How to eat, if the terms of some semi-finished products

The modern world, fortunately or unfortunately, is full of processed foods - semi-finished products, canned food, and all of the products that has passed industrial processing. Of course, someone will say that you can not buy semi-finished and only organic productsSuch as apples rather than apple pie. But the fact that the food does not become worse because processed.

It is time to stop blaming themselves for the love of semi-finished and frankly admit that processed foods - is not always bad and harmful.

Do not focus on the fact that the processed product

The hardest part - to determine the food has been processed or not. For example, take crisps. Obviously processed product. Now look at an ordinary potato, which still have the land. He untreated. So far, so easy.

But if we take the raw potatoes, peel, cook, add the garlic and oil, and then more oil and more garlic... Well, well, here we have, and there is a redesigned product. You could argue that nevertheless there is a difference between the chips and potatoes, you yourself have dug out of the ground and cooked in your own kitchen.

The problem arises when you try to draw a line between the products, which are one hundred percent can be attributed to processed and those which do not. Which category would you classify beef, which is chopped into pieces? Frozen vegetables? Canned beans? The bread which ispok local baker? And the bread, which is baked in the factory?

The hardest part - to determine the food has been processed or not.

To get a more accurate idea of ​​the complexity of the issue, look like Megan Kimble (Megan Kimble) describes his year without processed foods:

"In order for a year to follow your plan, I have decided for myself, that I would be considered unprocessed foods that I can make in terms of its cuisine. If I wanted to make a sugar house, I would have needed a centrifuge, a composition for lightening a few additives, anti-caking. To collect honey, you just need to know how to get him out of the cells. I do not brewed beer, but could theoretically do it. I gave up sodas, but bought siphon SodaStream, to make your own soda. "

Of course, the place houses the equipment for the production of complex sugars, and the process is more time consuming than to prepare a cell. It all depends on your desire. After nutritious sugar and honey is almost the same.

If you go to extremes and look for processed food in terms of "it's all wrong and very harmful," many products have found their way abroad is permitted, but it should not be. Frozen vegetables are also useful, as well as fresh. Pasteurized milk is processed and it only gets better. There's no reason to avoid eating canned sauces for pasta or eggs in trays, or chicken cooked on the grill.

But wait, what about the fast food of McDonald's, chips or yogurt, which are stored over the years?

Decide what is important to you and the rest of the refuse

If some of these things cause you anxiety, perhaps there is a reason: high sugar content, the abundance of chemical additives in the composition, the caloric content or a large number of fats. Before you decide what you want to processed foods to avoid, a little reflection on what is really important for your goals in terms of health.

For this we consider the list of the most common accusations against the processed products.

1. They contain a lot of sugar. And this is really little good. And sugar can be found not only in chocolate bars and cakes, but also in other seemingly innocent foods such as bread or pasta. Excess intake of sugar can be avoided, if you read carefully the composition.
2. In such products the high sodium content. Often and has a past processing products are a major source of sodium in our diet. It can not be compared with the amount saltThat we add when cooking for yourself. Council in this case is the same: carefully read what is written on the label. If you are sensitive to salt or have high blood pressure, such products should be avoided.
3. They have a lot of fat. It applies to snacks like chips, and restaurant food. fats - it's not always a bad thing. They are required by the body and not harmful to you, sugar. The fat content is also indicated on the package, usually with sub-categories: saturated fats (which you can not do much harm) and trans fats (which nobody likes). Note also that all the producers themselves refuse more and more by the addition of trans fat, even in processed foods.
4. They are addictive. That's what the label does not write. Companies need to make money, so they will do everything to make you buy their products again. Most foods like chips or chocolate bars damn well thought out. The combination of high fat and sugar - crown technique, often with a good portion of the salt in the bargain.
5. It's all chemistry. Everything around us is made up of chemical compounds. Of course, the composition of certain products is longish, and the names of ingredients is sometimes difficult to pronounce and understand. But if the name is difficult to pronounce, it does not mean that the substance is something dangerous. For example, tocopherol - a preservative that can often be seen in the composition of vegetable oil - in fact regular vitamin E. Dyes, perfumes, preservatives are not automatically something awful. Usually, it is absolutely safe for the health of the substance.
6. They are bad for the environment / economy. You vote your wallet. If you do not want to buy the products of large companies and prefer to give their money to a small local bakery, nothing prevents you to do so. Or, perhaps, you are against the unnecessary use of plastic packaging or the harmful effects on the environment of the plant that produces huge volumes of products. Well, you have the right to dispose of the means at its discretion. But still separate these things: the food does not become more harmful to health.

When you weigh the pros and cons carefully and think it over, it will be easier to go shopping, because you know exactly what to avoid. For example, if you decide to give up sugar, then quietly pass by the department with soda, but it can linger at the counter with chicken wings.

Prepare for difficult decisions

When your mind has a clear plan, it's time to think about how to implement it. For example, it is often the situation when you are hungry and there is nothing at hand - you have to buy something from the vending machine. You should not feel guilty for one chocolate bar, if you choose to avoid fatty foods.

Of course, ideally, you can completely abandon the recycled food. But if you have the opportunity every day to cook from scratch? Probably not. In this case, it is more logical to use processed foods, which are still useful.

You can buy a packet of meatballs, the sauce in the pot and cook perfect pasta. There is nothing wrong.

It would be nice every day to cook from grown on favorite garden vegetables. But urban residents hardly have the time and opportunity to do this every day. It can be a hobby, but not in the usual daily activities.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we live in a world of processed foods. And it is normal that we use it. But it is better to do it wisely.