First of all, we need a definition of what is considered to be "processed food." Here is my definition:

   If a food has been altered from its original, natural state, it is processed.

Some examples of food processing methods are freezing, refrigeration, canning, sterilization, and asceptic processing, among others. Adding food additives – flavorings or texture-enhancing agents, or adding preservatives – nitrites or sulphites (mostly to increase shelf-life of commercial products), and substitution of low-cost ingredients (obviously to lower cost of production) are forms of processing that have been shown to have adverse effects on health.

Adopting this definition, we can see a lot of processed foods are good. In fact, some processed foods are preferable. Milk, frozen vegetables, canned sardines are some examples of healthy processed foods.

When I say avoid processed foods, I meant processed foods with trans fat, saturated fats, excessively amount of sugar and sodium, and others. These are the foods we don't eat, or at least, actively avoid.

These are just some examples of unhealthy processed foods I would like you and your family to avoid, as we do:

• canned foods with excessively amount of sodium
  

As I have said, canned sardine is a very good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, and we eat it regularly. But not all brands of canned sardines are the same. Avoid the ones with lots of sodium added in the products. If you are interested in eating healthier canned sardine, read my Our quest for a perfect canned sardine.

< to be continued>

First of all, we need a definition of what is considered to be "processed food." Here is my definition:

   If a food has been altered from its original, natural state, it is processed.

Some examples of food processing methods are freezing, refrigeration, canning, sterilization, and asceptic processing, among others. Adding food additives – flavorings or texture-enhancing agents, or adding preservatives – nitrites or sulphites (mostly to increase shelf-life of commercial products), and substitution of low-cost ingredients (obviously to lower cost of production) are forms of processing that have been shown to have adverse effects on health.

Adopting this definition, we can see a lot of processed foods are good. In fact, some processed foods are preferable. Milk, frozen vegetables, canned sardines are some examples of healthy processed foods.

When I say avoid processed foods, I meant processed foods with trans fat, saturated fats, excessively amount of sugar and sodium, and others. These are the foods we don't eat, or at least, actively avoid.

These are just some examples of unhealthy processed foods I would like you and your family to avoid, as we do:

• canned foods with excessively amount of sodium
  

As I have said, canned sardine is a very good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, and we eat it regularly. But not all brands of canned sardines are the same. Avoid the ones with lots of sodium added in the products. If you are interested in eating healthier canned sardine, read my Our quest for a perfect canned sardine.

< to be continued>

First of all, we need a definition of what is considered to be "processed food." Here is my definition:

If a food has been altered from its original, natural state, it is processed.

Some examples of food processing methods are freezing, refrigeration, canning, sterilization, and asceptic processing, among others. Adding food additives – flavorings or texture-enhancing agents, or adding preservatives – nitrites or sulphites (mostly to increase shelf-life of commercial products), and substitution of low-cost ingredients (obviously to lower cost of production) are forms of processing that have been shown to have adverse effects on health. Adopting this definition, we can see a lot of processed foods are good. In fact, some processed foods are preferable. Milk, frozen vegetables, canned sardines are some examples of healthy processed foods. When I say avoid processed foods, I meant processed foods with trans fat, saturated fats, excessively amount of sugar and sodium, and others. These are the foods we don't eat, or at least, actively avoid. These are just some examples of unhealthy processed foods I would like you and your family to avoid, as we do:

• canned foods with excessively amount of sodium

As I have said, canned sardine is a very good source of Omega-3 fatty acids, and we eat it regularly. But not all brands of canned sardines are the same. Avoid the ones with lots of sodium added in the products. If you are interested in eating healthier canned sardine, read my Our quest for a perfect canned sardine.

< to be continued>