A practical guide to help you cut back on processed foods

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. A bag of chips here, a jam roll there or a small bar of dark chocolate because you craved something sweet— isn’t that what break-time or at-desk snacks invariably consists of for most of us these days? According to a WHO-led 2023 study, retail sales of ultra-processed foods in India had declined from 12.65 per cent in 2019 to 5.5 per cent in 2020. However, in 2021, it increased by 11.79 per cent.

The factor in play here was the covid-19 pandemic. So, while the beginning of the pandemic saw people opting for convenience and comfort, during peak pandemic, they were opting for more home-cooked meals. And then, as the pandemic ended, everyone once again began choosing processed foods to save time.

Eating processed foods on a regular basis is not good for you in the long run. “It can lead to a range of side effects such as excessive weight gain, cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, difficulty in digesting food, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, weakened immune system, skin problems, disrupted gut health, and chronic inflammation," says Dr Rajiv Manek, consultant – general laparoscopic, metabolic and bariatric surgery, Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai. Such foods are usually low in fibre and can interfere with one’s digestion process and gut health, Manek explains.

Nevertheless, each one of might as well admit that there have been scores of times, when we’ve given in to our child’s pestering and handed them a packet of chips. Or we've skipped breakfast and grabbed a protein bar on the way to work. If this is an occasional occurrence, there’s no cause to be worried.