Source: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6442471055
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Processed food doesn't only mean it's always junk food. Here is an news article that may surprise you;
Image Sources:
MommiesWithCents_FoodColors.jpg
Cohabitaire-RawFood-05.jpg
Question-Mark-made-of-Food_Borders2.jpg
Processed food doesn't only mean it's always junk food. Here is an news article that may surprise you;
Avoiding Processed Foods?
Surprise! This is Processed Too!
Reviewed by Sharon Denny, MS, RDN
Processed food has a bad reputation as a diet saboteur. It's blamed for our
nation's obesity epidemic, high blood pressure and the prevalence of type 2
diabetes. But processed food is more than boxed macaroni and cheese, potato
chips and drive-thru hamburgers. It may surprise you to learn that whole-wheat
bread, homemade soup or a chopped apple are also processed foods.
While some processed foods should be consumed with caution, many actually
have a place in a balanced diet. Here's how to sort the nutritious from the
not-so-nutritious.
What Is Processed Food?
"We have to determine what processed really means when we're talking
about processed food," says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson
Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD. She says, for example, that she considers white bread
refined since most of the healthy fiber has been removed during the
processing. "It's also processed, but keep in mind, that as a cook you're doing
processing yourself. Have you ever heard of something called a food processor? I
think we get really caught up in the word processed without realizing
what it truly means."
Processed food falls on a spectrum from minimally to heavily processed:
The Positives of Processed
Processed food can be beneficial to your diet.
the ingredients list and review the nutrition facts panel. Food is complex and
we need to get to know it."
Look for Hidden Sugar, Sodium and Fat
Eating processed food in moderation is fine, but consumers should be on the
lookout for hidden sugar, sodium and fat.
Sugar
"We have tons of added sugars in our food supply,"
says Giancoli. "We think that just because a product says 'organic' or
'natural,' that means it's better and healthier for us, but that's not always
the case… whether [a product] has added high-fructose corn syrup or natural cane
sugar, we need to be wary of both."
Sugar isn't just hidden in processed sweets. It's added to bread to give it
an appealing browned hue, and there's often a surprising amount added to jarred
pasta sauces and cereal. The number of carbohydrates on the nutrition label also
includes naturally occurring sugars which may be a significant amount in foods
like yogurt and fruit. Instead, review a product's ingredients list and look for
added sugars among the first two or three ingredients such as sugar, maltose,
brown sugar, corn syrup, cane sugar, honey and fruit juice concentrate.
Sodium
Most canned vegetables, soups and sauces have
added sodium, which enhances taste and texture, and acts as a preservative. We
need some sodium, but we often consume much more than the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans' recommended 2,300 mg a day (1,500 mg a day for those over 51 years of
age, or African Americans, diabetics and those with hypertension or chronic
kidney disease). High sodium intake is linked to hypertension, or high blood
pressure.
Surprisingly, a heavy hand with table salt may not be to blame for our
overconsumption of sodium. "Three quarters of our sodium intake comes from
processed foods," says Giancoli. "Only 20 or 25 percent of it comes from salting
our food. The salt shaker is not the major problem."
Canned vegetables, soups and beans can be packed with nutrients, so don't
cross them off your shopping list entirely. Instead, look for reduced or low
sodium on labels. "Buy products light in sodium, and then sprinkle a little bit
of salt on top if you need it," suggests Giancoli. "You're still going to get a
lot less sodium than if you bought the regular product." Also, always rinse
canned beans and vegetables – this simple step reduces sodium content by about
40 percent.
Fats
Added fat helps make food shelf-stable and gives it
body. Trans fats — which raise our bad cholesterol while lowering our
good — are on the decline in processed foods, but you should still read
food labels. According to the FDA, a product can still claim it has zero trans
fats if each serving has less than half a gram of the fat.
"If [a product] has a really small serving size and you're eating three or
four servings, [trans fats] add up," says Giancoli. "Even if a product says it
has zero trans fat, check the ingredients list. If it contains partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils, then it's going to have to have some amount of
trans fat in it."
Reviewed April 2013
Surprise! This is Processed Too!
Reviewed by Sharon Denny, MS, RDN
Processed food has a bad reputation as a diet saboteur. It's blamed for our
nation's obesity epidemic, high blood pressure and the prevalence of type 2
diabetes. But processed food is more than boxed macaroni and cheese, potato
chips and drive-thru hamburgers. It may surprise you to learn that whole-wheat
bread, homemade soup or a chopped apple are also processed foods.
While some processed foods should be consumed with caution, many actually
have a place in a balanced diet. Here's how to sort the nutritious from the
not-so-nutritious.
What Is Processed Food?
"We have to determine what processed really means when we're talking
about processed food," says Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Spokesperson
Andrea Giancoli, MPH, RD. She says, for example, that she considers white bread
refined since most of the healthy fiber has been removed during the
processing. "It's also processed, but keep in mind, that as a cook you're doing
processing yourself. Have you ever heard of something called a food processor? I
think we get really caught up in the word processed without realizing
what it truly means."
Processed food falls on a spectrum from minimally to heavily processed:
- Minimally processed foods — like bagged spinach, cut vegetables and roasted
nuts — are often simply pre-prepped for convenience. - Foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality and freshness
include canned beans, tomatoes, frozen fruit and vegetables, and canned
tuna. - Foods with ingredients added for flavor and texture (sweeteners, spices,
oils, colors and preservatives) include jarred pasta sauce, salad dressing,
yogurt and cake mixes. - Ready-to-eat foods, like crackers, granola, and deli meat, are more heavily
processed. - The most heavily processed foods often are frozen or pre-made meals like
frozen pizza and microwaveable dinners.
The Positives of Processed
Processed food can be beneficial to your diet.
- Milk and juices are sometimes fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and
breakfast cereal may have added fiber. Canned fruit (packed in water or its own
juice) is a good option when fresh fruit is not available. - Some minimally processed food like pre-cut vegetables are quality
convenience foods for busy people. "Bagged vegetables and salads are helping
people eat more vegetables," says Giancoli. "They're more expensive, but if your
choice is between paying less and chopping it when you know you're not going to
do that, and paying a little more for the bagged vegetable you know you're going
to eat, the [bagged vegetable] is a better choice."
the ingredients list and review the nutrition facts panel. Food is complex and
we need to get to know it."
Look for Hidden Sugar, Sodium and Fat
Eating processed food in moderation is fine, but consumers should be on the
lookout for hidden sugar, sodium and fat.
Sugar
"We have tons of added sugars in our food supply,"
says Giancoli. "We think that just because a product says 'organic' or
'natural,' that means it's better and healthier for us, but that's not always
the case… whether [a product] has added high-fructose corn syrup or natural cane
sugar, we need to be wary of both."
Sugar isn't just hidden in processed sweets. It's added to bread to give it
an appealing browned hue, and there's often a surprising amount added to jarred
pasta sauces and cereal. The number of carbohydrates on the nutrition label also
includes naturally occurring sugars which may be a significant amount in foods
like yogurt and fruit. Instead, review a product's ingredients list and look for
added sugars among the first two or three ingredients such as sugar, maltose,
brown sugar, corn syrup, cane sugar, honey and fruit juice concentrate.
Sodium
Most canned vegetables, soups and sauces have
added sodium, which enhances taste and texture, and acts as a preservative. We
need some sodium, but we often consume much more than the Dietary Guidelines for
Americans' recommended 2,300 mg a day (1,500 mg a day for those over 51 years of
age, or African Americans, diabetics and those with hypertension or chronic
kidney disease). High sodium intake is linked to hypertension, or high blood
pressure.
Surprisingly, a heavy hand with table salt may not be to blame for our
overconsumption of sodium. "Three quarters of our sodium intake comes from
processed foods," says Giancoli. "Only 20 or 25 percent of it comes from salting
our food. The salt shaker is not the major problem."
Canned vegetables, soups and beans can be packed with nutrients, so don't
cross them off your shopping list entirely. Instead, look for reduced or low
sodium on labels. "Buy products light in sodium, and then sprinkle a little bit
of salt on top if you need it," suggests Giancoli. "You're still going to get a
lot less sodium than if you bought the regular product." Also, always rinse
canned beans and vegetables – this simple step reduces sodium content by about
40 percent.
Fats
Added fat helps make food shelf-stable and gives it
body. Trans fats — which raise our bad cholesterol while lowering our
good — are on the decline in processed foods, but you should still read
food labels. According to the FDA, a product can still claim it has zero trans
fats if each serving has less than half a gram of the fat.
"If [a product] has a really small serving size and you're eating three or
four servings, [trans fats] add up," says Giancoli. "Even if a product says it
has zero trans fat, check the ingredients list. If it contains partially
hydrogenated vegetable oils, then it's going to have to have some amount of
trans fat in it."
Reviewed April 2013