Processed Food: Clearing Up the Confusion in 2025
Walk through any grocery store, and you’ll notice the word “processed.” A lot of the time, it’s used like it’s a bad thing. You might see products proudly labeled “unprocessed” or hear advice to “avoid processed foods altogether.” But what does that even mean? And is it really that simple?
The truth is, most of the food you eat is processed in some way. Washing, chopping, freezing, fermenting, pasteurizing, and even mixing ingredients together. All of these count as processing. It’s not always about junk food or factory-made meals. Sometimes, processing just makes food safer, tastier, or more convenient for your day-to-day life.
Here’s something else you might not know: processed foods make up more than half the calories people eat in many countries1. However, the real issue isn’t whether food is processed – it’s how it’s processed and what goes into it. This article will help you sort through the noise and understand what processed food really means for your health and your plate.
What Is Processed Food? 🤔
Put simply, processed food is any food that’s been changed in some way from its original form. That can mean washing, chopping, cooking, freezing, drying, canning, or adding ingredients like salt, sugar, or preservatives. Processing can happen in your own kitchen or in a factory.
So, while the word “processed” might sound negative at first, processing is often what makes food safer, more nutritious, and easier for you to enjoy.
The NOVA Classification System2 📃
To help make sense of processed foods, researchers came up with something called the NOVA classification system3. It sorts food into 4 groups based on how much processing it’s been through – not necessarily on how healthy it is. Here's a quick breakdown:
🥦 Group 1: Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods
These are foods that are pretty much in their natural state. Think fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, plain yogurt, raw nuts, and frozen veggies with nothing added.🧂 Group 2: Processed Culinary Ingredients
These are ingredients you usually use when cooking. Things like oil, salt, sugar, and butter. These are often made by pressing, refining, or milling something from Group 1.🧀 Group 3: Processed Foods
These are made by adding Group 2 ingredients to Group 1 foods. Examples include canned beans with salt, cheese, and homemade-style bread. They're usually still recognizable as real food and often made with just a few ingredients.🥤 Group 4: Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs)
These are foods that go through multiple steps and contain additives, flavorings, preservatives, or ingredients you wouldn’t usually use at home. Think soft drinks, packaged snacks, sugary cereals, frozen pizzas, or shelf-stable ready meals.
The NOVA system is helpful in many ways, but it’s not perfect3. For example, a whole grain sandwich loaf and a frosted donut might both be labeled ultra-processed, yet they’re very different when it comes to nutrition. That can be confusing.