5 Myths about Processed Foods You Need to Stop Believing

If you’ve ever shopped at Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s, you know that the processed food section can be pretty overwhelming. With all kinds of boxed, packaged, and canned foods available, how do you know which are good for you and which aren’t? Well, I’m here to tell you that the answer isn’t so simple. In fact, many of the foods people believe are processed actually aren’t in any way–and often these natural foods contain more unhealthy ingredients than their processed counterparts!

1) All processed foods are unhealthy

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about processed foods. Let’s clear up some of the myths
1) The lack of nutrients in processed food: Processed food may have less nutrients, but it also contains more fat and sugar than unprocessed food. As a result, you need to consume fewer calories when eating processed food.
2) Artificial sweeteners are bad for you: Yes, artificial sweeteners are added to many things like diet soda and other products in order to provide sweetness without adding extra calories. However, according to recent studies, this is not necessarily a good thing.
3) Some artificial sweeteners can actually increase appetite and cravings for sugars. What’s worse is that they’ve been found to cause mood changes such as depression or irritability – even if you don’t notice an increase in your appetite! In addition, they can be toxic to your gut bacteria which could lead to weight gain by changing the composition of your microbiome and inhibiting good bacteria growth.
4) Healthy food can never be processed: Processing isn’t all bad. In fact, in most cases it is actually a good thing because it helps to preserve food longer and prevent spoilage. But, when you’re talking about adding sugar or unhealthy fats, then yes – that is a problem!

2) All fast food is terrible

While it’s true that fast food is often unhealthy, there are plenty of healthier options available. Just because a food is processed doesn’t mean it’s automatically bad for you. Here are five myths about processed foods you need to stop believing:
-All processed foods contain high levels of sugar: There are plenty of products on the market that have little or no sugar content.
-Processed food isn’t satisfying: Wrong! When eaten in moderation, processed food can provide essential nutrients and keep hunger at bay.
-Processing reduces nutritional value: Modern processing techniques actually make it easier for our bodies to digest and absorb certain nutrients.
-Processed food isn’t tasty: Food manufacturers spend millions on research and development every year trying to come up with new tastes and textures; they don’t want you eating their products if they’re not delicious!
-Processed food is bad for you: In moderation, there’s nothing wrong with eating processed foods. It’s also important to remember that we all need different things out of our diets, so what works for one person might not work for another. That being said, there are ways to make sure your diet contains a variety of whole foods as well as processed ones-and chances are, when it comes down to choosing between two types of snacks or meals, one will offer more benefits than the other.

3) Ingredients don’t matter as long as it says natural

It’s easy to assume that if an ingredient is labeled as natural, it must be healthy. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. In fact, the FDA doesn’t even regulate the use of the word natural. So, while an ingredient may be derived from a natural source, it could still be processed in a way that makes it unhealthy. One example is corn syrup, which is made by adding enzymes and acids to glucose. The chemical process can change the glucose into something called high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which contains high levels of fructose and can cause many health problems. HFCS is found in almost every pre-packaged food item on store shelves today—from yogurt to bread, sodas to salad dressings. Even some healthy alternatives like almond milk contain HFCS! Just because you don’t see the word high-fructose corn syrup on the ingredients list doesn’t mean it isn’t there; this sweetener can go by other names like corn sugar or invert sugar. But just because you’re reading natural doesn’t mean you’re reading healthy. If anything, the label should make people more skeptical rather than less so.

4) Everything labeled organic is healthy

There’s a common misconception that anything organic is good for you, but that’s not always the case. Just because a food is organic doesn’t mean it’s healthy. In fact, some processed foods can be just as nutritious as their organic counterparts.
Here are twelve myths about processed foods you need to stop believing:
1. All processed foods are bad for you.
2. Organic foods are always healthy.
3. Processed foods are loaded with chemicals and preservatives.
4. Processed foods are unhealthy because they’re high in sugar and fat.
5. Processed foods should be avoided at all costs.
6. Processed foods have no nutritional value.
7. Eating processed foods will make you overweight or obese.
8. Eating a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables is all you need to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
9. Processed foods provide convenience that whole foods do not.
10. Processed foods help cut down on time spent cooking and shopping for groceries so there’s more time to spend doing other things, like working out or spending time with family.
11. Eating processed food won’t give you much energy so you’ll still want to eat lots of carbs when training hard.
12. Not eating enough calories from any source can lead to muscle loss and slow metabolism over time (or even worse).

5) Homemade = healthy

There’s this common misconception that anything made at home must be good for you. After all, you know what ingredients are going into it and you can control how much of each goes in. But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s healthy. In fact, some of the most unhealthy foods are made at home. Just because something is homemade doesn’t mean it’s good for you. Take ice cream, for example. It might sound healthier than store-bought ice cream because you’re using milk and eggs instead of processed sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, but that doesn’t make it a health food. All those extra ingredients (like condensed milk) add up to a lot more calories than store-bought ice cream with fewer fillers.