Processed foods – love them or hate them, they’re here to stay. And, not all processed foods are bad for your health. We dish up some facts about processed foods to enable you to make informed decisions when shopping.
Processed foods defined
Processed foods are any food or drink that has been changed in some way when it’s made or prepared. Food processing is the transformation of raw ingredients into food or of food into other forms. Think of it as taking clean, harvested crops or animal products and using these to produce attractive and marketable food products, often with a long shelf life. While there are certain benefits of food processing – from toxin removal and preservation to food consistency – there are many more disadvantages.
“As a general rule of thumb, processed food is anything that has sugar as one of the top three ingredients, has been chemically altered from its natural state, has ingredients you cannot pronounce and colours not found in nature,” explains Vanessa Ascencao, a nutritionist and director of VDA Nutrition.
“The more refined something becomes the less it is in its natural whole-food state and therefore loses some, if not all, of its nutrient value. A good example is oats. Quick-cooking oats are actually far from what the oat groat looks like and the nutritional value it contains.” The same can be said for white flour, processed sugar and fruit juices, she adds.
Unappetising additives
A number of chemicals and additives are found in processed foods, which is why it’s important to read the ingredients on the packaging. Anything with the letter “E”, followed by a number, indicates an additive. Parents should be especially mindful of tartrazine (a synthetic lemon yellow azo dye – E102) found in fizzy drinks, ice creams, sweets, chewing gum, jam, yoghurt and certain infant medicines. Tartrazine is believed to cause anxiety, migraines, asthma attacks, blurred vision, eczema, other skin rashes, thyroid cancer, Eosinophilia (increase in specific forms of white blood cells), clinical depression, ADHD or hyperactivity, hives, permanent DNA damage, heart palpitations, rhinitis, sleep disturbances/insomnia, general all-over weakness, hot flushes and obsessive compulsive disorder.
Some of the most commonly consumed food products by children are ironically some of the most “chemically laden”: chicken nuggets, soft drinks, hot dogs, burgers and fries, sugary cereals, doughnuts, crisps and certain yoghurts.
“Food experts claim chicken nuggets are at the pinnacle of industrialised foods,” says Ascencao. “The typical chicken nugget bought at a fast-food outlet often contains more than 50% fat and more carbs than protein. The majority of hot dogs and other highly processed meats on the market contain loads of salt (often labelled ‘sodium’), artificial flavours and cheap unhealthy fillers.” She adds that most soft drinks include artificial sweeteners, which can alter brain neurochemistry and increase insulin levels, leading to obesity, gallstones, gum disease and cavities, bloating, migraines, arthritis, fatigue, weight gain, breast cancer, cardiovascular disease and lowered immune function.
“MSG (monosodium glutamate) – a food enhancer added to a number of foods attractive to children – destroys nerve cells in the brain, inhibits natural growth hormones and also causes obesity. Sometimes it’s tricky to see what foods contain MSG, so parents should look out for words such as monosodium glutamate, free glutamate, hydrolysed protein, autolysed yeast, yeast extract, caseinate, and natural or artificial flavours, as all of these can be indicators of MSG,” says Ascencao.
Other foods that should be avoided include chocolate, crisps, porridge and cornflakes, as these often contain something called genetically modified organisms (GMOs), that is plants or animals that have had their DNA modified. GMOs can increase food toxicity, allergy susceptibility, immune suppression, resistance to antibiotics, and the incidence of cancer.
Takeaway outlets are notorious for serving foods fried in oil that has been used and left to cool and then reheated and used again. The oil is often treated with something called butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), which prevents fat spoilage. BHA and BHT can cause insomnia in children and long-term health issues, including liver and kidney damage, baldness, behavioural problems, cancer, foetal abnormalities, and even growth retardation.
Other preservatives commonly found in processed foods include sodium nitrate and nitrite (added to canned foods and many cold meats), which can cause colon cancer, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, commonly found in foods such as crackers, cookies, cakes, doughnuts and French fries. It’s associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis and elevated cholesterol.
Good to know
- Vitamin C is destroyed by heat and therefore canned fruits have a lower content of vitamin C than fresh ones.
- Processed foods are high in refined sugar, which suppresses the immune system, causes hyperactivity, and affects blood-sugar levels, which affects your child’s ability to concentrate and focus, and their overall mood.
- When whole grains are refined, the bran and the coat of the grain are often removed. Some nutrients are lost, most significantly fibre.
Try feeding your family superfoods, find out more here and here.
Foods to avoid
Processed foods made with trans fats, saturated fats and large amounts of sodium include:
- canned foods with large amounts of sodium or fat
- pasta meals made with refined white flour
- packaged high-calorie snack foods such as crisps, chocolates and sweets
- frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners high in sodium
- packaged cakes and cookies
- boxed meal mixes that are high in fat and sodium
- sugary breakfast cereals and processed meats.
Healthy non-processed/less-processed foods
- fruits and vegetables
- organic oats, quinoa and brown rice
- coconut milk and almond milk
- good fats (almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds)
- home-made chocolates (less dairy and sugar)
- dips using hummus and or mashed avocado
- gluten-free or rye bread
- oat cakes
- quality free-range eggs, chicken and meat
- and omega 3 fish (salmon, sardines, pilchards).
