List of processed foods
It seems like everywhere you look in a grocery store you will find
processed foods. To make matters worse, the
big food companies are creating new ones almost every day. To get a general sense of just how massive the processed foods market is, we have created this list of all the processed foods we could think of. Sadly, the list could actually be many times longer than it actually is if we were to actually go through and write out every example of processed food on the market today. For your convenience, we have created a list of processed foods are breaking it up by category. Some foods could be listed in multiple categories, but we’re just listing them once each.
Processed Fruits & Vegetables
Yes, even fruits and vegetables these days are being processed and sold. Here are a few examples of processed fruits & vegetables:
- Canned Fruits
- Canned Vegetables
- Frozen Fruits
- Frozen Vegetables
- French Fries
- Ketchup
- Pie Fillings
- Jams & Jellies
- Fruit Juice
- Vegetable Juice
- Tomato Soup
- Tomato Pasta Sauce
- Potato Chips
- Corn Chips
- Dried Fruits
- Dried Vegetables
Processed Meats
Meat is a healthy part of most diets, but all too often they are processed and packaged to make them more convenient. Check out these examples of processed meats:
- Canned Meats (SPAM, Most Tuna Fish, etc)
- Cured Meats (Lunch meats)
- Ham
- Sausage
- Bacon
- Some Frozen Meats
- Gelatin
- Chicken Nuggets
- Most Pre-Cooked Meats
- Cured Meats
- Bologna
Processed Baked Goods
Baked goods are almost always processed when found in the supermarket. Occasionally you will find freshly baked options but even those may have processed ingredients so make sure you ask how they were prepared before buying.
- White Rice
- Flour
- Bread
- Rolls
- Buns
- Bagels
- Bread Sticks
- Pizza Crusts
- Taco Shells
- Muffins
- Macaroni
- Pasta
- Cake (and Cake Mixes)
- Pie Crusts
- Cookies
- Pop Tarts (and similar foods)
- Doughnuts
- Pastries
Fast (Convenient) Foods
This is the one category where most people know that the foods are processed. Despite this, however, they are still extremely popular.
- Pizza Rolls
- Microwave Pizza
- Frozen Dinners
- Granola Bars (and bagged granola)
- Almost all Energy Bars
- Protein Bars
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Microwave Tacos
- Microwave Burritos
- Raman Noodles
- Most Canned Soups
- Roasted & Salted Nuts
Dairy Foods
Dairy is another category where most people don’t realize that these foods are processed. There are some items in this category that can be part of a healthy diet, but keeping the processing to a minimum is a good practice.
- Cheeses
- Cheese Foods
- Milk (In some areas you can get raw milk, which is not processed)
- Yogurt
- Kiefer
- Cream Cheese
Snack Foods
Snack foods are typically going to be heavily processed and should always be avoided completely or at least minimized as much as possible.
- White Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Rice Syrup
- Pudding
- Soft Candies
- Marshmallows
- Caramel
- Honey (You can buy raw honey, which is not processed)
- Ice Cream
- Whipped Cream
- Chocolate
- Shredded Coconut (You can buy unprocessed coconut in some areas, which is not processed)
- Sugar Substituted (Equal, Sweet & Low, etc)
- Maple Syrup
- Hard Candy
Processed Beverages
Drinks, other than water, are almost always going to be processed in the supermarket. If you want to drink something unprocessed, consider juicing your own fruit at home.
- Apple Juice
- Orange Juice
- Grape Juice
- Grapefruit Juice
- Cranberry Juice
- Juice Flavored Drinks
- All Soda
- Instant Breakfasts
- Flavored Waters
- Coffee (you can buy raw coffee, which is unprocessed)
- Tea (You can buy raw tea, which is unprocessed)
Oils, Fats, Salts & More
Oils, fats, and other products are typically going to be processed.
- Cooking Spray
- Margarine
- Salad Dressings
- BBQ Sauce
- Most Seed Oils
- Refined Oils
- Peanut Butter
- Cashew Butter
- Mayonnaise
- Soy Sauce
- Vegetable Oils
It can be overwhelming to try to eliminate processed foods from your diet. Arming yourself with knowledge and always being on the lookout for items like those listed above can help to make it easier to eat fresh and eat healthier.
