What exactly is "processed" food?

[Jean in Newcastle]

Is it only food that has chemical preservatives and additives? Does it include the fresh pico de gallo that I can buy already prepared at the grocery store? I know that it is "bad" but I realized today that I don't totally know what is included.

[acurtis75]

Check out the blog 100 Days of Realp Food. It really helped me clarify the concept. Theoretically fresh pico de gallo shouldn't be processed if it was made in the store without preservatives.

 

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/

 

All the recipes I've tried from the blog are good also. In the spirit of full disclosure I just told dh tonight we are the worst flexitarians ( a word I recently learned for people eating less meat and dairy) ever and I would give our efforts to cut out processed foods about a C+ right now. We're trying but it's a slow process. I do okay with meals at home but it's the planning ahead that kills me. I've got to get better about lunch and snack food for on the go and when we travel.

[Dory]

I've always considered it to be any foods with chemicals, preservatives or food that has undergone refining before use.

[Jean in Newcastle]

OK - this is basically the definition I've been taking.

 

 

acurtis - I love that blog!

[wintermom]

I've always considered it to be any foods with chemicals, preservatives or food that has undergone refining before use.

 

:iagree: Though thinking about specific items, would homemade strawberry jam be considered "processed" because I added pectin and sugar? How about homemade pickles, with vinegar and salt? Or homemade beef jerky, smoked and salted? I'm not sure I would say that these items were processed.

[IsabelC]

Technically, I think it's a continuum rather than a processed/non-processed dichotomy. If I use raw milk and culture to make cheese, it's minimal processing. If I buy 'cheese' that can be stored for years in the cupboard because of goodness knows what they put in it, that's highly processed. Any cooking at all is a form of processing.

 

Colloquially, we usually talk about processed foods when referring to stuff that is processed with ingredients and equipment not found in a home kitchen.

[garddwr]

Technically, I think it's a continuum rather than a processed/non-processed dichotomy. If I use raw milk and culture to make cheese, it's minimal processing. If I buy 'cheese' that can be stored for years in the cupboard because of goodness knows what they put in it, that's highly processed. Any cooking at all is a form of processing.

 

Colloquially, we usually talk about processed foods when referring to stuff that is processed with ingredients and equipment not found in a home kitchen.

 

:iagree:

Basically, anything that is done to food is processing--cooking is a process, so is butchering, so is cutting up a piece of fruit. I think the goal is usually less processing so the food is in its more natural state, although processing can sometimes add value--milk fermented into yoghurt has many advantages over unfermented milk, for example, and most of us aren't interested in eating raw meat on a regular basis!

 

Highly processed food is the kind that we usually want to avoid because it has lost much of its nutritional value--white flour with the germ (and most of the nutrients) removed, things with lots of chemical preservatives added, etc.. I like the rule of thumb that if you can't tell what the food originally was it's probably not very good for you.

[happypamama]

Technically, I think it's a continuum rather than a processed/non-processed dichotomy. If I use raw milk and culture to make cheese, it's minimal processing. If I buy 'cheese' that can be stored for years in the cupboard because of goodness knows what they put in it, that's highly processed. Any cooking at all is a form of processing.

 

Colloquially, we usually talk about processed foods when referring to stuff that is processed with ingredients and equipment not found in a home kitchen.

 

:iagree:

[mymonkeybug]

A good rule of thumb I suggest to people that ask me about my Organic eating habits and more healthy food consumption is that if you buy it in the center aisles of the store(regardless of whether Whole Foods type store or regular Food Lion type store)it is more processed and contains more ingredients, some of which you may not want to ingest. If you stay in the perimeter of the store(outer aisles of produce, meats, dairy, and such)it is less processed.

 

Just my opinion for what it's worth :D

[Firefly]

I think of it as a continuum as well. The farther away a food is from its natural state, the more processed it is.

[K&Rs Mom]

I agree with the idea of a continuum - we "process" things at home too, even if it's just cutting up an apple, so that's not always a bad thing. One rule we use is that if you have to be told it's food or drink, it's actually not (like a package labeled "cheese food" or "juice drink").

[wintermom]

I agree with the idea of a continuum - we "process" things at home too, even if it's just cutting up an apple, so that's not always a bad thing. One rule we use is that if you have to be told it's food or drink, it's actually not (like a package labeled "cheese food" or "juice drink").

 

Love it!! It's so true. We kid around at family gatherings sometimes and call our chips "potato salad," and the cheesies "cheese platter." You have to be reminded that chips are made from potatoes and cheesies might have some form of cheese in them.

[angela in ohio]

I think most people mean that it was artificially preserved or that extra ingredients were added that you wouldn't add if making the item at home.

[wintermom]

I think most people mean that it was artificially preserved or that extra ingredients were added that you wouldn't add if making the item at home.

 

Then what do you do with a "food processor" at home?

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Here's the basic rule I follow.

[wintermom]

Here's the basic rule I follow.

 

Miracle Whip goes bad, and I'm not convinced it's "good" for me. I prefer mayo, and it's definitely not good for me!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Technically, I think it's a continuum rather than a processed/non-processed dichotomy. If I use raw milk and culture to make cheese, it's minimal processing. If I buy 'cheese' that can be stored for years in the cupboard because of goodness knows what they put in it, that's highly processed. Any cooking at all is a form of processing.

 

Colloquially, we usually talk about processed foods when referring to stuff that is processed with ingredients and equipment not found in a home kitchen.

 

OK - this is where I was getting confused and it helps to think of it this way. Thanks!

[stripe]

Then what do you do with a "food processor" at home?

Grind or shred things.

 

I don't consider a shredded carrot a "processed" food item. With that definition, anything other than eating a dirty carrot straight out of the ground is eating "processed" food, as I would about weirdly homogeneous, pink lunchmeats.

[Jean in Newcastle]

mmmm....:spam:

 

I just always wanted to use that smiley. :D

 

:lol::lol::lol:

[TravelingChris]

Well we have greatly reduced the amount of processed foods we eat because dd is allergic to a very common preservative (also found naturally in most fruits). What has been strange is how sometimes she can eat the cheaper brands of a food but not the costlier ones. For example, she can use Publix half and half but not Land's End. Same with some bakery items- she can't eat any Little Debbie snacks but can eat some brand I never heard of snack. Some foods tend to be fine for her but breads are very iffy- Pepperidge Farm is good, Arnold's is bad, Wonder it depends, etc, etc. She has lots of problems with bakery items, and many other items too.

[justLisa]

I have my own definition and that makes everything else ok for us to eat :D

 

And i would NOT consider fresh salsa processed.

[cin]

I do okay with meals at home but it's the planning ahead that kills me. I've got to get better about lunch and snack food for on the go and when we travel.

 

This hit us on Tuesday. We ended up at McDonald's. :leaving:

 

We were both starving after our veggie lunch. I had a headache, and dd8 was almost in tears.

 

That plus just learning. A bowl of lettuce will not last me more than an hour. Now, add beans or some grilled organic chicken, and that'll do me much longer.

[Jean in Newcastle]

This hit us on Tuesday. We ended up at McDonald's. :leaving:

 

We were both starving after our veggie lunch. I had a headache, and dd8 was almost in tears.

 

That plus just learning. A bowl of lettuce will not last me more than an hour. Now, add beans or some grilled organic chicken, and that'll do me much longer.

 

I'm fortunate in that a grocery store in the area has a salad bar including protein selections. That has made those spur of the moment eating-on-the-run times doable.

[NASDAQ]

It's food that White People (a la Stuff White People Like), don't like :001_huh:\

 

All food is processed by the time it gets to the store.

[acurtis75]

This hit us on Tuesday. We ended up at McDonald's. :leaving:

 

We were both starving after our veggie lunch. I had a headache, and dd8 was almost in tears.

 

That plus just learning. A bowl of lettuce will not last me more than an hour. Now, add beans or some grilled organic chicken, and that'll do me much longer.

 

We just can't bring ourselves to do McDonalds but Whataburger is where we end up if we don't plan. Dh and I sat down last night and discussed getting back on track so we're doing salads every night this week. We use eggs & beans and lots of cut up veggies for protein and I also add olives and chia seeds for a little fat which helps us to stay full longer.

 

We also juice and I make extra to carry with me during the day to stave off he hunger and keep me out of the Whataburger line.

 

The 100 days of real food blog has a great recipe for homemade Lara bars which we sometimes take for protein snacks. They are really easy to make and taste good. We've done the peanut butter and date version and the one with dates and sunflower seeds. Th were really easy to make, taste good and made for great snacks.

 

What a really need is a magic kitchen fairy to come to my house and do all th meal planning and shopping. The cooking is no problem it's the planning that gets me every time:tongue_smilie:

[Denisemomof4]

This hit us on Tuesday. We ended up at McDonald's. :leaving:

 

We were both starving after our veggie lunch. I had a headache, and dd8 was almost in tears.

 

That plus just learning. A bowl of lettuce will not last me more than an hour. Now, add beans or some grilled organic chicken, and that'll do me much longer.

 

Iyou need healthy fats!!! Avacado, nuts, good oils....

[angela in ohio]

Then what do you do with a "food processor" at home?

 

I don't have one! :lol:

 

Obviously, most food we eat has been "processed" in some way, if we use the most general definition. But that's not what the term "processed food" means to most people. Words often have more than one meaning.

[SKL]

No time to read all of this, but when I hear "processed food" I think it means "whatever I'm being accused of feeding my kids when someone on the internet takes issue with my non-cooking, picnic-on-the-go lifestyle. Even if what we're eating is organic fresh fruit/veg, cheese/yogurt, and whole-grain cereal/pbj. :001_smile:

[Jean in Newcastle]

No time to read all of this, but when I hear "processed food" I think it means "whatever I'm being accused of feeding my kids when someone on the internet takes issue with my non-cooking, picnic-on-the-go lifestyle. Even if what we're eating is organic fresh fruit/veg, cheese/yogurt, and whole-grain cereal/pbj. :001_smile:

 

:D

[IsabelC]

No time to read all of this, but when I hear "processed food" I think it means "whatever I'm being accused of feeding my kids when someone on the internet takes issue with my non-cooking, picnic-on-the-go lifestyle. Even if what we're eating is organic fresh fruit/veg, cheese/yogurt, and whole-grain cereal/pbj. :001_smile:

 

ROFL

Edited August 2, 2012 by Hotdrink