People hear the term ‘processed foods’ and automatically think that it is bad for you, and while some processed food is not healthy and should be very minimal in your diet, this is not the case for all processed food. Almost all food is processed in some way before it is eaten. The main reasons to process food are to eliminate micro-organisms (which may cause disease) and to extend shelf life.

Many processed foods, some of which look very different from the original ingredients, are an important part of a healthy diet. Food processing can be from how something is grown, washed, the way it is sold (e.g. fresh, packaged, canned), to the way it is cooked, dehydrated or stored (e.g. frozen). Some foods can lose nutrients with storage, preserved foods like frozen vegetables may have a higher nutrient content than their fresh equivalents.

Processed foods may be categorised in terms of the extent to which they have been processed (minimally – ultra-processed).

· Minimally processed foods (foods which are vital for healthy eating including washed and packaged fruit and vegetables, roasted nuts, and coffee beans). These foods typically contain a high ratio of nutrients compared to energy, fat, sugar, and salt.

· Foods preserved to enhance nutritional quality or safety (e.g. fruits and vegetables, frozen or canned fish, beans, vegetables, fruits, and jarred baby food). As long as these do not contain added salt, sugar, and fat, then these processed foods are typically as healthy as the non-processed equivalents.

· Combined foods (e.g. sauces, dressings, spice mixes, cake and cookie mixes, and instant potato or rice mixes) the health effects of these foods depend on their ingredients, in particular their salt, sugar and fat content.

· Ready to eat foods (e.g. breakfast cereals, breads, biscuits, crackers, spreads, processed meats, cooked meats, cheeses, and beverages like soft drinks and fruit juices). Many ready to eat foods like bread and breakfast cereals are fortifies with important micro-nutrients like iron and folic acid and have a higher nutrient content compared to their unprocessed counterparts. Processed meats tend to have high fat and salt content and should be avoided or consumed in moderation.

· Ready to eat meals (e.g. pies, pizzas, and deli meals). While the nutritional quality varies depending on the ingredients, ready to eat meals tend to be high in salt, sugar, and fat.

Ultimately the healthiness of processed foods depends on their nutrient (e.g. vitamins, minerals, fibre) relative to their non0nutrient (e.g. energy, fat, sodium, and sugar) content.

A variety of things can happen during the growing, harvesting, storage and preparing of food that can affect its nutritional content. Processes that expose foods to high levels of heat, light or oxygen cause the greatest nutrient loss.

Healthy Options
Many processed foods can still be part of a healthy diet. They include:

· Packaged fresh fruits and vegetables

· Frozen fruits and vegetables

· Canned beans, vegetables, fruits, and fish with no added salt, sugar, or fat

· Pasteurised dairy products

· Iodized salt

· Mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fats and vegetable oils are healthier than animal fats

Processed foods to avoid
Processed foods and beverages to avoid or consume in moderation include:

· Sausages and processed deli meats which are high in saturated fat and often salt too

· Biscuits, cakes, and pastries which have a high sugar content

· Pizza, burgers, and fried foods which contain few nutrients and are energy dense (high calories) due to their high fat content

· Potato chips (crisps) and other savory snacks which are high in fat and salt and sometimes also sugar

· Full cream dairy products which contain important nutrients but have a relatively high fat content compered to their low-fat counterparts

· Trans-fats and animal fats such as lard and butter

· Sugary beverages including fruit juices, soft drinks, and cordial

· Confectionery including lollies and chocolate which are high in energy and sugar

· Alcohol which contains a lot of energy and doesn’t contain any nutrients

· Foods which may have been prepared in unsafe environments which may increase the risk of food-borne illness.

Losing nutrients through preparing and cooking

Most vegetables are peeled or trimmed before cooking to remove the tough skin or outer leaves. However, most nutrients, such as vitamins, tend to lie close to the skin surface, so excessive trimming can mean a high reduction in a vegetable’s nutrient value.
Some vitamins dissolve in water, so you lose your vitamins to the cooking water if you prefer to boil your vegetables. For example, boiling a potato can cause much of the potato’s B and C vitamins to migrate into the boiling water. It is still possible to benefit from these nutrients if you consume the liquid, for example, by turning the potato and the liquid into a soup. Alternative cooking methods such as grilling, roasting, steaming, stir-frying or microwaving generally preserve a greater amount of vitamins and other nutrients.

Benefits of cooking food
Cooking food does not always lessen the nutrient value. Cooking can be advantageous in many ways, including:

· Making the food tastier

· Breaking down parts of food (such as vegetables) that would otherwise be indigestible

· Destroys bacteria or other harmful micro-organisms

· Makes phytochemicals more available (phytochemicals are chemicals produced by plants).

Tips for preserving the nutrient value of vegetables

· Store food properly – keeping cold foods cold and sealing some foods in airtight containers.

· Keep vegetables in the crisper section on the refrigerator.

· Try washing or scrubbing vegetables rather than peeling them.

· Use the outer leaves of vegetables like cabbage or lettuce unless they are wilted or unpalatable.

· Microwave, steam, roast, or grill vegetables rather than boiling them.

· If you do boil your vegetables, save the nutrient filled water for soup stock.

· Use fresh ingredients whenever possible.

Remember, not all “processed food” is bad! The nutrient value of food is almost always altered by the kind of processing it undergoes. Water-soluble vitamins are the most vulnerable to processing and cooking, so careful cooking and storage will help retain the nutrients in your food.

Food Processing: what does this mean?