6 “Healthy” Foods You Might Not Realize Are Highly Processed

Pre-packaged foods like pasta and rice are staples in a balanced diet, but items like potato chips and sugary snacks are clearly less healthy. For many processed packaged foods, label claims can muddle the lines between what is genuinely nutritious and what isn’t.

Recent studies indicate that ultra-processed foods can elevate the risk of over 30 health issues, including cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as mental health concerns. Therefore, the degree of processing and its effects on our bodies should be increasingly scrutinized.

While every food contributes to a healthy, balanced diet, not all foods hold the same nutritional value. It’s vital to approach your nutritional plan without solely relying on the claims made on food labels; consider how these foods fit into the broader context of your life and your goals, taking into account your unique health needs, financial situation, work commitments, and other life pressures.

Additionally, there’s no need to panic over headlines that warn of a “50% increased risk” of a disease from certain foods. While this sounds alarming, such statistics represent relative risks for the general population, not the individual.

This implies that these figures are not absolute; they depend on variables like the quantity of food consumed, frequency of intake, dietary diversity, and overall health risks.

Nutrition doesn’t exist in isolation, but understanding evidence, avoiding exaggerations, and considering context can help us make healthier choices. Below are some commonly misunderstood supermarket products.

“Premium” Ready Meals

Prepared meals such as lasagna, shepherd’s pie, and curry often labeled as “Finest” or “Best” are marketed as convenient shortcuts to balanced nutrition. Although the ingredient lists may seem appealing, including pasta, meat, cheese, and spices, cooking these dishes at home from scratch remains a more nutritious choice.

Ready meals frequently contain preservatives and stabilizers, often being overly salty for preservation, safety, and enhanced flavor.

Manufacturers that use fewer ingredients typically do so to cut costs, resulting in dishes that are often unbalanced and lacking in vegetables.

Cooking at home offers the added advantage of incorporating more vegetables and whole grains into your meals. Consider adding veggies to your ready-made meals for better nutrition without sacrificing convenience.

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Plant-Based “Milk”

Plant-based milk alternatives are marketed as “healthier” substitutes for traditional dairy products. However, they are not direct nutritional equivalents.

Dairy products undergo minimal processing, while plant-based alternatives are often highly processed, involving heating, juicing, and extracting, with nutrients like calcium added later but prone to settling at the bottom. If the carton isn’t shaken well, these nutrients often go undetected.

The health benefits of plant-based milk alternatives are still up for debate, as while they are great for those who cannot or choose not to consume traditional dairy, long-term consumption effects haven’t been thoroughly investigated.

Meat Alternatives

Much like plant-based milk, meat substitutes derive their health halo from being “plant-based.” However, it’s worth noting that chips, candy, and beverages can also be made from plants. The true benefit lies in consuming whole foods rather than heavily processed plant-based ingredients.

Reducing meat consumption, particularly processed varieties, is associated with improved overall health, but replacing one unhealthy component with another doesn’t necessarily yield health benefits.

Meal Replacement Drinks

These beverages often claim to deliver complete nutrition within calorie-controlled portions while requiring minimal preparation effort. While they might be useful in specific situations, such as illness or injury, they come with caveats.

While these drinks contain essential nutrients, they often lack natural food’s vital “biological activity,” compounds that promote health. Also, relying heavily on these formulations reduces dietary diversity, key for spreading risk and enjoyment in one’s diet, making it crucial to seek professional guidance for balanced nutrition.

Breakfast Cereals

Breakfast cereals can vary widely in nutrient content. Some are minimally processed and low in sugar, such as oats, while others are sugary and closely resemble dessert items.

Research has linked the consumption of breakfast cereals to improved overall nutrition. Context is vital when evaluating their role in your diet.

Granola/Protein Bars

This category features a wide range of products. Some bars are heavily processed, high in salt, sugar, and additives, yet context plays a significant role. Replacing whole foods with these bars may not promote health, but if you’re swapping out less healthy snacks, they can present some benefits. For many, the convenience, shelf-stability, and predictability of these bars can be advantageous, though they’re likely not a nutritious daily staple for most people.

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