Processed Foods

[Country Kids]

I guess I'm totally confused in this term. To me a processed food is anything that comes from a package of some sort. So when I hear people say they don't eat processed foods it makes me wonder how and what do you eat.

The only thing I have really found at the store to eat that isn't processed but probably has a ton of chemicals on it is the produce section. Everything else comes in some sort of packaging.

Even if you cook from scratch, alot of the things you use come in some sort of packaging. So I wonder aren't you still eating processed foods.

Even when I bake my own bread (haven't done it for awhile) everything I pretty much put into it comes from a package. So even though its homemade and taste awesome is it really any healthier then buying it at the store?

So for who say they don't eat processed foods what do you eat?

[Blackcat31]

Last night for dinner we had thick cut pork chops, sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. NOTHING came from a can, a bag or a box.

Tonight we are having wild rice hot dish. Shredded beef, hand parched wild rice, steamed green beans. Again, nothing from a can, bag or box.

Eating without processed foods is much simpler and easier than you would think.

[Country Kids]

Last night for dinner we had thick cut pork chops, sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. NOTHING came from a can, a bag or a box.

Tonight we are having wild rice hot dish. Shredded beef, hand parched wild rice, steamed green beans. Again, nothing from a can, bag or box.

Eating without processed foods is much simpler and easier than you would think.

So do you get your meat straight from the butcher. Where in the world do you get rice that isn't from a box or bag. Same with the green beans? Did you can them last summer.

[Play Care]

Last night for dinner we had thick cut pork chops, sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli. NOTHING came from a can, a bag or a box.

Tonight we are having wild rice hot dish. Shredded beef, hand parched wild rice, steamed green beans. Again, nothing from a can, bag or box.

Eating without processed foods is much simpler and easier than you would think.

What do you use to season your meals? I ask because I pretty much only cook from scratch but do use things like soy sauce, different vinegars, wines, salt, pepper etc. Otherwise your dinners sound very much like mine.

[Blackcat31]

So do you get your meat straight from the butcher. Where in the world do you get rice that isn't from a box or bag. Same with the green beans? Did you can them last summer.

Yes, 99.9% of our meat comes directly from a butcher. We buy a full cow and pig most years with another couple and split it between each other.

Wild rice....Um, I live in wild rice country. Wild rice grows native to my area....I can walk out the door and go pick some anytime it is in season.

We have several large wild rice companies based out of my area. We also have a huge Native American population that supports itself from harvesting wild rice. We live right on the Mississippi river.

Green beans...all our veggies are purchased fresh in the produce dept. The kind where you can just go and put as many or as few as you would like into a bag.

In the summer, we grow all our own veggies. Some we freeze and some we just eat while in season.

What do you use to season your meals? I ask because I pretty much only cook from scratch but do use things like soy sauce, different vinegars, wines, salt, pepper etc. Otherwise your dinners sound very much like mine.

Basic spices I guess.... DH says, he uses home made beef stock, salt and pepper and sometimes he will use cooking wines or different vinegars.

Lately he has been really into making his own sauces and using the food processor to make glazes, sauces, gravies and pestos.

[Willow]

I like the definition of, if it has something in it I can't pronounce it's processed.

There are lots of packaged foods that are just fine in my book as long as they don't have huge lists of ingredients I can't pronounce.

-Buying meat from local farmers is best (no or fewer antibiotics/drugs used in their raising, free range, natural or grass fed, no enhancements), buying packaged grocery store proteins would be second, something like frozen breaded chicken nuggets or frozen corndogs would be the worst.
-Baking your own bread is great, buying something like whole grain limited ingredient breads at the grocery store would be second, buying white Wonder bread would be worst.
-Fresh/raw fruit and veg is what you want to shoot for as long as you wash what you can well, obviously organic is best, frozen is second best (watch for additives), canned is by far the worst unless you are doing the canning yourself.

Sure it's all meat, or bread, or fruit and veg....but the level of processing is what matters in terms of what it can offer your body.

When BC talks about the wild rice, that usually comes bagged in some way shape or form. Technically it's processed, but the original state of the rice hasn't been altered so it's not. I am sure that's clear as mud

Boxed and bagged doesn't automatically equate to processed in the way it actually matters.




Here's more info:

http://health.amuchbetterway.com/how-do-you-define-processed-food/

[melilley]

I guess I'm totally confused in this term. To me a processed food is anything that comes from a package of some sort. So when I hear people say they don't eat processed foods it makes me wonder how and what do you eat.

The only thing I have really found at the store to eat that isn't processed but probably has a ton of chemicals on it is the produce section. Everything else comes in some sort of packaging.

Even if you cook from scratch, alot of the things you use come in some sort of packaging. So I wonder aren't you still eating processed foods.

Even when I bake my own bread (haven't done it for awhile) everything I pretty much put into it comes from a package. So even though its homemade and taste awesome is it really any healthier then buying it at the store?

So for who say they don't eat processed foods what do you eat?

Good question, you got my wheels turning! I did a search on Google on What are processed foods? Processed foods are foods that are altered from their natural state. From what I read, there are good processed foods and bad. For instance, certain foods are altered, processed, to prevent food born-illnesses. Foods that are frozen are considered processed, but vitamins and minerals are preserved. Other processed foods such as foods with trans fat are obviously bad....so I think making bread with prepackaged flours isn't really considered processed food. It's still good for you. I always saw processed foods as foods like Spaghetti O's, processed cheese singles, cheese spreads, etc... I'm glad that you brought up this topic! It's funny, I just had a conversation with my sis about eating healthier. We grew up in a home where our mom did make dinners, some totally homemade, but much of it was processed such as boxed potatoes or canned chili and it sounds silly, but to me it was the norm to eat that way. Plus I have always been too skinny and never really cared what I put into my body, I just wanted to gain weight, but now that I've had two kids I want to eat healthier. I feel stupid not knowing how to eat healthy, but when you really haven't, it's like a foreign concept, well for me.

[Country Kids]

Good question, you got my wheels turning! I did a search on Google on What are processed foods? Processed foods are foods that are altered from their natural state. From what I read, there are good processed foods and bad. For instance, certain foods are altered, processed, to prevent food born-illnesses. Foods that are frozen are considered processed, but vitamins and minerals are preserved. Other processed foods such as foods with trans fat are obviously bad....so I think making bread with prepackaged flours isn't really considered processed food. It's still good for you. I always saw processed foods as foods like Spaghetti O's, processed cheese singles, cheese spreads, etc... I'm glad that you brought up this topic! It's funny, I just had a conversation with my sis about eating healthier. We grew up in a home where our mom did make dinners, some totally homemade, but much of it was processed such as boxed potatoes or canned chili and it sounds silly, but to me it was the norm to eat that way. Plus I have always been too skinny and never really cared what I put into my body, I just wanted to gain weight, but now that I've had two kids I want to eat healthier. I feel stupid not knowing how to eat healthy, but when you really haven't, it's like a foreign concept, well for me.

Believe you me, I'm going to do alot more research on this as well. We have produce at the store but nothing like in the summer! We don't have things like green beans during the winter so our option is to buy frozen or canned. We don't have anywhere to store butchered meat so thats another thing that is out for us.

I will be doing some research though and see what I can find.

[Country Kids]

Just went to a site for healthy breakfasts-all of them had something that had to do with processed.

Waffles, pancakes, granola bars, bagels, english muffins, cream cheese, etc. So I'm wondering if its the other ingrediants that make it a healthy meal?

All of them looked incrediably good though!

[Blackcat31]

When BC talks about the wild rice, that usually comes bagged in some way shape or form. Technically it's processed, but the original state of the rice hasn't been altered so it's not. I am sure that's clear as mud

Yes, it does come in bags for the most part, but when I say "fresh"....I literally mean "fresh".....ours was handpicked and is stored in a 5 gallon pail.

No, bag, box or packaging necessary.

[Blackcat31]

CK, try this blog. It is fantastic! Has tons of helpful hints and lots of good info about eating with as little processed foods as possible.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/

[Country Kids]

CK, try this blog. It is fantastic! Has tons of helpful hints and lots of good info about eating with as little processed foods as possible.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-...rocessed-food/

Thank you! happyfacehappyfacehappyface

[Meyou]

CK, try this blog. It is fantastic! Has tons of helpful hints and lots of good info about eating with as little processed foods as possible.

http://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-...rocessed-food/

Yes! This blog is amazing and it will answer all your questions!!

[itlw8]

I think if you start by eating like the 1950's you will do great. Smaller portions, soda rarely, no chicken nuggets no fish sticks, forget the instant foods, cereal eat things like cornflakes and rice krispies,

my kids now prefer a chicken breast cut into chunks and sauted in a little olive oil takes like 5 minutes to fix also. Keep trying new fruits and veggies. Kiwi, cranberries, blueberries, etc.

Yes we eat hot dogs some times but not weekly.

[mema]

What kind of flour does everyone use for making bread/rolls? Dh CANNOT do without bread, so I've been adding more and more whole wheat into it as I make it, but so far when I hit 50/50 he won't touch it and goes to the gas station to get some "good stuff".