The Great Processed Food Debate: Finding Balance in a Convenient World

"Eat whole foods!" "Eliminate processed foods!" "Processed foods are the devil!" Sound familiar? While eating whole foods is great advice, completely eliminating processed foods might be pretty unrealistic for most of us. So how do we navigate our processed-food-filled world and strike a balance between healthy, convenient, and satisfying?

Let's simplify this by thinking about food processing on a spectrum versus whether it’s either good or bad. On one end, we have pure, unaltered foods like fresh produce. Moving along, we encounter minimally processed foods - think pre-cut vegetables, canned beans, frozen fruits, whole grain oats, and brown rice. Yes, those convenient pre-cut fruits in your fridge and frozen veggies in your freezer are technically processed, and that’s not a bad thing.

As we continue right on our spectrum, we find foods that undergo more significant changes. Manufacturers add sugar, salt, fat, and preservatives for taste and longevity. This is where you'll find most cereals, sodas, pre-packaged snacks, many plant-based milk alternatives, protein powders, and bars. The ingredient list is often longer and filled with things we’re not sure how to pronounce let alone know exactly what they are. 

Now, think about your grocery store. Notice how processed and ultra-processed foods dominate the shelves? Telling someone to avoid processed foods in today's world is like giving a child their allowance in a candy store while instructing them not to buy sweets. With busy schedules, convenience needs, rising grocery costs, and don’t forget the tastiness factor, processed foods check a lot of boxes so it's no wonder we reach for these options. On the other hand, while easier on the wallet at checkout, an abundance of ultra-processed foods can be quite costly in the long run. These foods are often calorically dense and nutrient deficient leading to negative outcomes when eaten in excess. They can however, when chosen mindfully and boundaries around quantity, very much be part of a healthy, reasonably priced, and satisfying diet.

Here's a potentially surprising take: ultra-processed foods aren't the villain - it's our relationship with them that needs attention and how much we are eating. Quality and quantity are important factors. Many of these foods are undeniably delicious, and once we start, it can be hard to stop (like that mouse with the cookie!). We are also fighting some powerful forces when it comes to these ultra-processed foods. As UCLA Health shares, by their very design they are ultra palatable and not satiating. So do we need to kick all processed foods to the curb? Not so fast. While social media might push us toward extreme solutions - eliminate all sugar! cut out all processed foods! - remember the fat-free craze? How did that work out? We need balance and keep in mind balance is not a static state in the literal or figurative sense. 

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Let’s take a more grounded approach and be more thoughtful with our choices. Start by understanding your current situation. Before making drastic changes, track your food intake for a week (or even three days if that's more manageable). Choose typical days, not holidays or travel time. This baseline helps you measure progress and make informed decisions about opportunities for change. (If you’d like to learn more about food logging check out one of my earlier blogs.)

Your next steps depend on your goals. Take weight loss, for example. Two protein shakes made with oat milk count as four servings of ultra-processed foods, but that's different from four candy bars each day. Those shakes, combined with whole foods throughout the day, might help you hit your protein goals while leaving room for an occasional treat - all while staying within your calorie targets. Chances are those 4 candy bars are going to put a whammy on your calorie intake and nutritional return pretty low. There’s some give and take here that is important to consider based on your goals and where your life is right now. Maybe some of those processed foods in the grocery story allow you to get dinner on the table on busy nights and you add a vegetable or fruit versus going through a drive thru. Those rotisserie chickens are a life saver for a quick protein and hard to beat the price. I can get one for $5 at Sam’s Club.

If ultra-processed foods currently make up most of your diet, start small. Modify one meal - choose the one you have the most control over. You might swap out heavily processed items for lighter alternatives or focus on reducing portion sizes while maintaining convenience. Keep a flexible mindset and understand the choices you are making weighing the pros and cons. 

The key takeaway? Not all processed foods are created equally, and you don't need to eliminate any of them entirely to maintain a healthy diet. Some processing can even make nutritious foods more accessible and convenient. Frozen fruits and vegetables can be less costly and sometimes more nutritious than their whole counterparts. The goal isn't perfection - it's finding a sustainable balance that you can adapt as needed to make it work for your life.

Want to explore this topic further? Let's connect and create a personalized approach that works for you.