# What Are Processed Foods? Processed foods are any foods that have been altered in some way from their original form — typically for convenience, preservation, or taste. That “altered” can be as simple as chopping or freezing... or as intense as chemical extraction, additives, and ultra-refined ingredients. --- ## ⚠️ Types of Processing Not all processed foods are bad — it’s a spectrum: | Level | Description | Examples | |-------|-------------|----------| | **Minimally Processed** | Basic prep like washing, cutting, freezing | Frozen veggies, bagged spinach, roasted nuts | | **Processed** | Added ingredients like sugar, salt, or oils | Bread, cheese, canned tuna, peanut butter | | **Ultra-Processed** | Heavily modified with additives and industrial ingredients | Chips, soda, candy, frozen meals, fast food | --- ## 🧠 Why It Matters Ultra-processed foods are **engineered to override your hunger signals**. They’re designed to be addictive — high in calories, low in nutrients, and easy to binge. > You’re not weak — they’re just built that way. Over time, a diet high in ultra-processed food can: - Spike inflammation - Disrupt blood sugar regulation - Increase fat storage - Wreck gut health and cravings - Reduce energy and focus --- ## ✅ What to Do Instead You don’t have to go full caveman. Just aim for: - **Single-ingredient foods** (meat, rice, eggs, fruit, veg) - **Minimally processed options** (frozen veggies > frozen pizza) - **Cooking at home** more often - **Reading labels** (if it has 30 ingredients and sounds like a science experiment... maybe not) --- ## 🧪 The Litmus Test If you: - Could eat *way more* than you intended - Don’t feel full afterward - Can’t identify most of the ingredients ...it’s probably ultra-processed. --- ## Final Thought > [!quote] > “Eat real food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” — Michael Pollan Swap the junk. Stack the habits. You don’t have to be perfect — just more aware. Each better choice adds up. ---