When we talk about processed foods we are not only referring to foods such as pizza, pasta and cakes. Actually, there are a wide variety of processed foods that are healthy .
Some of the healthiest foods must be processed in some way for consumption. For example, among the processed and healthy foods, we have oat flakes, pistachios, canned chickpeas and olive oil, among others. That is why when judging a food, there are many factors that must be taken into account, and not only if it is processed or not.
Not only can processed foods be healthy, they can even help us lose weight if they are prepared correctly. For that we are going to clarify what are the common mistakes when buying (or rather, avoiding) processed foods.
How to lose weight by eating processed foods
1. Choose healthy processed foods over ultra-processed foods
There is a big difference between processed foods like plain yogurt and canned tomatoes and ultra-processed foods like “light” lemonade or a brownie flavored yogurt packed with artificial flavorings and sweeteners. All of these have been processed in some way, but the grade and quality of raw material varies greatly.
Ultra-processed foods can contain artificial additives like colors, sweeteners, and flavorings. Therefore, if consumed regularly, they can have negative health effects, including weight gain.
One study looked at the impact of an ultra- processed diet versus a minimally processed one. One group consumed ultra-processed foods (flavored yogurts, etc.), while the other consumed foods such as oatmeal, salad, chicken and meat, couscous and beans. Both groups could eat as much as they wanted. After two weeks, the ultra-processed group gained 1 kg, while the other group lost approximately 1 kg and consumed about 500 fewer calories per day (Hall, et al, 2019).
2. Do not limit yourself to buying only in the fresh section
The old trick of shopping on the perimeter of the supermarket is out of date. The foods that are usually found in the fresh food sectors are, without a doubt, super healthy, but we must also make the most of other sectors. If you skip the middle, you miss out on nutritious foods like beans, oatmeal, and nuts. Legumes, on the other hand, are rich in nutrients, inexpensive, and easy to store.
The intention behind this shopping tip is good because it is true that there are many ultra-processed foods in the middle sectors of the supermarket, but there are also many healthy, minimally processed and less expensive foods.
3.Read the ingredient list
If you are trying to eat healthier, then you should get into the habit of reading the ingredient lists of the foods you eat . For example, there are bars with a good balance of carbohydrates, fiber, fat and protein, with vitamins and minerals that may seem healthy. However, if you look at the ingredient list, you will see some unhealthy ones like palm oil, maltitol, polydextrose, sugars or sucralose.
By looking at the ingredient list, you will be able to get a more complete picture of the quality of each product. Generally speaking, the fewer ingredients a food has, the better . In addition, you must ensure that they do not contain flavors, flavor enhancers, preservatives, sugars and poor quality oils.
To know if a food is ultra-processed you must read the ingredients. For example, you can find a peanut butter whose ingredients are only peanuts, which would be a better option than a peanut butter with added salt or added sugar or oil.
4. Do not be scared of the ingredients that you do not know
“There are a lot of mixed messages in the media like ‘If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, you shouldn’t eat it’ or ‘Don’t eat a food with more than five ingredients.’ These are nothing more than scare tactics ”,
Bonnie Taub-Dix, Dietitian creator of Betterthandieting.com and author of Read It Before You Eat It – Taking You from Label to Table
In some cases, the added ingredients are good. You may not know what ascorbic acid means and think that it is a terrible added chemical, when in reality it is just vitamin C.
If you don’t know an ingredient, look it up. You should educate yourself, but don’t miss out on nutritious food just because there’s an ingredient you can’t pronounce.
5. Learn the different names for sugar and salt.
Added sugar and salt can be misleading on an ingredient list because they have so many names. You should be aware that sugar has many different names . There is high fructose corn syrup, organic cane sugar, and many more.
Other common names for added sugar, according to the University of California San Francisco are agave nectar, barley malt, beet sugar, cane juice, carob syrup, fructose, sucralose, maltodextrin, molasses, palm sugar, sugar cane, rice syrup and sorghum syrup, among others.
The American Heart Association (2017) shares the different names for salt , including disodium guanylate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium nitrate, sodium citrate, sodium glutamate, sodium lactate, and sodium phosphate. The sodium content will also appear on the Nutrition Facts panel, so be sure to read it carefully before purchasing.
References
- 21 Ingredients (that mean soidum) To watch on the label for The American Heart Association [Revised February 2017]
- Hall, KD, Ayuketah, A., Brychta, R., Walter, PJ, Yang, S., Zhou, M. (2019) Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake. Cell Metabolism. doi: 10.1016 / j.cmet.2019.05.008
- Hidden in Plain Sight. For University of California, San Francisco [Revised March 2020]
