Fresh vs. Processed Foods

This is the first in our series about Fresh vs. Processed Foods. 

Fresh (unprocessed) in general means food in its naturally occurring state.  Like whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and uncured meats.  There are a few exceptions that we regularly use in our recipes like tofu and other fake meat products, flours, and dried fruits.  We recommend using whole grain flours and fruits dried without sulfites, though they can be hard to find.  Sugar is another highly processed food that we try to avoid.  We use honey or maple syrup whenever possible.  If you can find maple sugar or honey granules, they can be used in recipes that call for white sugar.    

Food is your fuel, yada yada yada.  Everybody knows what you put into your body effects the way your body performs.  Processed foods frequently have all sorts of additional ingredients like added sugar, salt, and preservatives.  Let’s face it, the last thing most of us need is more sugar and salt.  Don’t get us wrong, bacon is one of our favorite foods, but we only eat it very occasionally.    Although approved by the FDA, the preservatives and chemicals in overly processed foods are linked to all sorts of different health problems.  Many times in the past the FDA has approved a color, sweetener, or flavoring, only to ban it at a later date when problems arise.  It’s difficult to keep track of things like trans fats and MSG hidden in the confusing ingredient list, so the easiest thing is just to avoid processed foods whenever possible.  We know that this makes making food that much more of a pain in the neck.  But if you turn meals back into a social function rather than a chore, you’ll enjoy the experience much more. 

Even if they don’t have added ingredients, processing can reduce the nutrient value of the foods.  In our next post about Fresh vs. Processed Foods, we’ll discuss the reduction of nutrients in your foods.