Cutting processed foods from diet makes room for healthy eating – Houston Chronicle

In my opinion, the biggest issue with eating a lot of processed foods, such as cookies, chips, hot dogs, lunch meats, bacon, ready-made meals, etc., isn’t the damage they may do. It’s their opportunity cost: We miss out on the healing and energizing power of real, whole, natural foods when we fill up on the other stuff.

MORE FEELING MATTERS: Dropping grudges, grievances will help us open up. Start by physically letting go 

Put it all together, and the result of a diet high in processed foods is health risks, from obesity to high blood pressure, diabetes and even dementia.

I think about this every day as I try desperately to overcome my 3-year-old’s desire to eat only junk food. It feels like an unfair battle. Of course, he only wants snacks, or as he calls it, “food from the pantry.” All that stuff is so darn tasty!  

But real and minimally processed foods (which contain only two or three ingredients, typically a whole food + salt, oil or sugar) do our bodies a world of good. They promote balanced energy, they’re healing, they help us feel well and look well as we grow and age. They’re the best source of preventative medicine. I’m talking about foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, whole-grain products, eggs, nuts, milk and yogurt. Also: fish, meat and poultry that has been grilled, baked, roasted, or broiled.

For most of us, it’s not possible to eliminate processed foods, and that’s not necessarily what we need to do. Treats are an important part of life. Also, some processed foods have redeeming value. A lot of whole-grain products, like packaged whole-wheat bread, for example, can be good sources of fiber. 

I try to look for packaged products with ingredients I’ve heard of and avoid ones where the ingredients contain items I wouldn’t use in food prep at home. Things like modified starches, hydrogenated oils, flavorings and long words I don’t know how to say. 

I also like to prepare home-cooked meals that are as nutrient-rich, made of whole foods and minimally processed as possible. The general idea is: What you see is what you get. There may be some oil, salt or spices in the recipe, but there aren’t many hidden, extra ingredients like dressings and sauces with stabilizers and preservatives, processed meats and cheeses, or anything containing white flour. The food is simple and straightforward, but it can still be really tasty.

These two recipes are examples. They’re quick and easy, too … my favorite.

But look, I’ll be honest. While I love the chicken mixture and often eat it with a spoon, I also use store-bought tortillas (processed) with this meal. For the chopped salad, I like to serve it with a crusty baguette (store-bought, processed). 

The point truly is not to avoid all processed foods all the time. It’s to eat mostly healthy and wholesome stuff with intentionally selected processed items sprinkled in. It’s easy to get that backward, but we’re working on it in our house.

I hope this inspires you, too.

Chicken and bean tostados

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breasts, shredded

3 tomatoes, diced

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

3 tablespoon red onion, chopped

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 lemon, juiced

Salt and cumin to taste

3 avocados, diced

For serving: 8-10 corn tortillas

Instructions: 

To prepare the chicken, add it to a pot and cover with water, about ½ cup of chicken broth and a sprinkle of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 40 minutes. Let chicken cool. Use a fork to shred.

In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the tomatoes, cilantro, red onion and beans. Stir in half of the lemon juice and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and cumin. See how that tastes. Add more of each as desired, then gently stir in the avocado.

For tostados, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, and lay the tortillas on top in a single layer. (You will need to do two baking sheets or two batches.) Brush the tortillas with oil on both sides and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 6 minutes per side.

 Pile the chicken mixture on top of each crunchy tortilla. 

Serves 4. 

Chopped salad

Ingredients:

Use whatever you like! My most recent salad contained:

10 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms, baked in oil and salt*

2 heaping cups chopped romaine

1 ½ cups chopped tomato

1 heaping cup chopped green beans

1 ½ cups chopped cucumber

1 cup chopped carrots 

1 cup chopped spinach

1 ½ cups cooked chicken breast, shredded or cubed 

1 cup chopped avocado

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Dressing of choice. For a simple homemade dressing, whisk to combine: 6 tablespoons olive oil, 2 cloves pressed garlic, 2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 teaspoon Dijon, 1 teaspoon salt, fresh black pepper to taste. Leftover dressing can be stored for up to one week.

Instructions:

*To prepare the mushrooms, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. On a large foil-lined baking sheet, toss the mushrooms with 3 tablespoons of olive oil and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bake in a single layer for 15 minutes, then use a fork to gently stir/turn the mushrooms. Bake another 5-10 minutes, until crispy around the edges.

Line all chopped ingredients on an oversized dish or cutting board. Use tongs (or your hands) to scrape together all the ingredients and transfer them to individual serving dishes. Top each serving with dressing and toss well to coat.

(You could alternatively combine everything in a bowl; I just love the way this version looks.)

Serves 4.

Marci Izard Sharif is an author, yoga teacher, meditation facilitator, and mother. In Feeling Matters, she writes about self-love, sharing self-care tools, stories, and resources that center around knowing and being kind to yourself. For her classes and more, go to marcisharif.com.