Whether you realize it or not, the majority of your calorie intake is likely to come from highly processed foods. That means that nearly half of the food we eat every day has been significantly altered from its natural state, with the addition of salt, sugar, fat, additives, preservatives, and/or artificial colors.
According to recent research commissioned by Heart & Stroke, people in Canada consume nearly 50% of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods.
According to data from a 2017 study published in the journal Population Health Metrics, ultra-processed foods like fries and cookies account for nearly 60% of the calories in the average American diet.
And, according to Joan Ifland, an expert on processed food addiction and founder of The Food Addiction Reset, these foods are not only bad for your health, but they're also addictive.
"They become addictive when you concentrate [foods], when you put them in a state where they can be absorbed very quickly," Ifland says.
"Processed foods are foods that do not look the same as they did when they were first harvested," she says. Foods made by "powdering, liquifying, making into a syrup or a crystal, removing the fiber and grounding into a flour [and] heating to such a high temperature that the nutrients are vaporized" are included.
What we eat has a significant impact on our health, and ultra-processed foods such as candy, soft drinks, pizza, and chips lack essential nutrients. The more ultra-processed foods we consume, the lower the nutritional quality of our diet becomes.
This chart illustrates simple substitutions for popular processed foods such as doughnuts and pizza.
7 highly processed foods that can be substituted with healthier alternatives
| Doughnut | Apple |
|---|---|
| Burgers and fries | Fajitas with beans, brown rice and chopped veggies |
| Chips | Cut up fruitLike cantaloupe and strawberries |
| Pizza | Brown rice with sliced tomato and sauteed ground beef |
| Ice cream | Berries topped with coconut cream |
| Cookies | Fruit that is low in sugarLike oranges and watermelon |
| Coffee drinks | Green tea |
Table: Gabriel Cortes / CNBC
Source: Joan Ifland
What causes the addiction to processed foods?
Endorphins are released when eating processed foods, resulting in a "high" experience that, according to Ifland, is followed by a crash. "And in the crash, you become desperate to get out of the crash," she explains, prompting you to consume more processed foods.
Non-processed foods also provide an elevated lift due to endorphin release; however, it does not result in a severe crash, she notes.
"You get better emotional control because you don't have all of that adrenaline and cortisol in your bloodstream" when you stop eating processed foods. "You get better digestion," Ifland says.
How can I limit my intake of ultra-processed foods?
Balance the scales! Cook at home more frequently, avoiding ultra-processed ingredients (heating up frozen fried chicken does not count).
Dine with friends and family: According to studies, people who eat together have better eating habits.
Better choices when dining out: Restaurant meals can be fresh and healthy; they don't have to be ultra-processed. Fill half your plate with vegetables wherever you dine, and choose baked, poached, stir-fried, or grilled items over deep-fried ones.
Take a look at the source: Consider where your food comes from.
Don't be swayed by marketing hype: Be wary of misleading food marketing and advertising. Foods that have been ultra-processed are frequently marketed as "healthy," "natural," and "organic." While these words describe the original ingredients, they do not describe how the food was made. As a result, buyer beware. Remember that even an organic, natural cookie is still a highly processed food!
Eating fresh, unprocessed, whole foods is extremely beneficial to your health, including lowering your risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and stroke.
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