You’ve already heard that processed food is bad for you, but what does that even mean? Processed food is any food that has been canned, fried, frozen, or packaged before you got the chance to buy it. Not all processed food is bad—for example, you can always enjoy frozen fruits, dairy products, and canned veggies, but most of the processed food items are loaded with ingredients like sugar, salt, and preservatives, which makes them undesirable in a healthy diet. Here’s how to eat less of them.
Choose Healthy Snacks
Snacks like potato chips are the worst type of processed food, so replace them with healthy snacks like nuts, fresh fruits, vegetables dipped in hummus, and similar stuff.
Recreate Meals
Instead of buying potato chips in a bag, make your own veggie chips and bake them in the oven. You can do this for many processed foods and enjoy better flavors with much fewer calories at home.
Shop Mindfully
If you only get healthy, non-processed foods when grocery shopping, you’ll have to eat them at home, and it’s as simple as that. Know that junk food is typically arranged in the most visible and accessible place in every store and find the hidden isle with healthy products instead.
