What do you consider processed food to be?

[Ember]

It seems like an easy question, but everyone I talk to seems to have their own answer... I say I'm trying to eat less processed food, but what I mean is that I'm trying to cook more of my meals at home using fresh ingredients. Though I still use frozen and/or canned veggies and don't consider those processed foods. But I know some people do. Same with milk and juice.

So what do you think of when you think of processed foods?

 

[AKL_Megs]

I DO think that canned veggies ARE processed, although I consider frozen veggies "fresh".

To me, processed food is anything that isn't fresh or "pretty fresh". Like bread. Or cheese (Kraft singles aside...).

Pop Tarts and potato chips? Totally processed.

 

[jenrose66]

Well to steal a line from Michael Pollan I think processed food is anything with ingredients in it that a 3rd grader can't pronounce

I'm actually trying to eat less processed foods too, but it's hard. You can only buy from the perimeter of the grocery store and preperation takes so much longer. Also fresh food seems to spoil so fast!

We should start a non processed food support thread! I've actually thought about starting a blog with my family's experience with trying to cut chemicals and hormone fed meats out of our lives....we'll see if we don't go bankrupt first.

DH isn't really on board...except for organic eggs...you really can taste the difference. I told him if we cut a tier off our cable bill we can use that money to go to organic meats but he insists that it's just wrong to pay $9.99 for a pound of chicken. *sigh*

 

[minkydog]

About 6-7 years ago we had to go on a crash low salt diet. That meant NO processed foods,NOTHING from a box, NOTHING with salt in it. It was really hard for me because I had to completely re-learn how to cook. Now, however, it's 2nd nature. I buy fresh or frozen veggies (read the label on the bag--some are loaded with sodium!) I don't think I even own a can of cream of mushroom soup.Any canned goods that I have are no-salt veggies. My crisper drawer is loaded with fresh veggies and fruit. We just don't buy junk food at all. No more mac & cheese or rice a roni. Now I cook a big pot of brown rice once a week, make a crockpot full of beans( vegetarian Louisiana red beans today!), and a dutch oven full of greens. I cook with very little fat and almost never meat based. Meat is always separately cooked to accomodate DD16.

It's really not that hard to cook this way, once you find your groove. It doesn't take me much longer to get dinner together than it did when we were eating starchy, high sodium, cheesy casseroles.

 

[AKL_Megs]

About 6-7 years ago we had to go on a crash low salt diet. That meant NO processed foods,NOTHING from a box, NOTHING with salt in it. It was really hard for me because I had to completely re-learn how to cook. Now, however, it's 2nd nature. I buy fresh or frozen veggies (read the label on the bag--some are loaded with sodium!) I don't think I even own a can of cream of mushroom soup.Any canned goods that I have are no-salt veggies. My crisper drawer is loaded with fresh veggies and fruit. We just don't buy junk food at all. No more mac & cheese or rice a roni. Now I cook a big pot of brown rice once a week, make a crockpot full of beans( vegetarian Louisiana red beans today!), and a dutch oven full of greens. I cook with very little fat and almost never meat based. Meat is always separately cooked to accomodate DD16.

It's really not that hard to cook this way, once you find your groove. It doesn't take me much longer to get dinner together than it did when we were eating starchy, high sodium, cheesy casseroles.

Hmm... did this help with weight loss? DH wants to eat "better", and I want less bloat. I have IBS, and things that make me bloated don't help. It wouldn't hurt to lose a few, too.

 

[npmommie]

From Micheal pollen's book InDefense of Food this is what I am trying
nothing with HFCs
nothing with more than five ingredients
nothing your great grandma wouldn't recognize as food
nothing with unrecognizable ingredients
more plants
if we animal products they are grass fed
eggs from free range birds

it's hard

 

[VBsHustla]

I consider processed food to pretty much be anything that isn't a whole food found in nature. I don't eat very much processed food, although the processed food I do eat generally consists of one ingredient (like whole grain pasta.) The main exception would be my addiction: Cheerios. I pretty much only eat Cheerios, oatmeal, fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, brown rice, lentils, and beans.

 

[minkydog]

Hmm... did this help with weight loss? DH wants to eat "better", and I want less bloat. I have IBS, and things that make me bloated don't help. It wouldn't hurt to lose a few, too.

It can, if you choose well. Less simple carbs, more complex carbs. Minimal meat, especially red meat. More fish. Whole grains. Fruit. Don't drink your calories. Make desserts a special, once in a while thing. Exercise at least 3 days a week.

I eat low carb(most of the time) and that's really what got my weight off. I've lost 46-lbs since April. I have pretty much eliminated all white food, except milk. Bread, potatoes, white rice, pasta in very limited amounts and not every day, either. I eat small bits of cheese plus walnuts and you'd be surprised how that combo fills you up. And the crunch doesn't hurt.

 

[kirstenb1]

What are processed foods? Pretty much everything our family eats!!

I'm working on it, but it's slow going. There are some things I'll never change. Like Jarred spaghetti sauce, taco seasoning packets, etc.

I'm trying to introduce more fresh foods to go with the processed foods. But fresh foods can be unhealthy too. Our older ddi's favorite food is alfredo sauce with bowtie pasta. I make it with butter and parmesan, and noodles, that's it. So it technically isn't processed, but is very unhealthy. I'm constantly looking for healthy foods she'll eat.

 

[Ember]

From Micheal pollen's book InDefense of Food this is what I am trying
nothing with HFCs
nothing with more than five ingredients
nothing your great grandma wouldn't recognize as food
nothing with unrecognizable ingredients
more plants
if we animal products they are grass fed
eggs from free range birds

it's hard

As in it comes with nothing more than 5 ingredients, right? As opposed to made with more than 5? I think I need to read this book, it sounds very sensible.

 

[worm761]

I like how Dr Oz puts it: Eat foods that don't have labels. I make most foods from scratch. I make our bread, some pasta, cookies, poptarts, waffles, just about everything. There are some things you just can't make at home. Girl Scout Thin Mints is one of them. I am an ice cream junkie though. I started by trying to limit the amount of HFCS in our diet.
My blog is here: http://disneytravelingfamily.blogspot.com/ I just started blogging but I post recipes of things I make. Some if for health reasons and some is because it is cheaper and healthier to make it at home. Sometimes just yummier, like the poptarts made with homemade jam. YUM! None of it is really hard. I have a new baby so finding time is my problem right now.

 

[npmommie]

I like how Dr Oz puts it: Eat foods that don't have labels. I make most foods from scratch. I make our bread, some pasta, cookies, poptarts, waffles, just about everything. There are some things you just can't make at home. Girl Scout Thin Mints is one of them. I am an ice cream junkie though. I started by trying to limit the amount of HFCS in our diet.
My blog is here: http://disneytravelingfamily.blogspot.com/ I just started blogging but I post recipes of things I make. Some if for health reasons and some is because it is cheaper and healthier to make it at home. Sometimes just yummier, like the poptarts made with homemade jam. YUM! None of it is really hard. I have a new baby so finding time is my problem right now.

I like your blog would you post how you make the pop tarts? I tried once
but mine didn't come out that good

 

[suejai]

We are trying to eat less processed foods as well. I looked at the sodium levels on some labels and couldn't believe the amount of salt!!

We tend not to use canned vegetables except tomatoes. They are actually canned when they are ripe as opposed to fresh tomatoes which are picked while green. However, I have started using canned whole tomatoes because they are only processed once, whereas diced and crushed go through another round or two of processing.

But it sure is a lot of work.

 

[Ember]

We are trying to eat less processed foods as well. I looked at the sodium levels on some labels and couldn't believe the amount of salt!!

We tend not to use canned vegetables except tomatoes. They are actually canned when they are ripe as opposed to fresh tomatoes which are picked while green. However, I have started using canned whole tomatoes because they are only processed once, whereas diced and crushed go through another round or two of processing.

But it sure is a lot of work.

Canned tomatoes are what I use, too. And corn.

 

[monkeybug]

I like how Dr Oz puts it: Eat foods that don't have labels. I make most foods from scratch. I make our bread, some pasta, cookies, poptarts, waffles, just about everything. There are some things you just can't make at home. Girl Scout Thin Mints is one of them. I am an ice cream junkie though. I started by trying to limit the amount of HFCS in our diet.
My blog is here: http://disneytravelingfamily.blogspot.com/ I just started blogging but I post recipes of things I make. Some if for health reasons and some is because it is cheaper and healthier to make it at home. Sometimes just yummier, like the poptarts made with homemade jam. YUM! None of it is really hard. I have a new baby so finding time is my problem right now.

OT, but....
A ritz cracker dipped in melted mint chocolate chips (or andes, or add mint extract to melted chocolate chips) Tastes just like a Thin mint!! I know it sounds wrong....but oh man it's right on!! Just dip 'em, put them on a waxed paper lined baking sheet, pop them in the freezer, and then try not to eat all of them! That last step is the hardest part of the whole deal.
I took them to a craft fair, sampled some, and sold out of 25 baggies full in less than an hour.

 

[monkeybug]

I make almost everything my family eats completely from scratch (I don't grind my own wheat...yet). I guess I kinda' saw that as not eating processed foods, but I don't know if technically it is.
I would consider canned tomatoes a whole food, as long as they are canned with out preservatives. I do my own canning, and I don't consider using those things as using a processed food.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

If it is not fresh it has been processed.

 

[monkeybug]

I like your blog would you post how you make the pop tarts? I tried once
but mine didn't come out that good

Oh my gosh! I totally made pop tarts once (and only once)!
I went to the grocery store with a newish friend, and she commented on the contents of my cart. "where is your bread, and cereal, and juice boxes?"
and I said "I make all that stuff myself"
"well you cant make everything yourself!" she said "You can't make pop tarts!"
(this is a pretty condensed version of the conversation)
Well that night I went home and made pop tarts.
I made pie dough, cut it into two large rectangles, spread strawberry jam on one of them and put the other on top. I then cut it into smaller rectangles (with that roller thingy that makes cute squiggly lines) I baked them, but not until they were golden (so they could "finish" in the toaster). Then I glazed them with powdered sugar frosting, and sprinkled them with colored sugar. I brought her a dozen home made pop tarts the next day!
They were good, but if I'm going to go through all that trouble, I'd rather make something more yummy than a pop tart!

 

[monkeybug]

If it is not fresh it has been processed.

I guess your right. They do call it "processing" when you can something.
I guess we eat processed foods, but they are whole foods (for the most part).

 

[Ember]

I make almost everything my family eats completely from scratch (I don't grind my own wheat...yet). I guess I kinda' saw that as not eating processed foods, but I don't know if technically it is.
I would consider canned tomatoes a whole food, as long as they are canned with out preservatives. I do my own canning, and I don't consider using those things as using a processed food.

What about things like chocolate for baking? Some of this confuses me... We're trying to make a lot of our own food now, including bread and baking. But when dealing with basic ingredients, what do you do?