17.3 Prioritizing Whole Foods

Benefits of Whole And Minimally Processed Foods over Highly Processed Foods

Whole foods are foods direct from nature or close to their natural state. Examples of whole foods include fresh, whole fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Processed food is any food that has been altered by a food manufacturer. Examples of processed foods include:

• Breakfast cereal
• Bread
• Pasta
• Canned goods
• Cheese and other dairy products
• Meat products, such as jerky, bacon, sausage, and salami
• Pre-made meals
• Chips, crackers, and bars
• Cakes, cookies, and other pre-made packaged baked goods
• Drinks including milk, juice, and soda
• Roasted nuts
• Oils
• Condiments

It’s important to recognize that not all food processing is the same, and it’s not inherently bad. Processing can include packaging, cutting, freezing, drying, pressing, rolling, cooking, baking, frying, canning, pasteurizing, pickling, fermenting, curing, enriching, fortifying, or adding other ingredients. Sometimes, processing is necessary for safety or preservation, and processed food products can offer convenience. Some packaged foods—like pre-washed bagged salad greens, pre-cut vegetables, frozen fruits, and nuts, for example—are minimally processed, close to their natural state, and nutritious. Other food products are more highly processed and tend to be high in trans and saturated fats, refined grains, added sugars, and sodium—things it’s recommended we limit. Additionally, some may contain artificial colors, dyes, and other chemicals, which moves these foods further from their natural state.

Some processed foods are enriched or fortified with essential nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. While this can certainly be a good thing, it’s important to recognize that it doesn’t necessarily offer the same benefits as getting these nutrients from natural whole food sources. For example, whole food fiber is more digestible than added fibers are, and the synthetic form of vitamin E often used in fortified foods, and supplements is not as absorbable by the body as the natural form.

It’s also worth noting here that frozen and canned fruits and vegetables are generally processed and packaged when they’re at their peak ripeness, which is also their peak nutritional value, so, even though they’re processed, canned and frozen fruits and vegetables are minimally processed and are good options (Rickman, Barrett, & Bruhn, 2007; Barrett, 2007). Though, it’s recommended that we choose plain versions of processed fruits and vegetables without added salt and sugar when we can. For example, look for lower sodium or no salt added versions of canned beans, vegetables, and soups, fruits canned in their own juice instead of syrup, unsweetened applesauce, and so on. This way you can be in control of any salt or sugar that is added as you prepare them.

Whole and minimally processed foods are generally less energy dense and more nutrient dense compared to highly processed foods.

Strategies for Prioritizing Whole Foods

How can we prioritize whole foods over processed foods? Below are some strategies to consider.

Choosing Whole Food Ingredients When We Prepare Food And When We Eat Out

A study of over 12,000 people found that those who ate at fast food and full-service restaurants consumed more calories, sodium, saturated fat, and sugar compared to those who didn’t (Nguyen & Powell, 2014). We aren’t saying that individuals should never eat restaurant meals or other pre-made meals and snacks, but when eating out or on the go, selecting whole food options and those with minimally processed ingredients can still be a priority. For example, does a meal come with a choice of fries or vegetables? Does a burrito, stir-fry, curry, or dal come with a choice of white rice or brown rice? Can you add vegetables to a pizza, sandwich, kabab, or breakfast meal? When possible, consider the nutrient density of your food and beverage options. To increase the overall nutrient density of a meal, think about which nutrient dense items or ingredients can be substituted for those that are less nutrient dense.

Compared to pre-made meals and snacks from restaurants and stores, preparing your own food allows more control over the ingredients and preparation methods used. When you prepare your own food, prioritize the use of whole and minimally processed foods and ingredients as much as possible. Add herbs and spices to season food and be selective if using pre-made items like sauces and dressings, which may be high in sodium, added sugars, and saturated fat. It’s ideal to limit the use of highly processed foods and ingredients, but when necessary, checking food labels can help you make informed choices.

Limiting Meal-Replacement Products

Some people replace traditional meals and snacks with supplement juices, shakes, smoothies, or bars, believing that they offer balanced nutrients and that they are more convenient than whole foods. This may be true, and consuming these items sometimes is reasonable. However, it’s also important to note that these items often lack important nutrients, like fiber, and can be high in added sugar and other ingredients. So, again, it’s important to check labels and, when possible, consider what whole food options might be equally convenient and less expensive—for example: sandwiches or wraps, hard boiled eggs, easily-transportable fruit like apples and bananas, pre-cut veggies, and nuts or nut butters.

Prioritizing Water Over Sugar-Sweetened and Other Processed Beverages

Many processed beverages such as soda, energy drinks, specialty coffee drinks, and juice drinks contain high amounts of added sugar, saturated fat, sodium, or other additives; they are energy dense, not nutrient dense. The same is true of alcohol, though the number of calories in a standard drink will vary depending on the type of alcohol and what, if anything, is mixed with it (Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, 2015). It’s recommended that, if we choose to consume alcohol, we do so in moderation; this means no more than one drink per day for women and two drinks per day for men (National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, n.d.a; U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2020). Water, on the other hand, is an essential nutrient and the best beverage choice overall. In addition to drinking water with meals, carrying a water bottle with you throughout the day will help ensure you have water available to drink whenever you feel thirsty.