How to Limit Your Processed Food

There are two strategies that you can use to control your intake of processed foods.

The first is the simplest yet the most difficult, especially if it’s something you really love to eat: Don’t buy it. If it’s not in the house, you can’t eat it. Whenever I tell that to someone, the next words out of their mouth are usually something like “That’s not going to happen!”

I understand completely, but for me, it’s the only way I can reduce my intake of chips and peanuts. If they’re in the house, I will eat them and I won’t stop. Some types of nuts such as almonds or walnuts are easier to control. I have yet to find something to substitute for any type of chip. You can put salt on carrots and celery, but it isn’t the same. You can dip broccoli or cauliflower in olive oil or balsamic vinegar and it doesn’t come close. It’s the combination of processing combined with the fat and salt that makes these foods difficult to resist for me.

Can you walk away from the pantry as you let one square of chocolate dissolve in your mouth? Can you eat two Oreos and put the package away? We all have our Achilles heel of foods; Paula almost finished a box of deluxe ice cream sandwiches the day we bought them, so we never bought them again. For you, it may be bread or donuts or chocolate or jelly beans. If you can’t walk away, just don’t buy it.

The second approach, and one that may be more reasonable for some, is to portion out a serving and don’t eat any more. In my opinion, there are no foods that you can never eat as long as you control the amount and the frequency. If you can control your portions, that works just fine. If you can’t, you have no alternative other than to not purchase them.

Here is a bonus third way: Eat your vegetables first. Research shows that vegetables contribute to satiety. If you eat them first, it may be easier to control the processed foods you desire. Drinking a glass of tomato juice instead of a milkshake may not be as rewarding emotionally, but it may satisfy you physically.

This is something to work on at home with your children. Based on recent changes to the guidelines for school lunches, the upper levels of sodium may be suspended for school districts that request it. It seems innocent enough but in effect, your kids probably will be exposed to high levels of salt, learning to become dependent on the same nutritionally deficient foods we have problems with today. Schools can also opt out of the whole-grain requirement, so expect to see cheaper white bread. Best bet is to fix healthy lunches for your children every day and teach the kids to fix them, too.

I hope this helps. For me, it’s a never-ending battle and I know it is for others as well. Find which strategy works best for you—abstinence or control—and stick to it.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet