Any food tinned, cooked, refrigerated, sterilized, or packed is considered processed.
Canned veggies, frozen fruits, and sterilized dairy products can all be healthy in moderation, as can many other processed items. On the other hand, some highly processed foods are laden with salt, sugar, chemicals, and preservatives that are harmful to your health.
One of the most efficient strategies for improving your health and diet quality is to reduce your consumption of such highly processed foods.
One of the first things I tell folks to do when they seek me for nutritional guidance is to stop eating processed foods.
To assist you in eating less packaged food, here are ten simple, practical, and realistic ways to do it.
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Having a supply of healthful snacks on hand is an excellent first step.
If you're pressed for time, a quick bite to eat may be enticing.
But if you have a wide variety of healthy, portable snacks in your kitchen, it will be much easier to make good choices when you're on the road.
Fresh fruits, almonds, edamame, and vegetables with hummus are some of my best healthy snacks.
Preparing essential snacks in advance is also an option if you have the time. It's easy to whip up hard-boiled eggs, turkey roll-ups, homemade kale chips, and overnight oatmeal in an instant.
- Use whole grains instead than refined ones.
You may easily limit your consumption of processed foods by exchanging them for whole foods.
Additionally, you can substitute refined grains like white rice and white bread for brown rice, whole grain bread, and tortillas.
Research has shown that whole grains include more vital nutrients like fibers. Still, they also help reduce the risk of developing diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer.
- Use your imagination when cooking.
If you're up for a challenge, try remaking some of your favorite processed foods in your home. As a result of this method, you can experiment with new substances while maintaining complete control over what you eat.
Veggie chips, for example, can be made by tossing potatoes, zucchini, turnip, or carrot slices with olive oil and salt, then roasting them until they're browned and crisp.
In addition to making your homemade chia pudding and granola bars, you can also make air-popped popcorn and fruit leather at home.
In my opinion, I prefer to cook my favorite meals at home rather than order takeout. Additionally, this makes it easy to consume more whole foods, including fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, by stocking up on items such as these.
- Consume more water to stay hydrated.
Sodas, sweet teas, fruit juices, and sports drinks all include a lot of sugar and calories but little of the nutrients your body needs.
To cut down on the amount of processed food you consume, you can gradually substitute these beverages for water during the day.
If plain water isn't your cup of tea, you may always go for sparkling or flavored water. Alternatively, you can add flavor to your water by infusing it with fruit or herbs.
- Consider meal preparing as an option.
You'll never run out of healthful food if you prepare vast batches of meals once or twice every week and store them in the refrigerator.
There are several benefits of making your food, such as making it less tempting to grab a fast food meal when you're in a time crunch.
Determine how many meals you want to cook each week, then schedule a specific time each day for cooking.
Additionally, I prefer to find a few recipes that use comparable items so that I may rotate through multiple dinners in the week to minimize monotony.
- Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables.
For healthy, unprocessed food consumption, also have at least one dish of veggies while cooking at home.
Add spinach to scrambled eggs, sauté broccoli for a quick side dish, or throw carrots or cauliflower into soups and casserole dishes for a simple side dish and you're good to go.
Dietary fiber in the form of vegetables helps you feel full between meals, reducing your appetite and cravings.
- Change your shopping habits a little bit.
When you don't have any processed foods on hand, it's much easier to cut back on your consumption.
Fill your shopping cart with fresh produce, whole grain products, and legumes the next moment you go grocery shopping.
You can also avoid the middle aisles of the store, where packaged snacks and fatty foods are commonly found, by keeping to the store's periphery.
Check the nutrition information on your favorite foods when you're out shopping. Avoid foods high in sodium, trans fats, or added sugar wherever feasible.
- Make a few simple food swaps.
Many processed food items can be replaced with healthier alternatives. The following are a few of my most cherished:
For breakfast, swap your sugary cereal for oatmeal and fresh fruit.
Instead of using the microwave, make your popcorn by heating it on the stove.
Olive oil and vinegar can be used to make homemade vinaigrette to sprinkle over salads instead of pre-made dressings.
This homemade trail mix is a healthier alternative to store-bought types high in sugar and fat.
Instead of croutons, use nuts or seeds to garnish your salads.
- Consume less factory-farmed meat.
IARC has classed refined foods like bacon and sausage as carcinogenic since they are related to several health problems.
Fortunately, there are several simple strategies to reduce processed meat intake.
First, you can substitute less processed meats like fresh chicken, fish, or turkey for these items. Sandwich ingredients like tuna salad, chicken breasts, and hard-boiled eggs can be substituted for packed lunch meats.
Plant-based proteins including beans, lentils, tofu, and tempeh can be substituted for meat.
- Slowly Implement Adjustments.
You don't have to eliminate all packaged foods from your diet at once.
Even in the long run, slowing down the pace of change can be more effective and sustainable. Over time, some studies have found that small lifestyle changes can lead to long-term habits and make complex tasks easier.
Each week, experiment with one or two of the tactics outlined above, then progressively increase the number of them.
You can still eat processed foods in proportion as part of a well-balanced diet if you do so in moderation.