Processing food usually involves adding preservatives to lengthen the life of the food. The preservatives used are the culprit of many health issues. However, some of these food products still maintain their nutritional value even if they are processed. We know that processed foods are not 100% healthy; there are also foods that we thought were naturally packed when processed but still healthy. The list below will give you a heads up to know whether it is processed, fit, or not.
- Oatmeal or Oats – who would have thought that oatmeal belongs to the processed foods? Before we get to enjoy our usual oatmeal in a bowl with hot milk, it has undergone a long process. Oats were squashed, rolled, toasted, steamed, and dried. Though it is processed, oats still contain beneficial properties. Processing it is just a way to keep it fresh for a longer time.
- Ice Cream – Add stabilizers like polysaccharide gums to keep ice cream from hardening and forming ice crystals. At the same time, emulsifiers keep the ice cream smooth and whippy. These two compounds make up ice cream.
- Pasta – If you know how to make pasta fresh from the dough, then good. You always have a healthier choice. But for those who don’t know how or don’t have the time to do it. Pasta is from flour and eggs only, but preservatives are in when dried and packed.
- Low Fat and Nonfat Milk – Even though milk in boxes says it’s fresh milk, you cannot expect that it is new unless you squeeze it out straight from the mother cow—especially the Low and Nonfat milk. Because they remove cream through skimming, milk solids and the milk becomes watery after this process.
- Herbal Teas – Our conception of teas, whatever kind it is, is healthy. But there are commercial teas that were enhanced by adding flavors to adjust the bitterness. So be careful. Always check the label.
- Olive Oil – Olive fruits undergo a tiring and lengthy procedure before it turns to fat. The hard-like bullet fruits are ground into a paste, spread out, and pressed until oil comes out from it. We can enjoy the health benefits of olive oil after these tiring procedures. Kudos to the hard work of our farmers!
Engaging ads can deceive us of the actual nutritional value of the product. Many of us might have consumed and maintained food products that we thought were healthy and a “must-have” in our cupboards. That is why you should check the label carefully.
