Fitness & Performance Nutrition Series: Topic 3

Learn about processed food!

Many of the foods we eat throughout are day are processed. From the milk we pour into our coffee in the morning to the granola bars we eat for an afternoon snack. However, did you know there are different levels of food processing that allow some foods to help us perform better than others throughout our day? Check out the tips below to learn more about processed foods and how to live with them rather than avoid them all together.

how to live with processed foods rather than avoid them all together.

What is processed food?
  • Any food that has been altered in some way during preparation.
  • This includes washing, canning, freezing, chopping, baking, cooking, or adding additional ingredients.
  • You have no control over the amount of salt, sugar, fat, and preservatives in processed food, but you do have control over what you choose to buy! Pay attention to food labels when grocery shopping.
Minimally processed foods, such as fresh berries, pre-cut vegetables, roasted nuts, milk, cheese, and oil are simply prepared for convenience • Some foods are processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality and freshness. These include canned tomatoes or fish, and frozen fruit and vegetables. The most heavily processed foods are often the most convenient, such as crackers, chips, deli meat, soft drinks, frozen dinners and pizza, chips, and most sugary breakfast cereals
Why is it important to eat minimally processed whole foods?

  • Minimally processed whole foods (e.g., grains, nuts, eggs, fish) contain a vast selection of vitamins, minerals, fibre, and essential fatty acids. These contribute to a longer life with lowered risk of developing chronic health conditions.

  • Minimally processed whole foods are limited in additives, preservatives, fillers, excess sugar, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and/or refined starch.

  • You should enjoy your favourite snack food once in a while, as ling as you consume these foods in moderation and mostly eat whole, minimally processed foods!

The goal with eating minimally processed whole foods isn't to get things "perfect". Instead, focus on making them "just a bit better". You shouldn’t avoid highly processed foods entirely to have a healthy diet overall. Do you pay attention to how food makes you feel throughout the day?

 

The process of making a whole food item a processed food item
vegetable: fresh carrots -> canned carrots -> veggie straws fruit: apple -> apple sauce -> apple muffin
grains: brown rice -> white rice -> rice puff cereal protein: baked whole chicken -> fried chicken -> chicken nuggets
fat: shelled peanuts -> peanut butter -> peanut butter cookies Do most of the foods you consume fall more to the left (whole, more nutrients) or right (highly processed, less nutrients) side?

 

How does processing change the nutritional contents of food?
  • Next time you pick up your canned green beans, jar of applesauce, or a box of high-protein granola bars, be sure to keep an eye out for the nutrition label and ingredient list.
  • Salt, sugar, and fat give more flavour to foods, increase shelf life, or add to the structure of foods like bread.
  •  If your current diet consists mainly of highly processed foods and you’re looking to make a change, start by focusing on one step at a time.
  • If you typically have anywhere from 3-5 highly processed meals per week, start by replacing 1 or 2 of those with whole minimally processed nutrient-dense meals.
  • Building healthy sustainable nutrition habits is all about progress not perfection! Celebrate the little victories along the path of nutritional literacy.
have you ever compared the nutrients between two similar products? banana vs banana bread cheeseburger and fries vs steak and mashed potatoes