Your diet is one of the leading factors in determining your overall health, and just as eating nutrient dense ingredients can give you a natural boost of benefits, there are other more processed ingredients that may be to blame for a decline in your wellness. Of course you can still enjoy all the foods you love in moderation within a balanced diet, but if you’re largely relying on processed foods as the base of your eating habits, you may be inadvertently slowing your metabolism and causing health problems down the line.
We spoke with Jesse Feder, RDN, CPT at Strength Warehouse who outlined the top three processed foods to be cognizant of when working to improve your diet, so you can ensure you’re fueling your body with the best ingredients possible.
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Sugary Cereals
Cereal may be one of the easiest breakfast options to kickstart a busy day, but they’re generally low in any valuable nutrients and packed with sugar which can be at a detriment to your metabolism.“Sugary cereals are one of the most unhealthy processed foods you can have. They are loaded with sugar, sodium, and refined carbohydrates,” warns Feder. “These things, when eaten in high amounts and consistently, can lead to obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease. The highly processed and refined ingredients typically give you a jolt of energy since they are able to be digested very quickly. This then causes a crash in our blood sugar, and can slow your metabolism.”
If you’re craving something sweet in the morning that can also come together quickly, overnight oats are a great option that can be enhanced with maple syrup or peanut butter for natural flavoring that doesn’t affect your blood sugar and will actually keep you full for hours.
Frozen Dinners
There are certainly frozen dinner options that don’t put your health at risk, and oftentimes they can be an asset to those on a busy work schedule who need a meal ready in minutes. However, many frozen dinners are packed with preservatives and a slew of other unsavory ingredients that will do very little to improve your health. “Frozen dinners typically have large amounts of fat and salt in them to make them taste good as well as keep them preserved. High amounts of fat and salt can lead to weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, and cardiovascular disease,” explains Feder. Frozen dinners can also be high in refined carbs which are unlikely to keep you satiated for long, so keeping an eye out for microwave meals that are rich in veggies and a solid protein source will make this meal workable.
Fast Food
This one may come as no surprise—fast food, while convenient, poses a significant threat to your metabolism when consumed regularly due to the unhealthy ingredients that make it taste as good as it does. “Fast food meals are made with high amounts of fat, sodium, and unhealthy oils. This can also lead to weight gain, obesity, cardiovascular disease, heart disease, and stroke to name a few things,” warns Feder. “The ingredients in fast food meals are also highly processed and refined which can be digested quickly and leave you with a decreased metabolism.” Meal prepping is one of the best ways to avoid falling into the trap of depending on fast food, but it is still okay to enjoy the occasional McDonald’s burger or fries without worrying about destroying your body.
