For over a decade, nutrition experts have been telling us that processed foods are detrimental to our long term health. We now accept this as truth, as recent scientific studies show that over-consumption of ultra-processed food is linked not only with obesity, but with an increased risk of most cardiovascular issues like heart disease, and many types of cancer. This is mostly because of the high sugar and salt content of processed foods, as well as the fact that they often contain a significantly lower content of necessary vitamins, fibres and minerals than whole foods like. However, even though many of us know that processed food is bad for us, there is still confusion over what actually defines “processed food”? After all, almost everything we buy at the grocery store has gone through some sort of process. Even the fruit we buy has been washed and packaged, so is this processed food? Not really, according to the experts. When they use the term, they’re referring to foods that have gone through such extreme change that they’ve lost crucial nutrients, or have been filled with added ingredients like salt, sugar or oil. Therefore, foods like bread, cheese, canned fruit or fish are indeed processed, they’re much less dangerous than “ultra processed” foods like candy bars, soda drinks, chicken nuggets and hotdogs.
