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HEALTH and Lifestyle food March 2016 – No. 05 • UK & Europe Edition
Eating processed foods22 www.hello-philippines.com
PROCESSED foods aren’t just
microwave meals and other ready • savoury snacks, such as crisps This can lead to people eating more Adding tinned tomatoes to your Sugars
meals. The term ‘processed food’ • meat products, such as bacon than the recommended amounts for shopping basket, for example, is a great
applies to any food that has been • “convenience foods”, such as these additives, as they may not be way to boost your 5 a day. They can High: more than 22.5g of total
altered from its natural state in some microwave meals or ready meals aware of how much has been added to also be stored for longer and cost less sugars per 100g
way, either for safety reasons or • drinks, such as milk or soft drinks the food they are buying and eating. than fresh tomatoes – just check the
convenience. This means you may be Food processing techniques include These foods can also be higher in label to make sure there’s no added salt Low: 5g of total sugars or less per
eating more processed food than you freezing, canning, baking, drying and calories due to the high amounts of or sugar. 100g
realise. pasteurising products. added sugar or fat in them.
Dietitian Sian Porter says: “Not all Most pre-packed foods have a Salt
Processed foods aren’t necessarily processed food is a bad choice. Some Furthermore, a diet high in red and nutrition label on the back or side of
unhealthy, but anything that’s been foods need processing to make them processed meat (regularly eating more the packaging. High: more than 1.5g of salt per
processed may contain added salt, safe, such as milk, which needs to than 90g a day) has also been linked 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
sugar and fat. be pasteurised to remove harmful to an increased risk of bowel cancer. These labels include information
bacteria. Other foods need processing Some studies have also shown that on protein, carbohydrate and fat. They Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or
One advantage of cooking food to make them suitable for use, such as eating a large amount of processed may provide additional information on 0.1g sodium)
from scratch at home is that you know pressing seeds to make oil. meat may be linked to a higher risk of saturated fat, sugars, sodium and salt.
exactly what is going into it, including “Freezing fruit and veg preserves cancer or heart disease. All nutrition information is provided For example, if you are trying to
the amount of added salt or sugar. most vitamins, while tinned produce per 100 grams and sometimes per cut down on saturated fat, try to limit
(choose those without added sugar What is processed meat? Processed portion. the amount of foods you eat that have
However, even homemade food and salt) can mean convenient storage, meat refers to meat that has been more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g.
sometimes uses processed ingredients. cooking and choice to eat all year preserved by smoking, curing, salting How do I know if a processed food
Read on to find out how you can eat round, with less waste and cost than or adding preservatives. This includes is high in fat, saturated fat, sugar or If the processed food you want
processed foods as part of a healthy fresh.” sausages, bacon, ham, salami and salt? There are guidelines to tell you if to buy has a nutrition label that uses
diet. What makes some processed foods pâtés. a food is high or low in fat, saturated colour-coding, you will often find a
less healthy? Ingredients such as salt, fat, salt or sugar. These are: mixture of red, amber and green. So,
What counts as processed food? sugar and fat are sometimes added to The Department of Health when you’re choosing between similar
processed foods to make their flavour recommends that if you currently eat Total fat products, try to go for more greens and
Most shop-bought foods will have been more appealing and to prolong their more than 90g (cooked weight) of red ambers, and fewer reds, if you want to
processed in some way. shelf life, or in some cases to contribute and processed meat a day, that you cut High: more than 17.5g of fat per make a healthier choice.
to the food’s structure, such as salt in down to 70g a day. This is equivalent to 100g
Examples of common processed bread or sugar in cakes. two or three rashers of bacon, or a little However, even healthier ready meals
foods include: over two slices of roast lamb, beef or Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g may be higher in fat and other additives
pork, with each about the size of half a Saturated fat than a homemade equivalent. That’s not
• breakfast cereals slice of bread. to say that homemade foods can’t also
• cheese High: more than 5g of saturated fat be high in calories, fat, salt and sugar,
• tinned vegetables However, it’s important to per 100g but if you make the meal yourself, you’ll
• bread remember that the term “processed” have a much better idea of what’s gone
applies to a very broad range of foods, Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per into it. You could even save yourself
many of which can be eaten as part of 100g some money, too. n NHS Choices
a healthy, balanced diet.
How can I eat processed foods
as part of a healthy diet? Reading
nutrition labels can help you choose
between processed products and keep
a check on the amount of processed
foods you’re eating that are high in fat,
salt and added sugars.
Tips for a lower-salt diet
IF you’ve read up on salt facts, you’ll • Go for reduced-salt, unsmoked pickles, mayonnaise and other table
know that too much salt can cause back bacon. Cured meats and fish can be sauces, as these can all be high in salt. extra cheese. breakfast, go for a poached egg on
raised blood pressure, which increases high in salt, so try to eat these less often. Pasta dishes: choose one with a toast with mushrooms and grilled
the risk of heart disease and stroke. The Cook with less salt. Many people tomatoes. If you do have meat, have
following tips can help you to cut down • Buy tinned vegetables without add salt to food when cooking. But there tomato sauce with vegetables or chicken, either bacon or a sausage but not both.
on salt. added salt. Do the same with tinned are lots of ways to add flavour to your rather than bacon, cheese or sausage.
pulses. cooking without using any salt. Check out Salads: ask for dressings or sauces
You don’t have to add salt to your these salt alternatives: Burgers: avoid toppings that can on the side, so you only have as much
food to eat too much of it – around 75% • Watch out for the salt content in be high in salt, such as bacon, cheese as you need. Some dressings and
of the salt we eat is already in everyday ready-made pasta sauces. Tomato-based • Use black pepper as seasoning and barbecue sauce, and opt for salad sauces can be high in salt and fat.
foods such as bread, breakfast cereal sauces are often lower in salt than cheesy instead of salt. Try it on pasta, scrambled instead.
and ready meals. sauces or those containing olives, bacon egg, pizzas, fish and soups. Soluble vitamin supplements
or ham. Chinese or Indian meal: go for plain or painkillers. If you routinely take
Remember, whether you’re eating at • Add fresh herbs and spices to pasta rice. It’s lower in salt than pilau or egg an effervescent (dissolvable) vitamin
home, cooking or eating out, don’t add • For healthier snacks, choose fruit dishes, vegetables and meat. Try garlic, fried rice. supplement, or take effervescent
salt to your food automatically – taste it or vegetables such as carrot or celery ginger, chilli and lime in stir fries. painkillers when necessary, it’s worth
first. Many people add salt out of habit, sticks. If you are going to have crisps or Sandwiches: instead of ham or remembering that these can contain
but it’s often unnecessary, and your crackers, check the label and choose the • Make your own stock and gravy cheddar cheese, go for fillings such as up to 1g salt per tablet. You may
food will taste good without it. ones lower in salt. instead of using cubes or granules, or chicken, egg, mozzarella, or vegetables therefore wish to consider changing to
look out for reduced-salt products. such as avocado or roasted peppers. a non-effervescent tablet, particularly
Shop for low salt foods. When • Go easy on soy sauce, mustard, And try having salad and reduced-fat if you have been advised to watch or
• Try baking or roasting vegetables mayonnaise instead of pickle or mustard, reduce your salt intake. n NHS Choices
such as red peppers, tomatoes, which are usually higher in salt.
shopping for food, you can take steps to courgettes, fennel, parsnips and squash Breakfasts: instead of a full English
cut your salt intake: to bring out their flavour.
• Compare nutrition labels on food • Make sauces using ripe flavourful
packaging when buying everyday items. tomatoes and garlic.
You can really cut your salt intake by Eating out: salt tips. If you’re eating
checking the label and choosing the in a restaurant or cafe, or ordering a
pizza, ketchup or breakfast cereal takeaway, you can still eat less salt by
that’s lower in salt. Try choosing one making smart choices of low-salt foods.
food a week to check and swap when Pizza: choose vegetable or chicken
you’re food shopping. toppings instead of pepperoni, bacon or
