It’s hard to live without eating processed foods.
When I go to the grocery store, I often find myself stopping in front of the bakery and snack aisles, wanting to grab 10 different things but forcing myself to put just one into the cart.
Before I realized the risks of processed foods, I used to eat them without a second thought.
But once I became aware of their dangers, I found I couldn’t buy or eat them so casually anymore.
In the end, what really matters is recognizing how much processed food you’re actually eating, and understanding the risks.
This awareness is the starting point of good health.
Common Types of Processed Foods
- Snacks & sweets: cookies, chocolate, candy, potato chips
- Baked goods: cakes, donuts, croissants, pastries
- Instant foods: ramen, cup rice, frozen pizza, dumplings
- Processed meats: ham, sausages, bacon, burger patties
- Beverages: soda, energy drinks, sweetened juices, zero-calorie sodas
- Others: ice cream, mayonnaise, ketchup, salad dressings
👉 Most of these are based on refined carbs and sugars.
They may taste great, but they provide little nutrition—just calories, sugar, and unhealthy fats.
Why Are Processed Foods Harmful?
1. Lack of nutrients
They contain almost no vitamins, minerals, or antioxidants. What’s left is mainly calories, sugar, and additives.
2. Sugar overload
Refined sugar and carbs spike blood sugar and insulin, fueling metabolic diseases.
3. Vicious cycle of cravings
Blood sugar rises quickly, then crashes—making you crave even more sweets. It’s a cycle of dependence.
We all know how addictive these foods can be.
As someone who has struggled with this myself, I understand the feeling all too well!
Processed Meat: Just Look at the Label
Some might think, “Ham or sausages are still meat, so they should be fine, right?”
But if you look closely at the label, you’ll see it’s completely different from fresh meat.
Pick up a package of ham or sausage at the store and read the ingredients:
sodium nitrite (a preservative and color fixer), phosphates, sugar, flavorings, preservatives…
That’s a world apart from simply grilling fresh meat with a little salt and pepper.
In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has classified processed meat as a Group 1 carcinogen.
So even though it’s considered a protein source, the risks are too high to ignore.
Same Potato, Different Outcome: Potato vs. Potato Chips
The same raw ingredient can turn into two completely different foods depending on how it’s processed.
| Category | Potato (100g, boiled) | Potato Chips (100g) |
| Calories | 87 kcal | 536 kcal |
| Carbohydrates | 20 g | 53 g |
| Sugars | 1 g (natural) | 5 g (added sugar/seasoning) |
| Fiber | 2.2 g | 4.8 g (mostly low-value fiber) |
| Protein | 2 g | 7 g (low-quality grain protein) |
| Fat | 0.1 g | 34 g (saturated & processed oils) |
| Sodium | 7 mg | 525 mg |
| Vitamin C | 19% DV | Almost none |
| Potassium | 429 mg | 1200 mg (but with excessive sodium) |
| Additives | None | Flavorings, preservatives, antioxidants |
👉 See the difference?
- Potatoes: low in calories, high in vitamins and minerals.
- Potato chips: 6x more calories, 340x more fat, 75x more sodium.
- Nutrients are lost, while harmful substances pile up.
This one comparison shows why processed foods are so harmful.
Another Hidden Risk: Packaging & Distribution
The problem isn’t only in the ingredients themselves.
During packaging and distribution, processed foods are also exposed to endocrine-disrupting chemicals and microplastics.
Plastics release Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, which disrupt hormonal balance.
Studies have even found microplastics in bottled water and other beverages we once thought were “safe.”
So processed foods are problematic not just because of what they’re made of, but also because of how they’re stored and delivered.
Scientific Findings
- BMJ, 2019 (French cohort study): High intake of ultra-processed foods = 37% higher risk of type 2 diabetes
- JAMA Psychiatry, 2023: Ultra-processed foods linked to higher risk of depression
- NEJM, 2013 (Mediterranean diet study): Natural food-based diet reduced cardiovascular disease risk by over 30%
- NEJM, 1997 (DASH study): Cutting processed foods and sodium lowered blood pressure significantly
👉 This proves diet is not just about weight—it directly affects metabolic health, heart disease, and even mental health.
The Contradiction in Our Approach to Health
People know diet impacts health, yet many don’t take it seriously until they get sick.
I see it all the time—friends who lived recklessly in their youth, drinking and ignoring their health, only to start caring after being diagnosed with an illness.
It’s almost as if people believe that’s just how life is supposed to go.
But why wait until illness strikes to change?
Wouldn’t it be so much better to take care of ourselves before?
I too struggle to resist bread and snacks when I shop.
When you’re healthy, it’s incredibly hard to resist temptation.
That’s why it’s important to build awareness and set your own standards:
“Is this product truly good for my health, or not?”
A little awareness grows into knowledge, and knowledge into consistent action.
That’s the process I’m working on myself, step by step.
Practical Tips: How to Cut Back
- Instead of chips → nuts or dried fruit
- Instead of soda → lemon water or barley tea
- Instead of fast-food burgers → grilled chicken salad
- Instead of white bread → sweet potatoes or whole-grain bread
👉 We’re surrounded by temptations, so the answer isn’t to “quit everything at once.”
Replacing processed foods little by little is the most realistic and sustainable approach.
Final Thoughts
Diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease cannot be solved by medication alone.
Changing your diet can literally change the course of these illnesses.
The age of deficiency-related diseases is over.
Now, in our era of overabundance, excess and processed foods have become the root cause of disease.
Buying supplements is fine—but before that, ask yourself:
Have I changed my diet first?
Our bodies are built from the food we eat, transformed through metabolism into the building blocks of health.
Healthy food = a healthy body.
No single food will “cure” you, but a consistently healthy diet is undeniably powerful.
So the next time you go shopping, skip one processed item and replace it with something natural.
Natural foods are those that are unprocessed, whole, and close to their original state.
Let’s begin with this small step toward better health.
