If you’re a health junkie then you should be familiar with the notion that processed foods can negatively impact your health. Although there may be truth to this statement, you may not know what exact food or beverage is considered highly processed. This lack of knowledge can cause many health issues if you don’t know what type of foods and beverages you’re putting into your body.
Unfortunately, most foods and beverages are processed in various ranges and even for good reason. While dried beans, in particular, are processed, they’re not considered a health risk as the process must be done so they can be shelf-stable. Despite the risks associated with processed foods, not all of these foods are unhealthy as a result.
The NOVA Food Classification System
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To make food processing more understandable, researchers created four categories of foods based on their degree of processing. Specifically, researchers from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil developed a food classification system called NOVA to help understand food processing easier by separating foods into groups.
NOVA group one focuses on unprocessed or minimally processed foods such as vegetables, grains, beans, nuts, and fruits. Moreover, these foods are more likely to be boiled, pasteurized, or roasted to increase their shelf life or to make them safer. NOVA group two contains processed culinary ingredients derived from either group one foods or nature. These foods include salt, maple syrup, and olive oil and are used mainly to prepare and cook group one foods.
NOVA group three are processed foods and other foods made of ingredients consisting of sugar and salt. Furthermore, foods from groups one and two are added to this category as well. Examples of these foods include fruits in syrup, cheese, and fresh bread. Lastly, NOVA group four encompasses ultra-processed foods, which have very little or none of the ingredients and foods in group one. Moreover, the foods in group four are supposed to be hyper-palatable and convenient. Not only that but these foods are typically low cost, yet have higher concentrations of sugar, fats, refined grains, salts, and preservatives.
What to Learn From Food Classification
Despite these definitions, experts have admitted that these groups are flawed as they don’t accurately classify foods. Further research also exposed potential variabilities when listing highly processed foods as most studies say breakfast cereals are highly processed. Disregarding these studies, many healthcare professionals don’t include many cereals as highly processed as they either have no added sugar or sustained little processing. Ultimately, the NOVA classification system is meant to provide a consensus of what’s considered processed food based on ingredients and manufacture.
Differences Between Whole and Processed Foods
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On the flip side, whole foods experience minimum to no processing before you purchase or harvest them. These whole foods include fruits, vegetables, chicken, beans, fish, eggs, and pasteurized milk. The reason these foods are called “whole foods” is due to maintaining their original form or experiencing little alterations. The items created from them are also minimally processed and are seen as healthy as a result. These items include dried fruit, whole cornmeal turned into polenta, oats, and any food with no sugar. Along with these items, some oils like olive oil have positive health benefits too.
Mostly, ultra-processed foods contain more calories, sugars, and salt than whole foods. For instance, 100 grams of potato chips may contain more calories than a plain baked potato of the same serving size. This calorie difference is caused by the processing of potato chips being fried. Comparatively, many companies tend to sell their products with excess sugar to children and teens, which could explain the popularity of certain cereals and sodas. Yet, this difference doesn’t always remain true as some ultra-high processed foods can have low calories.
These foods mostly derive from companies that create foods that are intended to help people lose weight. With that said, just because certain processed foods have low calories doesn’t mean that they’re the healthiest choice of food to eat. So, the next time you question if the food you want to eat is healthy, you should prefer its nutritional value over its calorie count.
Smart Planning for Healthy Diets
While high in calories and other ingredients, ultra-processed foods typically have less fiber, vitamins, proteins, and minerals than whole foods. Yet again, these differences aren’t consistent with all foods as certain ultra-processed foods can have an increase of protein concentrates and added fiber.
This is best revealed in weight loss energy bars as they can have high protein and fiber in them. Likewise, ultra-processed foods are usually marketed for weight loss and tagged as “low fat” which can cause potential health issues as manufacturers may add more sugar to their products to replace the removed fat to make them taste better. Therefore, ensure you keep these details in mind when deciding your next meal as you want your eating habits to stay healthy.
Disclaimer: This article is intended simply to provide information. It does not replace the medical advice of a physician or other medical professional. Please speak with your doctor or therapist if you have any questions or concerns.
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