"processed food"

I was just reading a recommendation on how to avoid processed foods. The advice was to look at the label and not purchase anything with more than three ingredients. That's not definitive, of course, but it's a guideline that is easy to evaluate.

And, no, hardly anything is "always bad". All things in moderation is a good rule of thumb. As an example, if your pantry is mostly loaded with canned soups rather than the ingredients to make your own soup then you've tipped the balance on moderation towards too many processed foods.

Or if it tastes like plastic or cardboard, that's a sign it's nasty. Ie. processed cheese just doesn't compare to the real stuff. And meats - real chicken or roast is so much better tasting than processed and doesn't contain all the preservatives.

I'm guessing pasteurized milk is a "processed food" as would be frozen veggies.

osso's ground beef article is another example where you run into "processing". You can buy a steak and have it ground at your supermarket or you can buy pre-ground, pre-made patties that are highly processed.

The difference between processed foods and whole foods is generally cost and quality.

sure it is - and a perfect example of why processed foods aren't always bad.

I knew this guy in Denver Colorado that would go on sat mornings early to the produce wharehouse in downtown denver where he would buy a couple hundred pounds of veggies (lettuce/cabbage/carrots/tomatoes/potatoes) he would then go to the "farmers market" in the Cherry Creek area (yuppie ville) where he had a rented stall and place the veggies in wooden boxes with a sign that said "natural food" and charge 3 x what he paid. He sold out every sat which made his mortgage payment.

I don't doubt it in the least. You don't always get what you pay for. Or... maybe you do, just not what you think you're getting.

Amen to that!

It's also better made at home, rather than bought in a restaurant. That way, you know exactly what has gone into the meal.