Whole vs Processed

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There are many theories and ideas about food. Food is how we fuel our bodies, so we want to make sure we are giving our bodies the best! A general rule is to always pick the whole food over a processed option. Below, we make it simple!

A whole food would be considered, ideally, as a food with only one ingredient. Whole foods look most like their natural composition i.e. corn on the cob, apple, chicken or a cucumber.
A processed food is typically food with more than one ingredient. Food companies typically add additional sugars, preservatives, dyes, saturated and trans fats.
WHOLE FOODS:
Fresh fruits and vegetables
Frozen fruits and vegetables
Unsalted nuts
Fresh meat, fish, eggs
Low far milk (skim or 1%)
Plain yogurt
Low fat cottage cheese
Low fat cheese
PROCESSED FOODS:
Fruit/vegetable juices
Fruits canned in heavy syrup
Fruit snacks/gummies
Veggie or potato chips
Processed meat (bacon, sausage, fish sticks, deli meats, etc)
Icecream bars
Processed cheese (such as Velveeta)
Sweetened yogurt/parfaits
Shopping at local farmer's markets or through a CSA can help you steer in the direction of whole foods. If you are shopping at a grocery store, try to stay on the perimeter of the store. The middle isles typically contain the processed food.

Comments

  1. sharonieSeptember 11, 2018 at 10:43 AM

    Why are low-fat or non-fat foods typically promoted instead of full-fat or whole? To me, low-fat or non-fat foods are "processed" to remove nutrients.

    ReplyDelete

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