Processed food is a broad term, and not all processed foods are the same. Some foods are only lightly changed for convenience or freshness, while others are more heavily prepared with added sugars, refined oils, preservatives, flavorings, colorings, and other ingredients many people choose to limit.
For example, frozen vegetables, plain yogurt, and canned beans are technically processed. On the other hand, many packaged snacks, frozen meals, sugary drinks, and shelf-stable convenience foods are more heavily processed and often contain longer ingredient lists.
The goal is not to fear every food that comes in a package. It is to better understand what food processing means, how to read labels, and how to make informed choices more often. This section is here to help with that.
A Simple Way to Think About Processed Foods:
Minimally processed foods
These foods are still close to their original form. Examples include washed greens, cut vegetables, frozen fruit without added sugar, roasted nuts, and plain oats.
More processed foods
These foods may be prepared or preserved for convenience, flavor, or shelf life. Examples include canned beans, jarred pasta sauce, yogurt, cheese, and bread.
Heavily processed foods
These foods are more likely to contain refined ingredients, added sugars, oils, flavorings, or stabilizers. Examples include sugary cereals, soda, packaged snacks, frozen pizza, and ready-to-eat convenience foods.
In general, the more heavily processed a food is, the more important it becomes to read the ingredient label and understand what you are buying.
Explore This Section
Start Here
Processed Food Basics
A starting point for understanding what processed food means in everyday life.
Food Label Definitions
A guide to common words and claims found on food packaging.
What Do the Labels on Fruit Mean?
A quick explanation of the stickers and codes found on produce.
Flour Facts
A look at common flour types and how processing changes them.
Ingredients and Additives
High Fructose Corn Syrup
What it is, why it is used, and where it commonly shows up.
Refined Oils
A closer look at oils commonly used in processed foods.
Food Dyes
Where artificial colors appear and why some shoppers avoid them.
MSG
What monosodium glutamate is and how it is used in foods.
Trans Fats
Why trans fats became a major concern and where they may still appear.
Carrageenan
An overview of this common additive and where it is found.
Foods to Limit
Foods With No HFCS
A practical guide for shoppers looking to avoid high fructose corn syrup.
5 Processed Foods to Avoid
A quick look at common foods many people choose to limit.
Strawberry Flavoring
A closer look at how flavoring can differ from real ingredients.
A Practical Approach
You do not need to eat perfectly to eat better. A good place to start is learning how to recognize different levels of processing, reading ingredient labels more often, and choosing less processed options when it makes sense for your budget, lifestyle, and goals.
Use this section as a guide to better understand what is in your food and to find practical ways to build a less processed kitchen.
Are brown rice and buckwheat noodles processed food? Their only ingredients are brown rice or buckwheat and water.
A gland next to a beaver’s butt IS natural. So what’s the problem? Yes, please continue and explain why it’s bad.
LOL ok Mary you’ve got a point. Still don’t want to eat anything that was next to it though.