Are Processed Foods Bad?

MEGAN MOYER: Not all processed foods are bad. If you think about it, we have to take milk and process it to turn into yogurt. But generally, the term processed foods means more junk foods. Things that have a lot of added salt, fat, sugar, as well as preservatives, things that our body really doesn't need. So to avoid processed foods we want to have foods that, what I call, are closest to nature. For example, we want to choose apples instead of applesauce.

The best way to make healthy food choices on the go is to plan ahead. Bring things with you, pack a cooler, pack a lunch bag. But if you do have to dine out at restaurants, look for foods that are baked, grilled, or broiled and avoid fried foods and things with heavy sauces on them. Restaurants are also known for very large portion sizes of food so try splitting your entree, split your desserts, split your appetizers with people you're eating with.

Because processed foods really don't have a lot of nutrients, it's best to avoid them all together. Instead, choose whole more nutritious foods. I like to think of processed foods as more special occasion foods, not something to be eaten every day.