3. LIST OF PROCESSED FOODS
It seems like everywhere you look in a grocery store you will find processed
foods. To make matters worse, the big food companies are creating new ones
almost every day. To get a general sense of just how massive the processed
foods market is, we have created this list of all the processed foods we could
think of. Sadly, the list could actually be many times longer than it actually is
if we were to actually go through and write out every example of processed
food on the market today.
For your convenience, we have created a list of processed foods are breaking
it up by category. Some foods could be listed in multiple categories, but
we’re just listing them once each.
4. PROCESSED FRUITS & VEGETABLES
Yes, even fruits and vegetables these days are being processed and sold. Here are a few examples of
processed fruits & vegetables:
Canned Fruits
Canned Vegetables
Frozen Fruits
Frozen Vegetables
French Fries
Ketchup
Pie Fillings
Jams & Jellies
Fruit Juice
Vegetable Juice
Tomato Soup
Tomato Pasta Sauce
Potato Chips
Corn Chips
Dried Fruits
Dried Vegetables
5. PROCESSED MEATS
Meat is a healthy part of most diets, but all too often they are processed and
packaged to make them more convenient. Check out these examples of
processed meats:
Canned Meats (SPAM, Most Tuna Fish, etc)
Cured Meats (Lunch meats)
Ham
Sausage
Bacon
Some Frozen Meats
Gelatin
Chicken Nuggets
Most Pre-Cooked Meats
Cured Meats
Bologna
6. PROCESSED BAKED GOODS
Baked goods are almost always processed when found in the
supermarket. Occasionally you will find freshly baked options but even those
may have processed ingredients so make sure you ask how they were prepared
before buying.
White Rice
Flour
Bread
Rolls
Buns
Bagels
Bread Sticks
Pizza Crusts
7. BAKED GOODS(Cont.)
Taco Shells
Muffins
Macaroni
Pasta
Cake (and Cake Mixes)
Pie Crusts
Cookies
Pop Tarts (and similar foods)
Doughnuts
Pastries
8. FAST (CONVENIENT) FOODS
This is the one category where most people know that the foods are
processed. Despite this, however, they are still extremely popular.
Pizza Rolls
Microwave Pizza
Frozen Dinners
Granola Bars (and bagged granola)
Almost all Energy Bars
Protein Bars
Jalapeno Poppers
Microwave Tacos
Microwave Burritos
Raman Noodles
Most Canned Soups
Roasted & Salted Nuts
9. DAIRY FOODS
Dairy is another category where most people don’t realize that these foods are
processed. There are some items in this category that can be part of a healthy
diet, but keeping the processing to a minimum is a good practice.
Cheeses
Cheese Foods
Milk (In some areas you can get raw milk, which is not processed)
Yogurt
Kiefer
Cream Cheese
10. SNACK FOODS
Snack foods are typically going to be heavily processed and should always be
avoided completely or at least minimized as much as possible.
White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Powdered Sugar
Corn Syrup
Rice Syrup
Pudding
Soft Candies
11. SNACK FOODS (CONT.)
Marshmallows
Caramel
Honey (You can buy raw honey, which is not processed)
Ice Cream
Whipped Cream
Chocolate
Shredded Coconut (You can buy unprocessed coconut in some areas, which is not
processed)
Sugar Substituted (Equal, Sweet & Low, etc)
Maple Syrup
Hard Candy
12. PROCESSED BEVERAGES
Drinks, other than water, are almost always going to be processed in the supermarket.
If you want to drink something unprocessed, consider juicing your own fruit at home.
Apple Juice
Orange Juice
Grape Juice
Grapefruit Juice
Cranberry Juice
Juice Flavored Drinks
All Soda
Instant Breakfasts
Flavored Waters
Coffee (you can buy raw coffee, which is unprocessed)
Tea (You can buy raw tea, which is unprocessed)
13. OILS, FATS, SALTS & MORE
Oils, fats, and other products are typically going to be processed.
Cooking Spray
Margarine
Salad Dressings
BBQ Sauce
Most Seed Oils
Refined Oils
Peanut Butter
Cashew Butter
Mayonnaise
Soy Sauce
Vegetable Oils
14. Conclusion
It can be overwhelming to try to eliminate processed foods from your
diet. Arming yourself with knowledge and always being on the lookout for
items like those listed above can help to make it easier to eat fresh and eat
healthier.
If you are interested in learning more about the effects of processed foods,
please visit AvoidProcessedFoods.com