Processed foods are not just microwave meals andready meals.
A processed food isany food that has been alteredin some way during preparation.
Food processing can be as basic as:
- freezing
- canning
- cooking
- drying
Not all processed foods are unhealthy butsome processed foods may contain high levels ofsalt, sugar and fat.
What counts as processed food?
Examples of commonprocessed foods include:
- breakfast cereals
- cheese
- tinned vegetables
- bread
- savoury snacks, such as crisps, sausage rolls, pies and pasties
- meat products, such as bacon, sausage, ham, salami and paté
- microwave meals or ready meals
- cakes and biscuits
- drinks, such as milk or soft drinks
Not all processed food is bad for you. Some foods need processing to make them safe, such as milk, which needs to be pasteurised to remove harmful bacteria. High-fibre breakfast cereals, wholemeal breads, and some lower-fat yoghurt can also form part of a healthy diet.
Other foods need processingto make them suitable for use, such as pressing seeds to make oil.
What makes some processed foods less healthy?
Ingredients such as salt, sugar and fat are sometimes added to processed foods to make their flavour more appealing and toextend their shelf life, or in some cases to contribute to the food's structure, such as salt in bread or sugar in cakes.
Buying processed foods can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts of sugar, salt and fatas they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating.
These foods can also be higher in caloriesdue to the highamounts of added sugar or fat in them. Find outmore about understanding calories.
How can I eat processed foods as part of a healthy diet?
You have no control over the amount of salt, sugar and fatin processed food but you do have control over what you choose to buy.
Looking at food labels can help you choose between processedproducts and keep a check on fat, salt andsugar content.
Most pre-packed foods havethe nutrition information on the front, back or side of the packaging.
Ifthe processed food youwant to buyhas a nutrition label thatuses colour-coding, you will often find a mixture of red, amber and green.
When you're choosing between similar products, try to go for more greens and ambers, and fewer reds, if you want to makea healthier choice.
There are guidelines to tell you if a food is high or low in fat, saturated fat, salt or sugar.
The guidelines, which are for adults,are:
Total fat
High: more than 17.5g of fat per 100g
Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g
Saturated fat
High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g
Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g
Sugars
High: more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g
Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g
Salt
High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)
If you are trying to cut down on saturated fat, try to limit the amount of foods you eat thathave more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.
If you eat a lot of red or processed meat, it's recommended that you cut down as there is likely to be a link between red and processed meat and bowel cancer. We are advised not to eat more than 70g a day.
If you're pregnant, find out what foods to avoid.
