When it comes to diet, or nutrition, it’s good practice to initially set out a simple framework that will be adhered to. This could include calorie tracking or time restricted eating to name just a few of the countless methods and will often be in part determined by the objective.

It seems however, that whatever the goal may be, there’s a push towards what many refer to as ‘eating clean’. This is often expanded into ensuring that the majority of an individual’s intake is through whole foods, unprocessed or at the least minimally processed and is often touted as just ‘better’ for you. 

While this advise seems sound on paper, it’s often left quite vague as to what level of processing is acceptable and often abides by a black and while, good and bad philosophy that misses some key points.

In truth, it appears more helpful if we add a third category into the mix alongside unprocessed and processed foods and this is termed ultra-processed. Now we can start to distinguish between the levels of processing food may have undergone and start to define some parameters around their inclusion.

It’s unhelpful to brand the word processed as a negative term as processing can include everything from mixing ingredients to cooking so in truth there is very little that is truly unprocessed. Additionally, many processes that food can go through can positively impact its nutritional benefit, these could include cooking raw meat which kills bacteria and allows the body to harness the nutrients.

However, when we explore the realm of ultra processed food, we start to see a greater correlation against those simple beliefs that oversimplify the unprocessed vs processed food debate. This group includes foods that are many steps derived from their natural state and generally contain high levels of salt, sugar and artificial additives. These foods often lack any significant nutritional benefit and don’t sustain satiety levels. This can lead to overconsumption and poor health outcomes long term.

It's easy however to consider scenarios in which processed food, even of the ultra-processed variety could be considered a viable choice. After a long-sustained effort of activity such as a marathon, a cheeseburger, fries and full sugar coke would actually go a long way towards kickstarting the replenishment of sodium and glycogen that was lost during the effort. Likewise, whey protein powder, a processed supplement, can be highly effective at increasing the protein intake of an individual who was struggling to do this via ‘whole foods’.



With the above considered there are of course many viable reasons as to why the belief around unprocessed/minimally processed foods being better overall prevails strongly. Generally speaking, these foods, that include fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, eggs and nuts are valuable sources of macro and micronutrients, fibre, antioxidants and phytonutrients and should be the cornerstone of most diets. There is space and scope however for their processed counterparts, many of which can bring some valuable benefits to a diet both in a physical and mental sense.