yogurt and pasta (my kids don't like cereal). But when I have time or feel inspired we make it all from scratch. My kids are well versed in the fact that mass produced things can be made at home. My husband brews his own beer and people who brew often get into cheese making. So it's not usual to find him and my son making mozzarella and ricotta in the kitchen. They do make their own yogurt most of the time. It's not flavored, but we add fruit to it and it's good. Along with the brewing, my hubby makes root beer and ginger ale that we have as treats.Pasta tastes especially good fresh, but I am rarely inspired to do that work. We freeze our own veggies, often from our own garden. My hubby cans food too, so when green beans go on a fabulous sale, I buy 10 pounds and he cans it for me. We cook popcorn in an air popper, we haven't bought microwave in years. We aren't preachy about it. It's just how we do things. My husband just doesn't care for processed foods and now it's just how we do things. It's healthier for us and much of our family time stems from that time in the kitchen.

I've had similar thoughts. I guess I just try to stay awy from the "overly processed" stuff w/o any nutritional value... We buy bread, yougurt, cheese, cereal, soup and use frozen veggies. We also try to avoid too much processed white sugar and fast food (fried stuff) and soda. Never buy it... it's tough. Try watching that show with Jamie (forget last name) it's called Food Revolution - very interesting : )

Besides some of the food items you mentioned (as processed food), I also consider, canned items such as soups, veggies and fruits, etc. , junk food like chips, cookies, etc. also processed. I go by the ingredient list these days. I look for shorter and more natural ingredients in my food items that I purchase. As for yogurt, I do eat Yoplait and Lucerine food products, but even they have added colors, etc. in them. So, I dont give it to my baby. Sometimes its okay though. I agree with you, in that frozen veggies such as organic brocolli, carrots, etc. are better and a bit cheaper too. Hope this helps.

great question. I realized this was a huge hot button for me and I was making all sorts of snarky comments in my head as i read peoples posts about their healthy choices, probably guilt because i know i should do better. so i was waiting until i simmered down to ask this question myself, Il'm not read for the answers yet but when i am I am going to ask to hear their meal plans for a full two weeks.
As to your question, In my mind, pretty much anything from a resturant is "bad", any thing microwavable would be "bad", Anything with any artificail color would be "bad", Lunch meat "bad", all breakfast foods like cereal, bagels, doughnuts, french toast, waffles, instand oatmeal, "bad, bad, bad." any dessert that isn't fruit, bad. basically anything besides, fruit, raw veggies, and I"m sure there are some things that are a sort of grain?? like couscous? but truely non processed would be just those three kids of things?????? THat would be a HUGE lifestyle change for me, so hmmmm.