HOW TO CUT OUT ULTRAPROCESSED FOOD

Are you looking for a simple and inexpensive approach to improve the overall health of you and your family?

Cutting out processed food can help!

Keep in mind that the word processed is a very general term. Processed foods include any food that has been consciously changed before it is consumed. Therefore, anytime you modify the food from its natural state, it’s essentially considered processed. However, some processed foods are not as health challenging as others. Minimally processed foods preserve most of their nutritional and physical properties. Examples include roasted nut packets and bagged fruits and vegetables. Also processed foods that preserve the nutrients and freshness of foods like canned tuna, beans and tomatoes, as well as frozen fruits and vegetables. Other healthy processed foods include some sauces, as well as cereal, crackers, nut butters, yogurt and milk fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

The trouble lies in knowing which ones to include in your diet and which processed foods pose a real threat to your health.

The ultra processed foods are the real issue.

It's the ultra processed foods, snacks and meals high in added sugars, sodium, unhealthy fats, as well as artificial colors and flavorings we should be avoiding, as consuming too many of these can lead to health problems.

Specific studies conclude that the ingredients added to these ultra processed foods are linked to chronic health problems, including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and some types of cancer.

Some of these foods include cookies, chips and cakes that we all know and think of as processed foods. These would be the ones that are not so healthy for us, as well as sugar-sweetened beverages and highly processed meats such as ham, salami, bacon, frankfurts and sausages.

A few key points to take into account the next time you go grocery shopping…

SEARCH FOR THE WHOLE FOODS:

• Made from scratch

• 100% whole grain

• Natural sweeteners (including honey and pure maple syrup), in moderation

• Packaged foods with five or fewer whole ingredients

• Locally raised and organic meat products

• Beverages to include only water, milk, plant-based milks, occasional all-natural juices and naturally sweetened teas.

AVOID THE PROCESSED FOODS:

• Packaged foods that contain ingredients you would not cook with at home

• Refined grains such as white flour

• Refined sweeteners such as white sugar

• Artificial sweeteners, dyes and flavors

• Factory farmed meat

• Deep-fried food

• Fast food

Don’t forget to check out my website on more healthy eating tips and nutritional advice: @nutricionistagloriacontreras

@natuyenutricion