Identifying Processed Foods and Whole Foods

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Processed Foods No. Whole Foods Yes.

Whole foods are the staple of any sustainable diet plan. Creating a diet plan that it is sustainable is essential. So implementing foods that are healthy to eat every day, day after day, is key to a sustainable diet. Finding foods that never get boring is not as difficult as one may think. Odds are you have local vendors and a regional grocery store chain within driving distance. Foods from around the world are available with a short trip to the grocery store.

Stepping outside the box of mindlessness that is the food marketing machine and getting some insight as to what real foods are and how they can change your life is more important than ever. Just as there are more ways than ever to sway from a healthy diet, there are more options than ever before from local vendors and the grocery stores to help you keep a healthy diet such as local produce, meats and other food stuffs. Not to mention that there are more sources than ever to learn about a healthy lifestyle from do it yourself bloggers online. Educating yourself on how to identify what is healthy and taking advantage of access to the abundance of foods available is the first step to enriching your life with the wisdom of healthy living.

Processed foods are foods that have been altered from their original state. Processed foods typically originate from whole foods but carry with them altered and denatured ingredients. These altered ingredients, often with long winded chemical names, are plaguing our food systems with long- term health risks. Instead of naming all the foods that are safe to eat, it is simpler to explain what processed foods are.

Important information about about processed foods:

Additives

Additives in general are not absorbed efficiently by the digestive system. They can wear on the body over time. Minimizing the amount additives one consumes will allow the body to function more efficiently.

Processed foods

“Processed food” simply means that the food has been handled in some way either prepped, bagged, baked, cut or roasted etcera. Minimally processed foods such as fresh cut and frozen fruits and vegetables are safe to consume on a consistent basis as long as they have come from a quality source , have safe packaging and have not be denatured by preservatives or other additives.

Pre-Cooked or Premade Foods

Foods that are precooked or premade are processed. Pre-cooked and premade foods tend to lose some of their nutritional value when they are reheated and often have been denatured depending on how they were prepped.