JUMP TO: 5 Myths About Processed Food |5 Processed Ingredients That Aren’t Unhealthy | The Truth About No-Calorie Sweeteners | 3 Dietitian-Approved Protein Powders | Your Processed Food Feast
I COULD BLAME a lot of people for making my job as a dietitian more difficult. By the time my clients find me, Gwyneth Paltrow has filled their head with goop, Dr. Oz has convinced them gluten is hell spawn, and the Internet has … well, the Internet.
But if I had to pick the guy who made eating healthfully especially challenging for me and my clients, I’d go with Michael Pollan, who notoriously summarized in his 2009 book, In Defense of Food: “Don’t eat anything your great grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.” I get—and appreciate—that Pollan was trying to simplify nutrition. Healthy food is just that: food.
But after Pollan’s manifesto, a pileup ensued. The Food Babe (remember her?) started calling out any food that contained anything artificial. Panera started a PR campaign around its “no-no” list of banned ingredients. And some researchers even went as far to label certain foods as unprocessed, minimally processed, and ultra-processed, the latter of which they’ve linked to nearly every disease on the planet.
Yes, I do tell my clients to eat fewer ultra-processed foods and more minimally processed foods. That way you’re prioritizing nutrients like muscle-building protein, stomach-filling fiber, and heart-healthy good fats—nutrients largely absent in ultra-processed foods like candy and soda.
But processed fortified foods such as breakfast cereals, bread, milk, and even pasta can help consumers eat many of the micronutrients they lack while remaining inexpensive and accessible. It’s also worth mentioning that certain forms of processing keep us safe from botulism, salmonella, e.coli, and all sorts of other nasty foodborne illness.
In short—and with all due apologies to your great grandmother—eating a diet completely free from unrecognizable ingredients isn’t just impossible, it’s kind of bullshit.
So what are you supposed to do? What I also tell all my clients to do: Embrace all food as food. Then try to choose the best options available considering where you live, how much money you have to spend on food, and what you like. Prioritize produce, whole grains, protein, nuts, and legumes—regardless of if they’re fresh or packaged.
It’s simple, I know.
That’s exactly the point.
I hear these a lot as a dietitian. Here’s what I tell my clients.
While the green juice contains more of some vitamins such as A, K, and folate, the cereal wallops it in every other category: fiber, protein, and overall vitamin content. The milk adds potassium and more vitamins.
These often-no-no’ed foods are staples worth having in your kitchen.
Like iodized salt. Sea salt, while trendy and delicious, contains no iodine, which is a mineral essential in the prevention hypothyroidism, which can lead to gout.
3.PRODUCTS THAT CONTAIN CARRAGEENAN
A stabilizer and thickener, carrageenan has been vilified as a toxic and harmful ingredient by many a social media influencer. However, food-grade carrageenan, which is the type used in foods (sour cream, coconut milk), is perfectly safe. Degraded carrageenan—now called poligeenan—is not, but we don’t eat it anyhow; it’s used in medical procedures.
4.WHITE FLOUR
While whole wheat and other grain flours may be higher in fiber, white flour is safe to consume and nutritious.
5.CANOLA, CORN, OR ANY OTHER SEED OIL
The preponderance of research suggests that this supposedly “inflammatory” ingredient is actually anti-inflammatory. Yes, it’s processed, but so is every other edible oil. The processing of seed oils creates a product that’s shelf-stable, safe, and accessible.
Every few years a study emerges that links processed artificial sugar to a scary disease. In 2023, it was one published in Nature, which showed that erythritol, a sugar alcohol sweetener found in many low-carb packaged foods, increased risk of heart attack and stroke.
This study suffered from similar flaws as others that have come before (the research was observational instead of a dietary intervention, the study population was 65+ with pre-existing heart troubles), but the sensational headlines soon followed. If you look at the bulk of data, no-calorie sweeteners are totally safe to consume. (As is real sugar, in its many forms.) Here’s how it all breaks down.
WHAT IT IS: A sugar alcohol found in keto-friendly ice cream, cookies, and protein bars, but also in fruits, vegetables, wine, and beer.
WHER IT COMES FROM: The fermentation of glucose.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: While some studies have linked it to cardiovascular disease and toxicity, no solid research says it’s dangerous to humans. The FDA deems it “generally recognized as safe (GRAS).”
WHAT IT IS: A sweetener found in sodas, ice creams, candy, and gums, can also be bought for use in baking and beverages.
WHERE IT COMES FROM: The leaves of the stevia shrub.
WHAT RESEARCH SAYS: Stevia doesn’t impact blood glucose, and the FDA has given it a “GRAS” designation.
WHAT IT IS: A synthetic sweetener, also known as Splenda, used in some candy, soda, and yogurt.
WHERE IT COMES FROM: Sucralose is made by replacing three hydroxyl groups on a sucrose molecules, with chlorine atoms. In other words, sucralose is made from white sugar, but has been manipulated to pass through the body undigested.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: Some animal studies suggest that a high intake of sucralose may affect immunity and the gut microbiome, human studies showing these effects are lacking. The FDA has classified sucralose as “GRAS.”
WHAT IT IS: a sugar alcohol that’s found in plants. Humans also make xylitol through the metabolism of carbohydrate.
WHERE IT COMES FROMWhere it comes from: The fermentation of hemicellulose from plants.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: Xylitol can have side effects like gas, bloating, and diarrhea in some people, and for those who have IBS, but Xylitol is recognized by the FDA as safe.
WHAT IT IS: a plant-based zero-calorie sweetener.
WHERE IT COMES FROM: by crushing the seeds and skins of monkfruit, a gourd-like fruit native to China.
WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: Monkfruit appears to be safe as a food additive, and has the GRAS designation from the FDA.
DON’T BELIEVE PEOPLE who tell you that agave syrup is any better for you than maple syrup or even white sugar because of how it’s processed. Sugar is sugar—and your body processes it in the same way.
But what about the added minerals in so-called unprocessed sugars?, those people argue. The trace minerals in “natural sugars” are just that: trace. You’d have to eat an enormous quantity of these sweeteners to get any sort of meaningful amount of nutrients.
Also: please don’t get your nutrients from sugar.
By most definitions, your go-to muscle-building supplement is ultra-processed. That shouldn’t disqualify it from your diet, though. In fact, many non-diary protein powders aren’t just good for muscle synthesis, they contain a hefty amount of fiber and other nutrients too. We asked Ryan Andrews, R.D., assistant professor of nutrition at Regis College for his top picks.
This is pretty much the greatest pantry meal ever: it’s packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants, and it takes less than 30 minutes to prepare.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- 1 box dry bucatini
- 1 (15 oz) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (11 oz) package frozen broccoli
- 1 (24 oz) jar tomato sauce
HOW TO MAKE IT:
- In a large pot of boiling salted water, cooking the pasta according to package instructions.
- As the pasta boils, in medium pot, add the chickpeas, broccoli, and tomato sauce. Heat over medium-high, then lower the heat to a simmer.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the pot with the sauce. Stir well until combined. Serve. Feeds 4
Abby Langer, RD is the owner of Abby Langer Nutrition, a Toronto-based nutrition consulting and communications company.
Source: menshealth.com
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