Oct 2, 2026 · 19 min · 9 segments
Processed food gets a bad rap, but the truth is more interesting than the headlines. In this episode of the Body and Mind Strong podcast, we sort out what "processed" actually means, from frozen peas…
So first, a quick reset.
Processed covers a huge range.
A bag of frozen peas and neon orange snack cake both count, but they're not the same thing.
So before we get to the downside, let's give processed foods its fair hearing, right? The first one, safety and preservation.
Pasteurization, canning, and freezing stop harmful bacteria in their tracks and keep food from spoiling before you can eat them.
Think of a glass of milk.
Pasteurization is a reason it's a safe everyday staple instead of a gamble.
Less spoilage also means less weight, which is easier on both your wallet and the planet.
So again, pasteurization, canning, and freezing, they're all processed foods, but they're good.
Number two, nutrient fortification.
Some processing adds nutrients right back in.
A lot of foods do lack nutrients for various reasons, which I'm not going to get into, but fortification can add it kind of back in.
So like vitamin D goes into milk, iodine into salt, and folic acid into many breads and cereals.
This is one of the quiet public health wins of the last century.
It has helped prevent common deficiencies on a massive scale, often with no effort from the eater.
Number three, availability and cost.
Processing puts a wider variety of foods within reach, affordable, shelf-stable, and available year-round, whatever the season or your zip code is.
That matters for global food security.
It also matters for real life when a busy schedule, a tight budget, or a limited grocery store is your reality.
And frozen and canned produce is a perfect example of this.
It's often picked and packed at peak ripeness so it can hold its own against the fresh option that spent a week on the truck.
And finally, it's convenience, right? A can of beans, a bag of frozen veggies, or a jar of pasta sauce can be the difference between a home-cooked meal and the empty-handed 6 p.m.
scramble to the fast food joint.
And convenience isn't lazy.
It's often what makes healthy eating doable for a packed week.
So first, a quick reset.
Processed covers a huge range.
A bag of frozen peas and neon orange snack cake both count, but they're not the same thing.
So before we get to the downside, let's give processed foods its fair hearing, right? The first one, safety and preservation.
Pasteurization, canning, and freezing stop harmful bacteria in their tracks and keep food from spoiling before you can eat them.
Think of a glass of milk.
Pasteurization is a reason it's a safe everyday staple instead of a gamble.
Less spoilage also means less weight, which is easier on both your wallet and the planet.
So again, pasteurization, canning, and freezing, they're all processed foods, but they're good.
Number two, nutrient fortification.
Some processing adds nutrients right back in.
A lot of foods do lack nutrients for various reasons, which I'm not going to get into, but fortification can add it kind of back in.
So like vitamin D goes into milk, iodine into salt, and folic acid into many breads and cereals.
This is one of the quiet public health wins of the last century.
It has helped prevent common deficiencies on a massive scale, often with no effort from the eater.
Number three, availability and cost.
Processing puts a wider variety of foods within reach, affordable, shelf-stable, and available year-round, whatever the season or your zip code is.
That matters for global food security.
It also matters for real life when a busy schedule, a tight budget, or a limited grocery store is your reality.
And frozen and canned produce is a perfect example of this.
It's often picked and packed at peak ripeness so it can hold its own against the fresh option that spent a week on the truck.
And finally, it's convenience, right? A can of beans, a bag of frozen veggies, or a jar of pasta sauce can be the difference between a home-cooked meal and the empty-handed 6 p.m.
scramble to the fast food joint.
And convenience isn't lazy.
It's often what makes healthy eating doable for a packed week.
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