Processed food is often vilified. That’s because most people really don’t understand what processed food is. In fact, you’ll probably be surprised to know that even the most health conscious, natural food enthusiast eats processed food.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), processed food is defined as any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to washing, cleaning, milling, cutting, chopping, heating, pasteurizing, blanching, cooking, canning, freezing, drying, dehydrating, mixing, packaging, or other procedures that alter the food from its natural state.
It’s clear, based on the USDA definition, that not all processed food is equal. In fact, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says processed food falls on a spectrum from minimally to heavily processed:
Minimally processed foods — such as bagged spinach, cut vegetables, and roasted nuts — often are simply pre-prepped for convenience.
Foods processed at their peak to lock in nutritional quality and