Pro Cheer Health: Realistic Ways to Eat Less Processed Foods
As a professional cheerleader, it may be tempting to buy ready-to-eat products and other processed foods because of your busy schedule.
But these foods often contain high amounts of added sugars, industrial inflammatory vegetable oils (like canola, soybean, sunflower, etc.), and other artificial ingredients, which can increase the risk of getting diet-related diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease.
In fact, eating processed foods — especially highly processed ones — may kill more people prematurely than cigarette smoking alone. [1]
This article discusses which foods are considered processed, their health risks, and how you can limit your consumption.
What Are Processed Foods?
Food processing is a physical, biological, and chemical process that occurs in food before being cooked in meals or prepared for consumption.
NOVA is a food classification system that categorizes food according to the level and extent of processing they undergo. According to this classification, there are four types of food and products:
- Group 1 - Unprocessed or minimally processed foods like fruits, leaves, eggs, and milk, which are either consumed directly or altered minimally like drying, boiling, or grinding.
- Group 2 - Processed culinary ingredients, which are substances from Group 1 which are pressed, refined, and dried to be used as ingredients and seasonings. Examples are seawater salt, vegetable oils, and vinegar.
- Group 3 - Processed foods are a combination of two or more ingredients that have undergone chemical processes like preservation, fermentation, and other cooking methods. Examples are bottled vegetables, cured meat, and cheese.
- Group 4 - Ultra-processed food and drink that are products of the industrial formulation. Examples are soda, ice cream, chocolate, and breakfast cereals.
The group that you should look out for are Groups 3 and 4, especially the ultra-processed products as they often contain high amounts of sugar and salt to make things addictive and palatable.
The Health Risks of Processed Foods
Some processed foods, even ultra-processed food, provide key nutrients that are important for growth and development. Examples are milk that’s fortified with vitamin D and wheat bread that’s fortified with folic acid.
However, processing food has its disadvantages. Many nutrients can be destroyed along the process, and you can get many calories from these types of food, contributing to weight gain and obesity. In fact, processed food increases the risk of obesity in adolescents by 45%. [2]
Aside from obesity, studies show that consuming highly processed food may increase the risk of cancer, diabetes, renal failure, and heart attack. Some researchers also found a link between eating ultra-processed food and mental disorders. [3,4]
Ways to Eat Fewer Processed Foods
It's impossible to completely cut processed foods out of our diets, but there are ways to limit your consumption. Here are some of them:
- Prep your own. Most highly processed snacks are full of fat and sugar. But if you really want to grab a snack, you can make healthier snacks at home. You can also cook your own meals to adjust the ingredients according to your liking.
- Use your freezer. One reason why pro cheerleaders buy ready-to-eat products is that they don't have time to cook their own meals. In that case, you can make your own frozen meals and just quickly reheat them.
- Subscribe to a delivery service. There are now many online services that deliver healthy cooked meals that are prepared using minimally processed ingredients. This way, you don't have to worry about cooking.
Conclusion
Note that not all processed foods are unhealthy. You don't have to completely avoid them, just keep an eye out for the added sugars, additives, and too many calories. And don't forget that a healthy diet goes side by side with an active lifestyle.
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