Is "Processed Foods = Bad" Really True? Dietitians Recommend "Processed Foods You Can Eat" and Real Voices from Social Media

"Avoid processed foods for your health."

We've heard such words many times. In supermarkets, labels like "additive-free," "natural," and "homemade style" catch our eyes, and on social media, posts like "My health improved when I stopped eating processed foods" and "To improve your diet, you should first reduce processed foods" appear frequently.

Of course, it's not desirable to make foods high in sugar, salt, and fats, which can lead to overeating, the center of your daily diet. Snack foods, sugary drinks, pastries, instant noodles, processed meats, frozen pizzas, and sugary cereals are foods to be mindful of in terms of frequency and quantity.

However, what's often overlooked here is the broadness of the term "processed foods."

Washing, cutting, freezing, fermenting, canning, and mashing ingredients are all forms of processing in a broad sense. This means that tofu, yogurt, cheese, frozen vegetables, and canned beans are all considered processed foods. The issue is not whether they are processed, but how they are processed and what is added to them.

An article from Verywell Health mentions dietitians recommending "processed foods you can actually eat more of," such as frozen vegetables and fruits, yogurt and kefir, nut butters, dips like hummus, and canned beans and fish. What these have in common is that rather than significantly losing nutritional value through processing, they become more preservable and convenient, making them easier to incorporate into daily meals.

Why Has the Aversion to Processed Foods Become So Strong?

In recent years, the growing distrust of processed foods is linked to the spread of the concept of "ultra-processed foods." Ultra-processed foods are often industrially produced and contain large amounts of sugars, fats, salts, flavorings, emulsifiers, colorings, and sweeteners, making the original form of the ingredients hard to recognize.

With this concept spreading, the impression that processed foods as a whole should be avoided has strengthened. Indeed, diets high in ultra-processed foods have been linked to obesity and lifestyle diseases.

However, it's important not to lump frozen vegetables, plain yogurt, and canned beans into the same category. When the purpose of processing is preservation, fermentation, ease of cooking, or reducing food waste, it is not necessarily unhealthy.

In fact, for busy modern people, such foods make it easier to incorporate vegetables, proteins, and dietary fiber into daily meals.

1. Frozen Vegetables and Fruits Are Not a "Compromise" but a Practical Choice

Frozen vegetables and fruits are often seen as inferior due to the image that "fresh is healthier." However, frozen foods are often frozen while still fresh after harvest, which helps preserve their nutrients.

Of course, not all nutrients remain completely unchanged. They can vary depending on cooking methods and storage duration. Still, frozen vegetables are a strong ally in terms of "increasing opportunities to eat vegetables."

On social media, many voices resonate with this point. Especially in Reddit's budget and health communities, comments recommending frozen vegetables are prominent in response to concerns about "letting fresh produce bought for health rot." Many practical voices suggest adding frozen spinach to soups, curries, and pasta, keeping frozen broccoli and mixed vegetables on hand, and freezing fruits for smoothies.

This is very realistic. Even if you buy fresh vegetables, if you can't cook due to fatigue from work or chores, they will spoil in the back of the fridge. This results in wasted food expenses and nutrients. On the other hand, with frozen vegetables, you can use only what you need, reducing the hassle of using a knife.

Not everyone can execute the ideal of "buying fresh vegetables every day and cooking them daily." That's why frozen vegetables should be considered a tool for sustainable healthy habits, not a "shortcut."

The key when choosing is simple: opt for those where the vegetables or fruits themselves are frozen rather than pre-seasoned ones. Products with sauces, buttery flavors, or sugar-added fruit mixes can have high salt or sugar content. Check the ingredient list and select those as close to "vegetables" or "fruits" as possible.

2. Plain Yogurt and Kefir Represent "Good Processing" Through Fermentation

Yogurt and kefir are also processed foods. They are made by fermenting milk, so they are classified as processed foods in a broad sense.

However, fermentation is a technique for preservation and nutritional utilization that humanity has long used. Plain yogurt and kefir contain proteins, calcium, and beneficial bacteria from fermentation, making them easy to incorporate for those conscious of gut health.

The key is to choose "plain." Some commercial flavored yogurts have a lot of sugar or sweeteners added to enhance palatability. What you thought was a healthy choice might actually have a sugar content close to that of a dessert.

A recommended method is to add your own fruits, nuts, or a small amount of honey to unsweetened yogurt. This allows you to adjust the sweetness and incorporate dietary fiber and quality fats.

On social media, yogurt is often mentioned in the context of "wanting to reduce processed foods but eating this regularly." In a post about dietary improvements, many people combined yogurt with fruits for breakfast or lunch, showing that it is accepted as a more sustainable food than living solely on unprocessed ingredients.

If you try to avoid all processed foods uniformly, you might end up distancing yourself from fermented foods like yogurt. That would be a somewhat wasteful decision.

3. Nut Butter Is an Excellent Staple Food If It Has Few Ingredients

Nut butters like peanut butter and almond butter are also processed foods because they are made by grinding nuts into a paste.

However, if the ingredients are just "nuts" and "salt," they are convenient foods for easily obtaining the nutrition of nuts. Nuts contain plant-based proteins, dietary fiber, unsaturated fatty acids, and minerals. They can be spread on bread, mixed into oatmeal, added to smoothies, or used as a dip for vegetable sticks.

Be cautious of products with a lot of added sugar, vegetable oils, and flavorings. Especially sweet peanut butter can be more like a spreadable candy than a nutritious food.

Choosing is simple: check the ingredient list and opt for those with the shortest list possible. Ideally, it should be close to just "peanuts, salt" or "almonds." Products that prioritize spreadability and taste tend to have more additives and sugars.

On social media, nuts and nut butters are sometimes mentioned as "healthy foods even if processed." However, there are also voices warning "be careful not to overeat because they are high in calories." This is an important point. Nut butter is nutrient-dense but also high in energy. Instead of eating several tablespoons because it's healthy, it's better to use a small amount to enhance satisfaction.

4. Hummus and Bean Dips Make Vegetables Easier to Eat as Processed Foods

Hummus, made by mixing chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and spices, is a bean dip enjoyed in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. It is also a processed food because it involves mashing and seasoning beans.

However, hummus, with beans as the main ingredient, is a food that makes it easy to incorporate plant-based proteins and dietary fiber. It can be used as a snack or part of a meal by dipping vegetable sticks or whole-grain crackers.

The key point is that dips like hummus lower the "barrier to eating vegetables." Even for those who find raw carrots or cucumbers bland, having a dip makes them easier to eat. This is a significant advantage in improving one's diet.

Additionally, dips made with white beans, roasted peppers, eggplant, Greek yogurt, etc., can become nutritious dishes depending on how they are prepared.

However, some commercial dips are high in salt and oil. When purchasing, it's important to check the ingredients and nutrition labels and choose those that aren't extremely high in salt. When making them at home, you have the advantage of being able to adjust the taste and avoid excess sugars and oils.

Looking at social media reactions, there are voices recommending hummus and yogurt-based dips in response to complaints that "healthy meals are bland." In other words, if the purpose of processing is to make food easier to eat and is centered around nutritious ingredients, it can actually support a healthy diet.

5. Canned Beans and Fish Are Sources of Protein for Busy Households

When it comes to canned foods, some might think of them as "emergency food" or "shortcuts." However, canned beans and fish are excellent in terms of both nutrition and practicality.

Canned beans are a food that makes it easy to incorporate dietary fiber, plant-based proteins, iron, and minerals. Rehydrating and cooking dried beans from scratch takes time, but with canned beans, you can use them immediately. Adding them to salads, soups, curries, chili con carne, pasta, or stir-fries increases meal satisfaction.

Canned fish is similar. Tuna, mackerel, salmon, and sardines are foods that make it easy to get proteins and fats. Especially canned blue fish is convenient for those who find it difficult to incorporate fish into their daily meals.

On social media, voices like "I want to avoid processed foods, but canned beans and frozen vegetables are exceptions" and "I reduce ultra-processed foods but use canned and frozen foods" are seen. This shows that many people choose foods based on practicality rather than idealism.

The points to be cautious about are salt and oil. For canned beans, it's better to choose low-salt types or rinse them lightly with water before use to reduce salt content. For canned fish, there are options like water-packed, olive oil-packed, and seasoned types, but sweet and spicy flavored cans tend to be high in sugar and salt. For regular use, it's best to stick to simple water-packed or oil-packed options.

The Gap Between "Ideal Diet" and "Real Life" Seen in Social Media Reactions

 

What's interesting about this theme is that the reactions on social media reflect real life rather than just health theories.

On one hand, there are voices saying, "I want to avoid processed foods as much as possible" and "I'm anxious about not knowing what's in them." This is a natural feeling. Indeed, it's important to be cautious about eating foods with long ingredient lists and high amounts of sugars, salts, and additives daily.

However, on the other hand, there are voices saying, "Even if I buy fresh produce, it goes bad," "I'm too busy to cook," and "I want to eat healthily, but I lack the time, money, and energy."

On Reddit, there was a post about the frustration of not being able to use up healthy foods like spinach and chicken, leading to waste. In response, many users recommended using frozen vegetables, frozen fruits, canned goods, meal prepping, and buying in small quantities.

This is a problem that cannot be solved by nutritional correctness alone. No matter how fresh and nutritious the ingredients are, they are meaningless if not used up. It's better to utilize frozen or canned foods and actually consume them rather than waste them.

Moreover, a more moderate approach of "reducing ultra-processed foods and using convenient and nutritious processed foods" is spreading. Incorporating frozen vegetables, canned beans, yogurt, cheese, tofu, etc., into daily life while cutting back on sugary drinks, sweets, and overly seasoned snacks is a more practical line that should be easier for many people to continue.

Focus on Ingredients and Purpose, Not "Processing"

When choosing healthy processed foods, there's no need to remember complex theories. The main points to look at are threefold.

First, whether the ingredients are simple.
If the ingredients of frozen broccoli are just broccoli, that's quite simple. For plain yogurt, it's mainly raw milk, dairy products, and lactic acid bacteria. For nut butter, it's just nuts and salt. For canned beans, it's beans, water, and salt. Such foods, even if processed, show the form of the ingredients.

Second, whether sugars, salts, and oils are excessively added.
Even with the same yogurt, unsweetened and sweetened ones have different meanings. The same canned food can be used differently if it's water-packed or sweetly seasoned. The same frozen food has different nutritional balances if it's just vegetables or comes with a rich sauce.

Third, whether it works to improve your diet.
If buying frozen vegetables increases your vegetable intake, that's a good choice. If using canned beans adds dietary fiber to a meat-heavy meal, that's also a good choice. If eating yogurt reduces sugary snacks, it makes sense.

In other words, healthy processed foods are "processed but elevate your overall diet."

Create a "Sustainable System" Rather Than "Everything Handmade"

When it comes to a healthy diet, there's an image of buying fresh ingredients daily, cooking them carefully, and setting a colorful table. Of course, if you can do that, it's wonderful.

However, in reality, there are various circumstances such as work, childcare, caregiving, studies, health issues, and financial constraints. Some people can't spend time cooking every day. Some can't go shopping frequently. Some are not good at cooking.

Telling such people to "stop all processed foods" is too high a hurdle. Rather, using healthy processed foods well can lead to long-term dietary improvements.

Keep frozen vegetables on hand.
Use plain yogurt for breakfast.
Add canned beans to soups.
Add protein with canned tuna or mackerel.
Use a small amount of nut butter to enhance satisfaction.
Use hummus as a vegetable dip.

These small efforts may not be perfect. However, they are extremely valuable in terms of sustainability.

Towards a Diet That Doesn't Make Processed Foods the Enemy

The simplistic view of "processed foods = bad" makes our diet unnecessarily restrictive.

What we really want to avoid are ultra-processed foods, where the form of the ingredients is not visible, and they are high in sugars, salts, fats, and additives, making overeating easy. On the other hand, processes like freezing, fermenting, canning, and mashing are techniques to safely preserve foods, make them easy to use, and expand meal options.

The key is not to eliminate processed foods entirely. It's about increasing nutritious foods in a way that