Ways to Eat Wholesome Food with Just a Microwave!

The problem with processed food

If I were to list the worst possible types of diets, it would look like this:
1 – Processed food
2 – Processed food
3 – Processed food

According to the United States Department Of Agriculture (USDA), processed foods can be divided into several categories: Minimally Processed, Processed and Heavily/Highly Processed. A great article that highlights examples of each type of processed food with an in-depth analysis can be found from the School of Public Health at Harvard University. 

In the real world, we all have a life. Here are a few of the typical scenarios that my patients experience:

• Working single moms only have time to grab a bite on-the-go between jobs. 
• Teenagers only have money for the dollar menu that fast food restaurants offer.
• Truck drivers are only able to eat food from fast food restaurants or at the roadside diners open in the middle of the night along the highway.
• Single, live alone people don’t bother to cook because it’s too much effort.

As you can see, the laundry list of reasons for grabbing a convenient bite, instead of preparing your own food is endless. Unfortunately, all fast food is considered to be highly processed. In a nutshell, this means that the food has low nutritional value and is a highly imbalanced food choice. Highly processed foods are loaded in fat, sodium, sugar, food coloring, and preservatives. These options have extremely low values of fiber, vitamins and antioxidants. There is no doubt in my mind that everyone has the noble intention to improve their diet. The problem tends to be that life gets in the way towards making better choices. This is the million dollar question that plagues most of our society.

	Unprocessed or minimally processed foods Unprocessed foods include the natural edible food parts of plants and animals. Minimally processed foods have been slightly altered for the main purpose of preservation but which does not substantially change the nutritional content of the food.
	Processed foods Foods from either of the two previous groups that have added salt, sugar, or fats. Some canned fruits and vegetables, some cheeses, freshly made bread, and canned fish are examples. These foods usually are made from at least 2-3 ingredients and can be readily eaten without further preparation.
	Ultra-processed foods Also commonly referred to as “highly processed foods,” these are foods from the prior group that go beyond the incorporation of salt, sweeteners, or fat to include artificial colors and flavors and preservatives that promote shelf stability, preserve texture, and increase palatability. Several processing steps using multiple ingredients comprise the ultra-processed food.

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