What are processed foods and why are they bad?
In: 59
Lets use an example many of us know and love (sorry to allergy sufferers): Peanut Butter.
Raw, ‘unprocessed’ pure PB (quotes because the nuts had to be shelled and ground) is not the consistency or flavour I grew up with. It is simultaneously grainy and oily. It has instructions to stir well as it settles, and to put in the fridge to help maintain freshness.
Processed PB does not have these qualities. To aid with the runny consistency the healthy Peanut oil is removed and replaced with less healthy and more saturated oils which make it more like a butter than an oily paste. To prevent it from going rancid so quickly salt is added. To temper the saltiness and enhance the flavour sugar is also added. Finally, to prevent the peanut from settling emulsifiers are added.
In sum, a perfectly healthy (and more expensive despite the additives because it doesn’t last as long) variant of a common staple has much of it’s healthy content stripped out and replaced with unhealthy fat, salt, sugar, and artificial ingredients to make a more pleasant, cheaper, and long lasting product for the consumer. Processed.
Nutritional Comparison (per 30g)
|Nutrient|Unprocessed|Processed *(reduced from 33g)*|
|:-|:-|:-|
|Total Fat|14g|14.5g|
|Saturated Fat|2g|3.2g|
|Dietary Fibre|2g|1.8g|
|Sugars|2g|2.7g|
|Protein|8g|6.4g|
|Calories|190|172|
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