Comments

1. himcrucified Said,

   Pregnancy nutrition?
   Hey! I'm 37 weeks pregnant and I've been trying this whole pregnancy to increase my overall health for myself and so that I can teach my daughter. My question is: I've heard a lot of people say to cut down on over processed foods. I'm much more concerned about health than weight loss but I know they go hand in hand.

   How do I tell if something is over processed? I thought my celery soup was good but turns out it isn't so how do you know? Are we limited to raw fruits and vegetables or what?

2. Christina Said,

   Generally speaking anything pre-made is going to be pretty processed. Try cooking more things from scratch and using fresh produce and meats rather than packaged items. Added salt and preservatives are what you should try to avoid. Also don't overcook your veggies, you should eat them raw or lightly steamed since it keeps more of the nutrients intact.
   References :

3. Doodlestuff Said,

   If 2/3rd of your food is made from scratch, not processed foods, you are not likely to have a problem. Processed food should be an add-on, not the main shebang.

   Average American diet: breakfast is cereal. Lunch is McDonalds or a frozen meal. Dinner is meat with Kraft Mac & cheese and canned veggie. Snack is potato chips.

   Better diet: Breakfast is cooked oatmeal with raisins and chopped nuts or Cheerios. Lunch is wholegrain sandwich made with sliced beef or chicken (no mayo) plus homemade soup and a fruit. Dinner is meat with salad or freshly cooked vegetables plus potatoes. Snack is a fruit.

   Lunch is usually the hardest thing to come up with because of the temptation to use packaged meats. If that's all you can do safely, that's fine, but add a fruit or some homemade soup in a thermos. Don't beat yourself up if you aren't perfect. If you can at least get 5 a day in (veggies plus fruits) and reduce your reliance on instant food, you are partway there.

   BTW, if you don't like hot Quaker Oatmeal, try some of the other oatmeals. I buy "Thick Oats" at my store and everybody prefers those for cereal. Some like Bob Mill's Irish or Steel cut oats. There is nothing wrong with using Campbell's condensed soups, but there is no nutritional value in instant anything such as instant potatoes or instant rice.
   References :