Lamb duo, potato, pepper ragout
I know once people get connected to real food, they never change back. ~Alice Waters
MindfulEaters, I hope you're having a great summer and enjoying the season's food offerings! As you know, we at MindfulEats hate processed foods. Now there's another reason - a recent study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) shows that ultra-processed foods make you fat!
So, what is super-processed food vs processed food vs minimally processed food vs real food? It gets confusing! Basically, anything that is not in its original format is processed -- a potato chip is a processed potato, frozen pizza is no where near what it's natural components were, and even brown rice is minimally processed (because it is dried). But wait, brown rice is good for you, right? You're right, brown rice IS good for you! White rice is more processed than brown rice so it's not as good for you (it's rice with the hull and bran removed - the stuff with the vitamins and minerals in it). Fresh broccoli that came from the produce section is real, unprocessed food. Frozen broccoli is minimally processed because it's been frozen, but it's still good for you. Here is the deal: eat real or minimally processed foods! To try to standardize definitions, MindfulEats is going to use the NOVA classification which the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is using.
- Real food is unprocessed or minimally processed (Group 1 Foods). These foods are the ones you recognize - edible portions of plants and animals. When these foods are processed, it is to extend the life of the food or to remove inedible parts by freezing, drying, pasteurizing, etc. They don't have multiple ingredients - they might not even come with an ingredients list or a nutritional panel. You can often recognize these foods since they are in their original form and include things like vegetables, grains, fruit, meat, seafood, nuts, eggs, herbs, milk. You should eat and cook mainly from this category. Is yogurt a Group 1 food? Trick question - plain yogurt is a minimally processed food because it's fermented milk, but when you add processed fruit it becomes an ultra-processed food.
- Processed food (Group 3 Foods). This is when real food has been altered a bit with sugar, salt, or oil to make it last longer or add flavor. Tofu, simple unpackaged bread, cheese, canned tuna, cured meat, beer and wine fall in this category. These foods tend to be convenient and have just a few ingredients on their lists. You can use these foods to build your meals (everything in moderation, please), but the more real food you eat, the better!
- Ultra-processed food (Group 4 Foods). These are where most of our calories tend to come from; they are the industrial formulations with five or more ingredients. They have been through multiple processes with added ingredients to taste delicious and make us want more. Examples of ultra-processed foods are soda, diet soda, chips, ice cream, sweetened flavored yogurt, sweetened breakfast cereals, packaged soups, fries, energy bars, and distilled alcohol like vodka, rum and gin. Remember, an organic ultra-processed food is still bad because it's ultra-processed!
Ultra-processed food is so convenient and so tasty, is it really necessary to give it up? Yes! It is tasty because food science has manipulated it and added things to it to make your brain want more. It is basically frankenfood. The NIH study showed that people on an ultra-processed diet gained 2 lbs per week on average, while those on a real food diet lost 2 lbs a week on average. In addition to weight gain, ultra-processed foods are also linked to higher cancer risk. We know you are here because you want to be healthier, so cut back on the ultra-processed food you are eating!
What to do - Eat more fresh unprocessed food
- Create a food plan (your Mindful Battle Plan) for the week. Figure out your meals so you can take a list with you to the grocery store and spend less time making more satisfying meals!
- Prepare most of your meals at home. The faster the better - and if you cook in large batches, you can take in lunch or have leftovers later in the week.
- Figure out which ultra-processed foods are your weakness, and don't buy them! Do not let them in your house!! Here are some popular culprits: chips, diet soda, frozen pizza, candy, pre-packaged cakes, certain breads (do for the whole grain breads).
- Snack well. Create a fruit bowl and keep it filled. This will be your go-to for snacks. Make a Mindful Mix for your other snack needs.
Want to know more?
- It's Not Just Salt, Sugar, Fat: Study Finds Ultra-Processed Foods Drive Weight Gain, NPR, 5/16/19
- What is ultra-processed food and how can you eat less of it?, Heart & Stroke
- 6 'Ultra-Processed' Foods to Throw Out Right Now, Health.com, 2/13/19
- What are ultra-processed foods, and are you eating too many of them?, Mother Nature Network, 5/17/19
- Ultra-Processed Diets Cause Excess Calorie Intake and Weight Gain: An Inpatient Randomized Controlled Trial of Ad Libitum Food Intake, Cell Metabolism, 5/16/19
- Standardizing food classification with NOVA, World Public Health Nutrition Association, 2016
- Consumption of ultra-processed foods and cancer risk: results from NutriNet-Santé prospective cohort, BMJ, 2/14/18
What I ate today: vegetable hash with 2 eggs, 16 oz coffee, peach, 1 cup strawberries, 2 cups blueberries, 1 cup cheddar Hippeas, udon noodles + 1 slice pumpkin tempura + 1/2 slice sweet potato tempura, glass noodles + tofu + spinach + shiitake mushrooms, 1 tablespoon homemade green tea ice cream, 10 oz hot chocolate, 50 oz. water
Exercise: 1 hours of kickboxing, 30 min. upper body weight lifting
