The new DIRTY word in food
PROCESSED!
As we become more health conscious, and gain more of an understanding about the direct correlation many of the food we eat have on our bodies, we have made the new DIRTY food word “PROCESSED”.
Smart companies today, have climbed aboard the healthy train, in order to stay alive in today’s market. BUT, does that really mean what they sell is now healthier? or have their marketing departments become more clever in how the product is packaged, described, and advertised to the public. Hard to say, and it really depends on the company selling the “Processed” food. We love to hate the big companies, because their…well BIG, and we believe they put profits ahead of our health. True in some cases, BUT not ALL.
I have found a few smaller “boutique” food companies to be not so mindful of the health of their customer’s either. They have all the right packaging, and descriptions with big words like “NO TRANS FAT” and “ORGANIC” printed on their packaging. We buy it thinking we are eating a “healthier processed” food, and perhaps it may be a little healthier, but not as healthy as you might think or like it to be. My point is, the only person who has your health in mind is YOU!
SO what are we to do? Are we trapped into buying the items anyway, and hope our health stays perfect? Are we supposed to follow the raw life style?
ABSOLUTLY NOT! the answer lies in understanding the word we have turned into a dirty little whisper…Processed.
There are tons of food that are healthy, inexpensive and are “PROCESSED” they have to be in order to get them to market, such as Frozen vegetables, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, tuna, canned fruits and vegetables, nuts, Etc. There are also many companies, both big and small, who truly believe in producing a product that needs some processing but do not use harmful chemicals in their process. I mean after all, that is what a lot of the dirty word is about, CHEMICALS, and, which ones are being used in the processing of our food. Even our raw fruits and vegetables have had some “processing” in order to ready them for shipping, which is why “ORGANIC” became such a huge buzz word. The problem is organic is still expensive for most of us to buy on a regular basis. I say all the power to those who can afford all organic or farm their own food organically. I admire it.
Still, where does it leave the majority of us who want to ensure they, and those they cook for, are eating healthy, while still needing to be budget mindful, and do not have the time , space or money to farm their own food.
What it comes down to is not worrying about “processed” food, or buying “processed” food, because unless you eat a raw diet of Fruit and Vegetable and or you farm your own food, your going to encounter canned, jarred,and bagged, food. Obviously it is the type of processed food you choose, that makes the difference. An example being, chips, my family loves chips just as much as the next, and that chip isle is filled with all kinds of gloriously glossy bags of “processed” food. I choose a Veggie Chip, rather then buying a chip that is filled with words and ingredients I can barley pronounce. the fewer ingredients, the better.
CHOICES, you have the ability to CHOOSE what items you buy and feed to your family. Don’t blame the food companies for producing the “harmful” chips, blame yourself for buying them and creating a market for them. I am as guilty as the next person when it comes to being seduced by a companies marketing, or even by memories of my childhood. I walk down that chip isle still today, and CHEETO’S call my name. I remember them fondly, however, as an adult armed with better nutritional information I walk past them and smile. I love my memories of sitting with a bag in front of me, watching my fingers turn day-glow orange it was the best part! and still today every once in a while I grab a small bag. All that said, it does not mean that I have to eat like that now or feed it to my family… I….YOU…HAVE THE POWER to say no, or to limit those over “processed” foods to a special treat verses an everyday occurrence.
