13 Healthy Processed Foods to Eat More Often

July 11, 2022

Healthy processed foods DO exist! Despite what social media tells you, there are tons of healthy processed foods to include in your diet to make your life so much easier. Plus, today we’re going to talk all about processed foods, including if processed foods are bad to include in your diet. Buckle up, because this is a blog post to save to reference over and over again. In fact PIN IT…

Aside from carbs, one food group I see demonized over and over again are PROCESSED FOODS. If I had a dollar for every time I saw a social media post about processed foods being “bad,” I’d be pretty darn rich.

But here’s the thing… processed foods are ANY food that’s adapted from its natural state.

Baby carrots? PROCESSED.
Frozen broccoli? PROCESSED
Salad kits? PROCESSED

And those are all VEGETABLES! You’re going to tell me those are “bad?” I think not! (Although I strongly dislike the use of “good” vs. “bad” polarizing language to begin with!)

Those are all examples of healthy processed foods.

If your rebuttal is, “Chelsey, people aren’t talking about vegetables, they’re talking about cheese puffs and white bread!”

Well, I encourage you to take a look at how you demonize certain foods. Calling these foods “bad” can make you feel shameful for eating them. Even if it’s occasionally. That shame can make you feel guilty and cause a spiral of negative thoughts about what you’re eating, your willpower, and your body.

In reality, food is just food. And there’s a place for ALL foods at the table.

Does bakery fresh 100% whole wheat bread have more fiber and nutrients compared to white bread? YES.

But will choosing white bread sometimes negate all of your health efforts? NOPE! If you truly enjoy the white bread, that satisfaction is 100% worth it.

It’s also an extremely elitist point of view to say that all processed foods are bad. Not everyone can afford sprouted grain bread. With food prices skyrocketing these days, affordability is a huge concern.

So how can you decide which highly processed foods to include in your diet?

That all comes down to 2 things:

What’s most satisfying to you?
What’s worth it to you?

I personally love my sprouted whole grain bread. There are minimal ingredients, it tastes great and I find it super satisfying as a sandwich. White bread doesn’t do anything for me, so I skip it most of the time.

However, I love potato chips and pretzels. When I add them to a meal I’m SO much more satisfied. Those are processed foods that are “worth it” to me.

It’s also important to consider how many highly processed foods you include in your diet. If you’re practicing the principles of a balanced plate *most of the time,* including some highly processed foods to make your life easier is 100% worth it.

What makes a processed food a healthy processed food?

Healthy is not a regulated term. It’s ambiguous and quite frankly has little meaning. For purposes of this blog post, healthy can be defined as…

Healthy: a nourishing food that helps you feel good physically and mentally; a food that adds nutrients to your diet.

Just because a food is healthy, however, doesn’t mean that you have to eat it. It’s similar with kids. Parents get upset that their child won’t eat broccoli. But guess what… the nutrients in broccoli, like vitamin C, fiber, iron, folate, etc., can be found elsewhere.

Remember: stressing over a healthy diet is never healthy!

Here are some things to consider and questions to ask yourself when purchasing healthy processed foods…

Do I like this food or am I forcing myself to eat it because it’s “healthy”? If you constantly force yourself to eat healthy foods you won’t feel satisfied. Satisfaction is a big piece of improving your relationship with food and stop thinking about food all of the time.
Does this food fit in my budget? If a food doesn’t fit in your budget, choose an affordable alternative. Even if it’s not the “healthiest” option, there are other ways to add nutrients to your diet.
Is this food easily accessible? If it’s difficult to access a food or if it takes an hour to get to the store that won’t be the most feasible option for you on a regular basis. If you live in a food desert, try to consolidate your shopping trips and rely on foods that will last longer in your pantry or freezer.

Here are 13 Healthy Processed Foods to add to your shopping cart…

1 . Salad Kits

If you struggle to eat enough vegetables, salad kits are a great option. They come in SO many different flavor combinations, are pre-chopped (AKA save you TIME!), and you can purchase a few different ones so you don’t get bored of veggies.

2. Dry Roasted Edamame

If you’re a client, you know this is one of my FAVORITE snack recommendations. WHY? They’re easy to take on the go, don’t expire quickly so you can leave the individual packets in your bag, and have an excellent nutrient profile to actually keep you full and balance your blood sugar.

Peep these stats: 1 snack pack contains a whopping 11 grams of protein and 6 grams of fiber to keep you full!

Similarly, I also love dried chickpeas that come in tons of great flavors.

3. Vacuum-Packed Steamed Lentils

I buy these mighty lentils at Trader Joe’s or in the produce department of most grocery stores because they save me time. Simple as that! I rinse them and can easily add to salads, stir frys, soups, etc. without any cooking.

Lentils are a good source of plant-based protein, iron, and fiber too.

4. Jarred Salsa with No Added Sugar

I’m sure it’s great to make your own salsa, and I’m sure it tastes delicious, but there are some pretty great options available at the grocery store. I always check the ingredient list to avoid added sugar because it’s simply not necessary in salsa (in my opinion). Tostitos is probably the most widely available brand.

5. Pasta

Since having kids I’ve become an even bigger pasta fan. It’s such a convenient and easy meal to prepare. Plus, pasta (even original semolina pasta without any extra bells and whistles) is chock full of nutrients, including:

Fiber
Protein
Folate
Iron

Then if you want to get fancy with whole wheat pasta or chickpea/lentil pasta to add more fiber and protein, go for it! Right now, this is one of my favorite pasta recipes – dare I say it’s “refreshing?”

6. Canned Tomatoes

I’ll be the first to admit that I was SHOCKED to learn that canned tomatoes contain more antioxidants (lycopene) than fresh.

They work in almost any recipe…soup, chili, more soup, sauce, etc…and make weeknight cooking a snap!

7. Canned Beans

I do not buy dry beans. Chefs will tell you that they taste better, but honestly, I don’t have time or the foresight for the soaking and prepping. Luckily, canned beans are an awesome option. And no, we don’t have to worry about BPA and the like anymore because 99.9% of cans don’t use BPA anymore.

Canned beans are also easier to digest because they’re soaking in liquid for much longer than dry beans. Just be sure to drain and rinse before cooking with them to remove excess sodium.

8. Nut and Seed Butters (preferably with no added sugar, but choose what you like)

I honestly think there’s NOTHING wrong with buying store-bought nut/seed butters (aside from the price tag). Honestly, even if you like the ones with hydrogenated oils and some added sugar.

Nut and seed butters are a convenient way to consume nuts and seeds, plus healthy fats and vitamins and minerals. Plus, they’re SO satisfying. I literally don’t think I go through a day without eating SunButter.

9. Stocks and Broths

There are times in the winter when I’ll roast a chicken and then make chicken broth from the bones. But those are few and far between (and didn’t happen this winter once I had 2 kids in the mix!). That’s why I love relying on store-bought stocks and broths.

There are now awesome options on store shelves, or in the freezer section, that have no added sugar and minimal salt so you can decide how it’s used. Cooking grains with broth or stock is a game changer in terms of flavor… seriously, try it!

10. Canned tuna and salmon

This is another pantry staple my clients know I love! Especially when I’m low on groceries, having a quick protein option is key!

11. Baby carrots

I know this may seem weird because they’re a vegetable, but baby carrots are processed! A lot of people think they’re not as nutritious as whole carrots and that’s simply not true – they’re just cut into a cute little shape!

Pair them with a dip of your choosing (I personally love my hummus) for a great snack!

12. Dried fruit

Dried fruit is another food that some influencer “health gurus” tell you to avoid because of the *sugar,* but it’s really quite nutritious and great to include in your diet.

And it’s highly processed. Fruit is picked off a tree/bush/vine and then dried. Dried fruit does not naturally contain more (added) sugar, but it is a more concentrated form of fruit sugar. Think about it… 1 cup of grapes shrinks down to less than 1/4 cup of raisins! I try to avoid dried fruit with added sugar because of that. I just don’t think it’s necessary and it’s not more satisfying or “worth it” to me.

Some of my favorite dried fruits include:

Raisins
Prunes
Dried mango

13. Freeze dried strawberries

An alternative to dried fruit is freeze dried fruit. Instead of chewy dehydrated fruit that’s dried, freeze dried fruit is crunchy. It’s an awesome snack for kids too and full of more air, so it’s not a more concentrated form of sugar.

The only caveat is that freeze dried fruit can be really expensive. I buy these individual packs that come out to like $1 each to also help my son with portion control because otherwise he’d eat like $15 of freeze dried fruit in one sitting! Other options are also available at Target or Trader Joe’s.