Smart
or Stupid?
Many
of us assume that processed food is just any ready meal for us. Yes, mostly
processed food is ready made, but we are unaware of the true definition of
processed food. Processed food can be defines as foods that are packaged in
boxes, cans or bags. These foods need to be processed extensively to be edible
and are not found as in nature.
You should try avoiding processed food as much
as possible but, there are some foods that aren’t highly processed. When we
take a look at processed food, there are some foods that aren’t highly processed.
These foods consist of canned fruits and vegetables. They go through some
processing but not as much as other packaged foods.
In supermarkets today,
grocery shelves are full of all kinds of processed food. In fact, all of the
food that that is placed on the shelves is processed. This is because the item
has a shelf life. Anything that has a shelf life is processed. It has gone
through some sort of procedure that gives it that long shelf life. Many people
ask “how can we be sure that the food item has been processed”? Well, let’s think of it this way, how come
fresh fruits and vegetables don’t last as much as items in a packaged
container. That is only because those fresh and natural items have not been
drowned in pesticides and chemicals that will make them last longer. I agree
that some processed foods that we consume are difficult to make or sometimes
not even available to make at home yourself. For example, cereal is something
that cannot be made at home easily. When choosing what cereal you want to bring
home for you and your family, choose the product with the least amount of sugar
and fats. Whole grain cereal is what you
should be looking for when shopping at the grocery store. Everything else will
be very high in calories, fat, and sugar. Always pay attention to the nutrition
facts; it will help you decide what processed foods are better that other
ones. Processed foods are very high in
sugar and/or high fructose corn syrup, which is why it is crucial to avoid them
as much as possible. You can also purchase grains, bread, nuts and meats. These
are a few items that are highly difficult to make yourself at home or get on
your own. But, these items also fall into the category of the very low
processed items.
Also, many of us are unaware of the fact that processed
food items contain many artificial ingredients.
Processed foods may contain dozens of artificial chemicals that are in
no way real “food”. These include:
v Preservatives
v Artificial
colors
v Artificial
flavors—the term artificial flavor on the label may include 10 or more
chemicals.
v Texturants
– chemical that add texture to food
v Excess
salt
Many people state that
processed food is a healthy and less time consuming option. They state that
fruits and vegetables also undergo a chemical process. Again, you state that
fresh fruits and vegetables go through a chemical process but, why don’t they
last longer then? How come they only last for maybe even a week? Most processed
foods last a minimum of a month. The ultimate question comes down to, is time
more important or your health? The main reason people use processed food is to
save themselves time in the kitchen. Our body is very strong, but it is
breakable when it comes to feeding it. As many say, you are what you eat, and
processed food is the last thing you would want to be. You can prepare your kitchen in one day
during the week. You can make a tomato puree and have it ready for the week,
which is one less thing that will be processed that you consume.
Smart or stupid, the
choice is yours.
