What are processed foods?

Processed foods are those foods that have undergone at least one mechanical or chemical process during their preparation. Examples of such processes are pasteurization, salting, frying, cooking, baking, roasting, drying and many more techniques, including some complex industrial methods. Therefore, not all processed foods are harmful to the body. Nevertheless, there are foods that are processed, and it is possible that their processing is harmful to our health. These foods are called hyper processed. More specifically, this category includes:

✓ Soft drinks,

✓ sweet or salty packaged snacks (chips, chocolates, candies, cookies),

✓ ice creams,

✓ lots of breakfast cereal,

✓ pre-cooked meals,

✓ packaged soups,

✓ reconstituted/processed meat products (ham, sausages, bacon, hot dogs, packaged chicken nuggets),

✓ ready frozen meals (pizza, french fries, etc.), packaged bread,

✓ pasta and

✓ powdered desserts

Advantages:

• Possibility of storing food for a longer period of time.
• Fortification and enrichment of foods with micronutrients, trace elements and vitamins.
• Preservation of the nutritional value of food, important nutrients such as vitamins are stabilized.
• Ensuring their safety (e.g. pasteurization, drying): dangerous toxins, harmful bacteria and the possibility of their growth are removed.

Disadvantages:

• Many processing techniques result in the loss of important nutrients.
• The additives used are not the healthiest choice. Excessive intake of the above ingredients has been associated with various effects on human health.
• Increased likelihood that these foods are high in calories.

Christina KArachotziti, Dietician - Nutritionist, MSc

HR. PSYCHOLOGY - TODAY