Processed Foods to Avoid: Processed food Increase the risk of getting Cancer

Processed foods have been altered from their natural state for safety reasons and for convenience. The methods used for processing foods include canning, freezing, refrigeration, dehydration and aseptic processing.

I is not all processed foods are not bad for your health. For example, milk would be considered a processed food because it's pasteurized to kill bacteria and homogenized to keep fats from separating. Some people prefer raw milk, but it can lead to food-borne illness, so we're happy to consume the healthy "processed" milk we find in our grocery stores.

Another example of good food processing is frozen vegetables. Freezing vegetables preserves vitamins and minerals and makes them convenient to cook and eat all year around. Fruit and vegetable juice is also an example of a healthy processed food. In fact, some orange juice is fortified with calcium to make it even more nutritious. Oatmeal, frozen fish, frozen berries and 100% whole-grain bread are also processed foods that are good.

Of course, there are a lot of processed foods that aren't good for you. Many processed foods are made with trans-fats, saturated fats, and large amounts of sodium and sugar. These types of foods should be avoided, or at least eaten sparingly especially when fortified with raw foods especially fruits and vegetable.

Processed foods that may be bad for your diet:

* Canned foods with large amounts of sodium or fat
* Breads and pastas made with refined white flour instead of whole grains
* Packaged high-calorie snack foods such as chips and candies
* Frozen fish sticks and frozen dinners that are high in sodium
* Packaged cakes and cookies
* Boxed meal mixes that are high in fat and sodium
* Sugary breakfast cereals
* Processed meats

Eating processed meats may increase your risk of colorectal, kidney and stomach cancer. Processed meats include hot dogs, bologna, sausage, ham and other packaged lunch meats. These meats are frequently high in calories, saturated fats and sodium.

These processed foods and prepackaged meals are very convenient and popular. If you do shop for these foods, be sure to look for products that are made with whole grains, low in sodium and calories, low in saturated fat and free of trans fats. Make sure you pay attention to serving size, too, and balance out the processed foods you eat with a salad, vegetables, and some whole grain bread.