How some of your favourite processed foods are actually GOOD for your health
YOU MIGHT have noticed the term ‘ultra processed foods’ pinging about a lot in recent months, with many reporting how bad eating these can be for your health.
And while the term ‘processed food’ might sound pretty similar, there’s actually a difference between the two and what they can do to your body.
Registered nutritionist Rhiannon Lambert said many of her clients at the Rhitrition clinic will often ask her: ‘Should I cut out processed foods?’
But the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Science of Nutrition told The Sun: “Whilst ultra processed foods, such as sweets, many baked goods, and ready meals – which often lack much of the foods original fibre content and have added salt, fats, and sugar – should be limited in a healthy and balanced diet, there are some foods which may be processed that are actually highly nutritious.”
She went on to describe how to tell the difference between the two.
Processed vs ultra-processed foods
Food scientists use what is called the NOVA Classification System to put foods into one of four categories, Rhiannon explained.
These are: unprocessed and minimally processed foods; processed culinary ingredients; processed foods; and ultra-processed foods.
“Processed foods are products that have taken unprocessed foods, such as oats, fruits, veggies, meats, fish, grains, yoghurts etc, and added salt, oil, or sugar, to help preserve the shelf life and improve the taste and texture of the product,” the nutritionist explained.
She gave the examples of canned or bottled vegetables and legumes in brine; salted or sugared nuts and seeds; salted, dried, cured, or smoked meats and fish; canned fish (with or without added preservatives); fruit in syrup (with or without added antioxidants); and freshly made unpackaged breads and cheeses.
Meanwhile, ultra-processed foods are products that have undergone industrialised processing techniques, which alter the sensory properties of a food item, Rhiannon went on.
Often they’ll large quantities of a long list of ingredients added into them, such as salt, sugar, fats and flavour enhancers.
But colours, emulsifiers, and sweeteners, thickeners, and anti-foaming, bulking, carbonating, foaming, gelling, and glazing agents could also be added into the mix, the nutritionist said.
Ultra-processed foods will also have additives that extend their shelf life, protect original properties of the food or prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.
Some examples include many ready-to-consume products such as carbonated soft drinks and sweet or savoury packaged snacks, chocolate, candies, ice-cream, mass-produced packaged breads and buns.
But margarines and other spreads, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes,breakfast ‘cereals’, ‘energy’ bars and ‘energy’ drinks are also included.
And it might come as a surprise to you, but milk drinks, as well as ‘fruit’ yoghurts and ‘fruit’ drinks also make the list.
“Processed foods aren’t always automatically inferior or less healthy than fresher or less processed varieties,” Rhiannon stated.
“Many of the foods we buy in the supermarkets have undergone some form of processing,” she said.
But whether they’ve been minimally or highly processed will have a varying impact on their nutritional value, the nutriotionist explained.
“Often foods are processed to extend the shelf-life, to ensure that freshly harvested produce arrives in shops nearing their peak nutritional value, as well as to replace any lost vitamins or boost certain nutrients,” she went on.
Rhiannon shared nutrient-rich foods that are considered processed, but which remain highly nutritious and therefore should be included as part of a balanced, varied, and healthy diet.
1. Baked beans
“The humble baked bean” is actually considered a processed food.
Rhiannon said: “We often see these on shop shelves in tins, so we know that these have undergone some kind of processing, mainly to help extend the shelf life, but these are some of the most affordable and nutritious ingredients you can buy.”
Baked beans “and other types of beans such as kidney beans, black beans, and butter beans, are a great way of increasing your intake of B vitamins, iron, plant-based proteins, and fibre”, Rhiannon noted.
She said having a variety of beans can really help improve your gut health and make up some of the 30 plants its good to aim to eat weekly.
Rhiannon advised you opt for beans that are preserved in water rather than brine.
And if you’re buying sauce-covered ones, “make sure they are the reduced sugar and salt varieties”, she suggested.
2. Tinned or frozen fruit & veg
You might think that you have to buy fruit and vegetables fresh to reap their full nutritional value.
But according to Rhiannon, canning them “can mean that the fibre content is retained, especially when the skin is kept on”.
She advised you search fruit produced soaked in water rather than syrup or brine, to keep your added salt and sugar intake at a minimum.
The nutritionist added: “Likewise, frozen fruits and veg often have a slightly higher nutritional value than fresh produce when purchased, as these are frozen immediately after harvest, when they are at their peak nutrient density.”
3. Milk and fortified plant-based alternatives
“In the UK, milk is often processed with heating treatments and pasteurisation for preservation purposes to help keep it fresher for longer, and also for the safety of consuming milk,” Rhiannon explained.
She said it’s still extremely nutrient-rich, providing you with calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, protein, and carbohydrates too.
Milk alternatives – also processed – can also give you a vitamin hit.
Nut, pea, rice, oat, and coconut drinks all undergo processing – called fortification – and it’s this that makes sure you get added nutrients, such as calcium, iodine, vitamin D, and vitamin B12.
4. Wholegrain foods
“Whilst wholegrains themselves are not processed – hence the name – they are often added to foods that are, such as bread, and undergo processing there,” Rhiannon said.
But they can be a great source of fibre, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and plant-based proteins.
Rhiannon encouraged regular consumption, as it’s been linked to improved gut health, heart health and a reduced risk of cancers, diabetes, and obesity.
5. Tofu
Yep, tofu is yet another nutrient-dense food that’s undergone some form of processing, so it be sold and eaten as tofu, according to Rhiannon.
“This is often also fortified with nutrients like calcium too, which is great for those who follow a plant-based diet and therefore don’t consume dairy products as often.”