Spoiler alert: we ALL have a processed diet.
Everything we eat essentially goes through a process before it reaches our mouth - hence, we all eat “processed” foods by definition whether we like it or not.
However… there’s a catch.
The degree to which these foods are processed dictates whether or not our overall dietary pattern is nutritionally sound, irrespective of the fact that we are still consuming a “processed diet”.
There are four distinct levels of food processing, and this hierarchy influences how closely a food replicates its original counterpart before leaving a farm, and the amount of micronutrients that remain respectively.
Minimally Processed Foods: E.g. fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, milk, eggs, nuts and meat. These foods have only been slightly altered with the purpose of preservation and food safety hygiene, and still include the natural, edible part of the plant/animal without a substantial change in nutritional content. This can include picking, cleaning, peeling, grinding, pasteurising, fermenting, freezing or vacuum packaging the food.
Processed Culinary Ingredients: E.g. plant oils, flour (from any whole grain variety), white rice, honey, seeds. This is when a minimally processed food has then been further refined, pressed, ground or milled to yield a separate ingredient.
Processed Foods: E.g. cheese, bread, tofu, canned fish, plant milks. This is generally when sugar, salt, oils, or other minimally processed ingredients have been added to a minimally processed food to enhance flavour, mouth-feel, and shelf life.
Ultra/Highly Processed Foods: E.g. potato chips, soft drinks, cereals, crackers, candy, ice cream etc. This is when a processed food is further refined and modified by the addition of artificial colours, flavours, preservatives, and supplementary ingredients to create a food that is furthest from its original source/s (nutritionally and visually). These foods are generally labelled as EDNP, which stands for “energy dense nutrient poor” foods.
Overall, a diet can be simultaneously processed and healthy, and processing food is vital for hygiene, safety, preservation, transport, and minimising food waste 😌