Are all processed foods bad for you? Not necessarily, say Hong Kong dietitians
When we think of processed foods, we usually think of things that have been drained of their nutrients and stuffed full of salt, fat and sugar to enhance their taste and shelf life. In fact, the reality is more nuanced
Are all processed foods bad for you?
The short answer: No
In a bid to eat “clean” or more healthily, the more diet-conscious among us are choosing whole, unprocessed foods over processed ones. The former, we’re told, are more nutritionally dense since they’re likely to be in as close to their natural state as possible, while the latter tend to hold less nutritional value.
According to Sally Shi-Po Poon, a dietitian, and director of Personal Dietitian, the term “processed foods” applies to any food that has been altered from its natural state in some way, for safety or convenience. Food processing techniques include freezing, canning, baking, drying and pasteurising. Examples of common processed foods include breakfast cereals, cheese, canned and frozen vegetables, bread, noodles and pasta, savoury snacks such as crisps and biscuits, microwave or ready-to-eat meals, oils, processed meats such as luncheon meat and jerky, and drinks such as milk, juice and coffee.
Should you avoid bathing or leaving the house after childbirth, as Chinese tradition dictates?
But not all processed foods are created equal. In fact, Poon says that processing is sometimes a must to make a particular food safe for consumption. In this context, some processed foods are actually healthier than their unprocessed counterparts. Take milk, for instance, which needs to be pasteurised (heat treated) to remove harmful bacteria. Frozen fruit and vegetables, too, can be just as healthy or sometimes even healthier than the fresh variety, as the freezing process takes place as soon as the product is picked, thus retaining nutrients.