Which processed foods are better than their natural versions

Every time we hear the term ‘processed food’, our mind immediately evokes pictures of unhealthy snacks. But have you ever imagined yourself consuming unprocessed wheat? Many would agree that they find the term ‘processed food’ very subjective. For there are several ways of processing the food depending upon its nature.

                     Food processing can have several methods like Cooking, salting, pickling, drying, smoking, and fermenting. These are the basic ones known to be invented by the smart Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians in 9500 BC. Cooking is the oldest form of processing and has been there for more than 1.5 million years!  Eventually, other methods like drying, salting, and smoking emerged for preserving the food for a longer time (smart tiffin ideas for men who ventured out on hunting for days in the prehistoric era!). Humans love innovations, don’t they?

But why did our ancestors feel the need?

Apart from reasons like going on hunting away from the base for days, preserving the food became the solution to many food issues, like seasonal change, emigration, escape starvation, and maybe curiosity to innovate!

So, it’s clear that processing was not just about canning and pasteurizing ready-to-eat meals or cup noodles. It did have a history and evolved along with human evolution.

With time we may have become a little overboard and obsessed with processed foods. Yes, it’s true that many of those mass-produced snacks are processed to an extent that they lose their key nutrients, and are even unhealthy if consumed regularly.

Are all processed foods unhealthy?

Not all our interventions are meaningless. Certain natural food items when consumed directly can be even dangerous for health. In fact, some of those are staples and the world can’t do without them. As they contain toxins, minimal processing is required to make those consumable.

According to Christina Sadler, a manager at the European Food Information Council and a researcher at the University of Surrey - ‘’Naturalness doesn’t automatically mean a food is healthy’’.

- Milk for instance is safe to consume if it is pasteurized as it kills the harmful bacteria in the initial stage.

- Kidney beans contain lectins, if consumed unprocessed can cause diarrhoea and vomiting.

Check out naturally processed and direct from the farm pulses at Kskt.

Ways of processing, that actually help you consume a better version of the natural food

Freezing– Classified as minimal processing, Veggies, and Fruits frozen soon after the harvest helps retain the nutrients more than those ones sitting on the mart shelves at a fridge temperature.

A food science and technology professor at the University of Georgia, Ronald Pegg debunks the misconception that frozen produce is not good in comparison to its fresh counterparts.

Many fruits are processed into marmalade, jams, and preserves which are not just delicious but also contain nutrients. The best thing is one doesn’t have to miss relishing the seasonal fruits.

Check out Kskt’s Mango Kesar preserve and Gooseberry & Kinnow Marmalade which are naturally processed.

Fermenting – Processing can also help in preserving and making the food more accessible. Cheese Fermentation helps lower the lactose and keeps it stable for longer which helps people with lactose intolerance. A lot of natural products are preserved by adding salt and sugar to increase their shelf life. For example, Pickles, preserves, side dishes, etc.

Heating – This one is also a minimal process, making most of our food edible. Veggies like Potatoes, ladies’ fingers, or mushrooms.

Ghee or Butter is such a noticeable example, after milk is boiled, butter is extracted out of the thick cream of cow’s milk or probably buffalo’s milk.

One must look for naturally processed products or extracts. Like Kskt’s Pure and natural Cow’ milk Ghee.

It’s the method of processing, one should look out for!

The literal meaning of the term ‘processed’ has itself been processed several times. Different food brands, researchers and food specialists have different definitions for this term. Blame it or appreciate it, it’s the technological innovation and evolving processing methods.

What you should be worried about is ultra-processed food. It’s definitely a red-flagged one. Ultra-processed foods are made up of fractionated ingredients and are almost devoid of the whole food. Many researchers also advise checking out the degree of processing the food.

We must now understand and make friends with minimally processed food, especially naturally processed ones. Clearly, we can’t do without minimal processing, be it grains, pulses, spices, or milk.

Next time you take a bite or cook your food, be mindful to notice if your food on the plate looks familiar to its original form or not. The less it’s processed the better.