Ultra-processed foods are the great enemies of the quality of our diet today and as opposed to them, many of us speak of “real” food. we tell you What does this name refer to and why does it generate so much controversy?.
Real food: natural or minimally processed
According to the NOVA classification, natural food are those that can be consumed or that are presented to the consumer as provided by nature, while those that are minimally processed are those that preserve much of their nature and in the industry they only undergo minimal changes that can prolong their useful life or facilitate their consumption, without adding extra ingredients.
Thus, “real” foods would be, for example, fruits and vegetables fresh or frozen, whole grainsthe vegetablesthe fresh meats, fresh fish and shellfish or, the latter frozen and without additives.
These are foods that are not a product of the industry, that is, they are not highly processed, but contain quality nutrients in appreciable proportions and easily satiate the body without offering addictive substances such as sugars, refined flours, alcohol or sodium.
Ultimately, it’s called “real” food or “real” food to those natural or, whose industrial processing has not harmed its nutritional composition and the quality of the original food.
The ultra-processed are also food and real
Behind the term “real” food there is a great debate and a lot of controversy, since we recognize as food any substance that can be consumed by the human being and that offers nutrients to the organism.
In this sense, a ultraprocessed such as a fried and salty snack or a frozen hamburger from the supermarket, they are also food although they contain ingredients of industrial origin and in many cases we cannot recognize natural foods and fresh components inside.
Of course, a highly industrialized product such as a sauce, a cold cut or a sausage it is also real and fit for human consumption despite the fact that its nutritional quality leaves much to be desired.
Therefore, the term “real” food is at least controversial and a source of debate, since perhaps it would be more accurate to call these foods, natural foods or nutritious and healthy foods, to distinguish them from the ultra-processed where the industry plays a leading role and its components benefit little or nothing to health, on the contrary, it is advisable to reduce its consumption in the daily diet.
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