אילו מזונות מעובדים במיוחד בטוחים - ואילו כדאי להימנע מהם?

לחם מלא

ה סיבים content of wholemeal bread can make it a healthy processed food. Often, loaves contain added vitamins and minerals such as חומצה פולית - essential for a healthy pregnancy. However, not every loaf of bread is the same and some are better for us than others. Wholemeal or brown breads contain more fibre and the flour used is less processed than white alternatives.

דגני בוקר

Cereal also contains fibre and has added minerals and vitamins, such as ויטמין D. דגני בוקר יכולים להיות מקור חשוב לתזונה - במיוחד עבור אלו עם תקציב כספי מוגבל.

כמו לחם, לא כל הדגנים בריאים. חפשו דגנים ללא תוספת סוכר או ממתיקים. בדרך כלל, על אריזות הדגנים יש מערכת 'רמזור' שמראה כמה גבוה תכולת הסוכר. אם הדגנים בקטגוריה 'אדום', הימנעו מהם.

Shredded Wheat is a good choice as it doesn’t contain any added sugar or salt, and is high in fibre. Microwave porridges can be a healthier option also, but not the flavoured versions. For all cereals, instead of sugar use fruit such as banana or blueberries to sweeten.

ירקות ודגים משומרים

Packaged foods, such as tinned vegetables or tuna, have been processed but not in a way that is highly detrimental to your health. Tinned vegetables can be a quick, convenient, and cheap way to consume fibre and nutrients. Tuna - as well as other tinned fish - can be a good source of protein and B vitamins.

ארוחות מוכנות

Ultra-processed ready meals can include chicken nuggets, pizzas, and supermarket curries and pasta sauces, but they aren't all the same. The longer the ingredients list - and the more sugar and fat they contain - the more likely they are to be bad for you.

Some shop-bought ready meals are still processed but are healthier. For example, a lasagne that contains lots of whole ingredients and fewer additives. Organic versions may be less processed, but they are often more expensive.

There are also some healthier ready meals available through the post. Food from the likes of Field Doctor, Cook, or Mindful Chef.

בסופו של דבר, תצטרך לבדוק את המרכיבים על האריזה כדי לראות אם המזון מעובד יתר על המידה.

Generally, there are four main categories of processed foods:

• מזונות לא מעובדים או מעובדים במידה מינימלית - this includes fruit, vegetables, milk, fish, pulses, eggs, nuts, and seeds that have no added ingredients and haven’t really been changed from their natural state.

• רכיבים מעובדים - this includes foods that are added to other foods rather than eaten by themselves, such as salt, sugar, and oil.

• מזון מעובד - these are foods that are made by combining foods from groups 1 and 2, which are altered in a way that home cooks could do themselves. They include foods such as jam, tinned fruit, and vegetables, homemade breads, and cheeses.

• מזון מעובד במיוחד - UPFs usually have five or more ingredients. They tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and flavours.