Processed Foods Can Actually Kill You – Discover How to Avoid It

Nutrition advice can be confusing sometimes.

A good example is the nearly universal recommendation to limit processed foods. Since all food is processed to some degree, how can you, as a consumer, know what people are talking about when they say "processed?" And what are processed foods anyways?

While many throw the term "processed food" around loosely, in the scientific community this almost always refers to “ultra-processed food.”

Ultra-processed foods are typically made from chemically modified ingredients, which are assembled to create ready-to-eat meals. Examples include fish sticks, frozen dinners, and packaged cakes. 

The problem with these foods is that they're linked to chronic diseases and early death. Eliminating these foods from your life is one of the best things you can do for your health. I talk about how you can do that here.

How Does Processed Food Affect Your Body?

Two studies published recently in the British Medical Journal (BMJ) found that processed foods put people at a greater risk of cardiovascular disease and early death. [1,2]. In other words, processed food has a negative effect on your body. 

But why exactly is this so?

Here’s what we know so far about the different ways these foods impact health:

Weight gain

Processed foods usually provide nothing but empty calories. These calories typically come from excess carbohydrates (added sugar, corn syrup, glucose, etc.) and unhealthy fats (partially-hydrogenated oils, saturated fats, trans fats). And with no protein or fiber to help curb hunger, they make it easy to overeat.

Metabolic syndrome

Processed foods can put you at greater risk of insulin resistance, diabetes, dyslipidemia (high total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL)) and other metabolic problems not only because they can cause weight gain, but also because they spike blood glucose [3].

Heart disease

High sodium, added sugar, and unhealthy fat intake increases your risk of heart disease according to a report from the World Health Federation [4]. Processed food are high in all three offenders, and paired with weight gain, your risk may just skyrocket.  

Brain problems

The brain needs a range of nutrients and phytochemicals to work properly. Processed foods are not likely to give your brain what it needs, and several studies have even linked a diet high in fries, burgers, and frozen dinners to ADHD, depression, and Alzheimer's [5,6,7].

How Do I Stop Eating Processed Foods?

Avoiding processed food is easy.

Take these steps and you'll see processed stuff disappear from your diet:

Shop at the perimeter

Most supermarkets share a similar layout: fresh and real foods are placed at the corners of a store, while the highly processed stuff is stacked on shelves in the middle.

Avoid food in boxes

Most things packed in boxes tend to be highly processed. Think sugary cereals, baked goods, frozen dinners, chips, and so on. Also, be wary of anything packed in bags, cans, and jars.

Read the label

The fewer ingredients listed, the better. If a product has a long list of hard-to-read ingredients, it's probably highly processed, and you need to avoid it or at least limit it. 

Check the nutrition facts

Nutrient composition can also be telling: if sugars and/or sodium are high on the list and there's barely any protein and fiber, it may be highly processed.

Make meals from scratch

Cooking from scratch is slightly more time-consuming than popping frozen pizza in the microwave. To save yourself time, look for quick and easy recipes like omelets, baked chicken breasts, roasted veggies, and pork stir-fries. 

Tip: If you’re on a keto diet and want to learn how to make your own meals, check out this diet plan for beginners. 

Dine out occasionally

Fast food places and many restaurants serve foods that are not what they seem to be. Fries, burgers, onion rings, many condiments, and even eggs are all processed at many of these places.

H2: Are All Processed Foods Bad?

Most food undergoes some level of processing. So, no, not all processed foods are bad.

The NOVA food classification can help you separate the good from the bad in food processing. Based on the extent of processing, the NOVA classification puts food into 4 categories:

group 1: unprocessed or minimally processed foods

• Seeds
• Fruits
• Greens
• Eggs
• Meat
• Raw meat
• Mushrooms

group 2: processed culinary ingredients

• Olive oil
• Butter
• Sugar
• Salt

group 3, processed foods

• Bottled vegetables
• Frozen vegetables
• Canned fish
• Fruits in syrup
• Bread

Foods in this group are group 1 foods prepared with group 2 foods to make the food edible, palatable, and to increase shelf life

group 4: ultra-processed foods.

• Packaged snacks
• Soft drinks
• Reconstituted meat
• Frozen meals
• Candy

These foods are not made from modified, intact foods. Instead, they're formulations made from substances derived from food like whey, casein, soy protein isolate, maltodextrin, and high-fructose corn syrup. They also contain preservatives, additives, colorants, and other ingredients you won't find in your kitchen.  

Using this classification system as your guide, stick to the first three groups and avoid group 4. Canned fish (without sauce), frozen vegetables, bagged lettuce, canned beans, butter, and milk are all processed but still real foods you can count on both for convenience and nutrition.

25 Processed Foods to Avoid

If you're still feeling confused about what processed food you need to avoid, here's a list of 30 of the worst nutrition offenders:

Soft drinks

Soft drinks are non-alcoholic beverages usually made with carbonated water, sweeteners, and artificial flavorings. Sometimes, they contain juice.

Packaged bread

Unlike homemade bread, which you can make with a handful of ingredients, packaged bread contains things like refined flour, synthetic vitamins, high-fructose corn syrup, wheat gluten, soy lecithin, and emulsifiers.

Packaged cakes

Twinkies, mini rolls, and other packaged cakes contain similar ingredients as packaged bread with the addition of extra sugar, flavorings, colorants, and others depending on the product.

Chips

You'd think potato chips are made with just potatoes and flavorings, but you'd be fooling yourself. Ingredients you'll see on a bag of chips include sugar, monosodium glutamate, lactose, acetic acid, maltodextrin, disodium guanylate, and other ingredients you probably never heard of.

Candy

Candy is essentially flavored sugar with other ingredients that don't belong in a healthy diet. Avoid candy or limit your intake to only once or twice a week.

Store-bought ice cream

Real ice cream is made with a handful of simple ingredients like milk, cream, and yolks. The store-bought stuff, however, has nothing to do with the real thing. It's usually made by combining milk proteins with highly-processed fats and artificial flavors.

Boxed cake mix

Making cake from scratch takes a bit more time than using cake mix. But the latter tends to be way worse for your health. It's a question of either your time or your health here.

Instant noodles

A staple of college dorms, instant noodles are popular because they're dirt cheap, quick to make, and addictive. However, they're just a source of empty calories that rely on food additives for flavor.

Breakfast cereal

For a long time, people though breakfast cereal was a good way to start the day. Now we know most are loaded with sugar and a host of other unhealthy ingredients.

Energy bars

Another bad food masquerading as healthy are energy bars. While they are made with a base of real food (e.g. oats), they also frequently contain glucose syrup, emulsifiers, rice flour, sunflower oil, and flavorings.

Flavored yogurt

Full-fat and Greek yogurt are great, flavored yogurt not so much. It's typically made with nonfat milk, so additional ingredients like pectin and bean gum are used to thicken it.  

Chicken nuggets

Chicken nuggets made in vegetable oil and served with BBQ sauce have a plethora of ingredients that you couldn't make at home like: modified starch, dextrose, yeast extract, xanthan gum, and many others.

Fast food burgers

Fast food places swear they use nothing but 100% ground beef in their burgers. But upon closer inspection, some brands will add things like yeast extract, sugar, cornstarch, and other ingredients.

Hot dogs

Everyone's favorite sausage sandwich is made from non-food sounding things like pink slime and meat slurry, and they often contain dangerous preservatives like sodium nitrite. The same holds for sausages, canned meat, and pate.

Chocolate spreads

While chocolate spreads like Nutella are good as an occasional indulgence, they're not good to eat on a daily because the top ingredient in these products is usually refined sugar and palm oil.

Processed cheese

Processed cheese is only 50% real cheese. The rest is milk powder, food dyes, preservatives, and emulsifiers. If you love cheese, go for the real stuff instead.

Whipped topping

Whipped topping is a cheaper alternative to heavy cream. Unfortunately, the lower cost comes at a price: a host of low-quality ingredients like corn syrup, hydrogenated oil, and artificial flavors.

Jams and jellies

A lot of store-bought jams may be made from real fruit, but a lot of manufacturers use high-fructose corn syrup in these products, which one of the worst sweeteners for metabolic health according to some studies [8].

Instant soup

Just like instant noodles, a bag or cup of instant soup provides empty calories and little to no nutrition. These soups contain flavor enhancers to make them taste like real food.

Donuts from shops

Homemade donuts can make for a nutritious treat, but those served at donut shops are often too high in sugar and contain artificial ingredients, flavor enhancers, and food colorings.

Some condiments

Many store-bought condiments also contain ingredients you wouldn’t recognize as real food. Examples include ketchup, BBQ sauce, and sweet and sour sauce. Always check the ingredients list when buying condiments.

Flavored alcoholic drinks

Some flavored alcoholic beverages like Breezers and Cruisers contain a whole lot of ingredients you don't need in your diet. Go for simple cocktails if you are craving something flavorful and sweet.  

Frappuccino

You can make tasty lattes at home, which is much healthier than grabbing sugary Frappuccino drinks. These drinks contain ingredients that don't benefit you in any way.

Pasta sauces

Some brands of pasta sauces contain only real ingredients like tomatoes, olive oil, and basil. Others have emulsifiers, preservatives, and sugar. Check your choice of sauce before buying.

Store-bought tortillas

Tortillas are easy to make from scratch. Avoid store-bought versions since these are similar to sliced bread when it comes to ingredients and nutrition.

Takeaways

Eliminating processed foods is one of the key steps towards healthy eating. Unfortunately, defining "processed" is a bit tricky since most foods undergo processing. Chopping and frying vegetables, for example, qualifies as processing. And even some packaged food like frozen veggies and canned beans are processed yet deemed healthy. 

Luckily, health and nutrition experts are working up a definition to help separate the good from the bad in food processing. If you find current definitions confusing, just try to avoid anything your grandma wouldn't recognize as food and stick to real food as much as possible. While you may find it inconvenient at first, your body will thank you for it later.

References:

1. Lawrence MA, Baker PI. Ultra-processed food and adverse health outcomes. BMJ. 2019 May 29;365:l2289. - https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l2289
2. Srour B, Fezeu LK, Kesse-Guyot E, Allès B, Méjean C, Andrianasolo RM2, et. al. Ultra-processed food intake and risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective cohort study (NutriNet-Santé). BMJ. 2019 May 29;365:l1451. - https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1451
3. Fardet A. Minimally processed foods are more satiating and less hyperglycemic than ultra-processed foods: a preliminary study with 98 ready-to-eat foods. Food Funct. 2016 May 18;7(5):2338-46. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27125637
4. Anand SS, Hawkes C, de Souza RJ, Mente A, Dehghan M, Nugent R, et. al. Food Consumption and its Impact on Cardiovascular Disease: Importance of Solutions Focused on the Globalized Food System: A Report From the Workshop Convened by the World Heart Federation. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2015 Oct 6;66(14):1590-1614. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4597475/
5. Howard AL, Robinson M, Smith GJ, Ambrosini GL, Piek JP, Oddy WH. ADHD is associated with a "Western" dietary pattern in adolescents. J Atten Disord. 2011 Jul;15(5):403-11. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20631199
6. Akbaraly T, Brunner E, Ferrie J, Marmot M, Kivimaki M, Singh-Manoux A. Dietary pattern and depressive symptoms in middle age. The British Journal of Psychiatry. 2009;195(5):408–13. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2801825/
7. Scarmeas N, Luchsinger J, Schupf N, et al. Physical activity, diet, and risk of Alzheimer disease. JAMA. 2009;302(6):627–37. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2765045/
8. Meyers AM, Mourra D, Beeler JA. High fructose corn syrup induces metabolic dysregulation and altered dopamine signaling in the absence of obesity. PLoS One. 2017; 12(12): e0190206. - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5747444/