Cottage Cheese Is Healthy Processed Food | Visit MRC Fayetteville (2024)

Many people are rightfully confused as to what makes a food product or beverage processed. Processes such as pasteurizing milk, canning fruits and vegetables, and vacuum packing meats help prevent spoilage and increase overall food safety. If you have limited access to fresh foods where you live, processed food products can allow you to consume vegetables and fruits that may not grow in your region during cold weather. Even foods labeled natural or organic can be processed.

Although it is best to limit your intake of highly processed foods, minimal processing like cleaning and packaging are not necessarily bad for your health. There is so much ambiguity in what processed means, there are actually many minimally processed foods that are high in nutritional value and increase the availability for a steady intake of seasonal foods that you should eat. Most of fresh foods provide valuable nutrients and also taste great.

Even whole foods need a minimal level of processing, such as cleaning, chopping, fermenting, or pasteurizing. Before they hit the shelf. Here’s list of minimally processed foods to consider:

• Cottage Cheese – Cottage cheese contains relatively few calories and is an excellent source of protein and other essential nutrients, such as B6. Since cottage cheese is versatile and can be used to complement many dishes, you should choose processed products that are low-sodium or sodium free.
• Packaged Salads or Vegetables – Making a salad from scratch, you will have to clean the produce and chopped or shred the ingredients before you realize you needed two of that and only one of this. Minimally processed foods help to reduce food waste and save you time.
• Rotisserie Chicken – If you are looking for a convenient and affordable alternative to less-healthy fast food chicken, try a store bought rotisserie chicken. But, check the food label for sodium content and dietary experts suggest you peel the skin before consumption.
• Plant Based Pastas – Bean pasta might not be considered a whole food to some, but next to sliced whole-grain bread, it's one of the most nutritious pre-packaged, processed foods you can buy that is high in protein and fiber.
• Cereal – Eating breakfast cereals that are high in sugar can cause your blood sugar and insulin levels to sky rocket, followed by a crash within hours and that leaves your body wanting more. So, always check the ingredients list for added sugars, sodium, and other preservatives.
• Matcha Powder – Matcha is a form of green tea produced by processing the actual tea leaves and has been enjoyed in Asia for years. The powder is believed to contain more antioxidants to help protect your cells from damage than some loose-leaf green teas.
• Canned Tomatoes – Canned tomatoes can include extra sugar, sodium, or even fat added during food processing, but healthier versions can save a lot of time over cooking dried beans from scratch. Also, a great source of plant-based protein.

Food labels are the identity card for a minimally-processed, heavily-processed, or ultra-processed food product and provides a list of ingredients by weight in descending order. Although food labels are required on processed and pre-packaged foods, the information is wasted if you fail to read the nutrition facts label. Using this information can be helpful in making healthy food choices. Heart disease occurs when there is a build-up of fatty deposits on the artery walls.

It is wise to watch for common tricks of the trade used by some food manufacturers. Sometimes the ingredients in processed foods are listed in way that might require you to decipher the actual fat, sugar, and salt content. It is important to remember that the ingredients for processed and pre-packaged food products can be listed under different names. Some food manufacturers still like to hide questionable ingredients using long, hard to pronounce chemical names.