Processed Foods: Villains or Allies in Modern Eating?

Understand the difference between minimal processing and ultra-processing and learn how to make conscious choices in your diet.

By Gonçalo Matias Santos

Nutritionist (6007N)

With the technological revolution also transforming the food industry, we now have access to an almost infinite variety of products, adapted to the most diverse tastes and needs. Among these products, processed foods have been gaining ground on the shelves and also in our daily lives.

However, classifying food only as “processed” or “unprocessed” is too simplistic an approach. The degree of food processing exists on a continuum, and understanding it is essential to making more conscious food choices (Monteiro et al., 2019).

One of the main tools for this understanding is the NOVA classification system, which categorizes foods into four groups:

• Group 1: Fresh or minimally processed foods;

• Group 2: Processed culinary ingredients (such as oils, butter, sugar);

• Group 3: Processed foods (such as cheeses, preserves, traditional breads);

• Group 4: Ultra-processed foods (such as soft drinks, filled cookies and industrialized snacks) (Monteiro et al., 2019).

For example, it is essential to distinguish:

• Minimal processing, such as pasteurizing milk or removing the skin from an apple,

• Intensive processing, such as that which produces packet potato chips, rich in fat, salt and additives, formulated to be highly palatable and difficult to resist (Fardet, 2016).

Not all processing is harmful. There are minimally processed foods that maintain a quality nutritional composition and bring significant advantages:

• Nutritional enrichment (e.g. addition of essential vitamins and minerals);

• Food safety (reducing the risk of microbial infections);

• Extended shelf life (reduced food waste);

• Food diversity (they cater for specific needs, such as vegan or gluten-free options).

For example, low-fat dairy products preserve essential nutrients such as calcium and high-quality protein, while being lower in fat and calories (FAO, 2021).

However, perhaps the main advantage of minimally processed foods is their convenience. In a context where time is scarce and daily demands are many, ready-to-eat foods make it possible to optimize precious resources such as time and energy.

Practical examples of minimally processed foods that are also interesting from a nutritional point of view include:

• Canned legumes (beans, chickpeas, peas);

• Low-fat natural yogurt;

• Natural canned fish (e.g. tuna or sardines in water);

• Frozen fruit and vegetables.

Even in these options, it is advisable to opt for variants that are low in salt, fat, sugar and additives (Monteiro et al., 2019).

In conclusion, although the basis of a balanced diet should be natural and whole foods, minimally processed foods can perfectly well be part of a healthy diet. The goal is not absolute perfection, but to build a dietary pattern adapted to modern life that is conscious, practical and sustainable in the long term.

References:

Fardet, A. (2016). Minimally processed foods are more satiating and less hyperglycemic than ultra-processed foods: A preliminary study with 98 ready-to-eat foods. Food and Function, 7(5), 2338–2346. https://doi.org/10.1039/C6FO00107F

FAO. (2021). Food-based dietary guidelines - Portugal. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://www.fao.org/nutrition/education/food-dietary-guidelines/regions/countries/portugal/en/

Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Levy, R. B., Moubarac, J. C., Louzada, M. L. C., Rauber, F., Khandpur, N., Cediel, G., Neri, D., Martinez-Steele, E., Baraldi, L. G., & Jaime, P. C. (2019). Ultra-processed foods: What they are and how to identify them. Public Health Nutrition, 22(5), 936–941. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018003762