Sajila Nudrat | Health Editor
Featured Image: Processed foods are highly addictive, and extremely harmful. | Courtesy of Pexels
Approximately 70 per cent of our calories come from processed foods. Processed foods are defined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as: “Any food other than a raw agricultural commodity and includes any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, and dehydration.” Essentially, processed foods are those that have been deliberately changed before consumption. By this definition, most foods can be considered as such.
Some of these processed foods can be considered important in filling nutritional gaps, by providing a convenient food supply; others are simply junk foods. The challenge in today’s day and age is determining which is what and how to improve one’s diet overall, by avoiding problematic foods.
Foods that are minimally processed retain some of their nutritional qualities, such as fruits, vegetables, bagged salads, and roasted nuts. Such foods, along with those that are processed to help preserve and enhance their nutritional values—canned tuna, beans, and frozen fruits and vegetables—are healthy and offer nutritional importance.
What people should be aware of, and avoid, are the foods that are so heavily processed they’re more junk than anything else. Snacks and meals that are high in sugars, sodiums and unhealthy fats generally have no nutritional value to offer and are problem foods.
The concern with processed foods, besides the obvious health risks, is they’re highly addictive and hard to cut out from a person’s diet. Processed foods stimulate dopamine, a neurotransmitter that pleases the brain the same way drugs do. They contain ingredients that can be found both in household cleaning materials and pantry snacks. For example, titanium dioxide, commonly used in pains and sunscreens, can also be found in salad dressings and coffee creamers. Silicon dioxide, also known as sand, is one of the key ingredients in many canned and fast food chilli. Research shows that such food is the root cause of nearly every modern disease.
Processed foods tend to be loaded with sodium for shelf stabilization, and sugar for taste. Research has linked all such ingredients to chronic health problems including obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and some forms of cancer. Shayandeep Das, a second-year health management and health services financial student, was asked if knowing this changed his perspective of his diet, and encouraged him to make some changes. He replied: “As a health student I was already aware of a lot of these things, however to answer the question, yes it does change my mind, but I do have the capacity to make a change and adopt a healthier plan. However, not a lot of people can afford to do that.” When asked how often he eats on campus, Das responded semi-often, so around two times a week. In regards to how he felt about most establishments on campus providing processed food, Das said: “I feel a lot of people find the healthier places a little more expensive. However, if they choose to eat at places that rely heavily on processed foods, that’s their personal decision.” Some changes that can be made to combat the problem, according to Das, include: “More organic options and having community cooking and prep areas.”
Cutting back on processed foods isn’t something that happens overnight. There are steps to procuring a healthy diet. It starts slowly, by supplementing meals with fresh foods. Fewer sugary drinks, and more water. Less salt, and more natural flavours such as garlic or pepper. Processed meat should be limited at first and then completely avoided. The best way to ensure that a healthy diet is met is by planning ahead. Substitute ingredients which are saturated with preservatives for fresh options instead, and use less store-bought materials. It’s important that the first step to make a conscious change, is in fact, taken.
