Before you open that granola bar for lunch or another bag of chips for an afternoon snack, take a quick glance at the ingredients. Chances are you cannot pronounce most of them or there are far too many to count.

Highly processed foods may have an appealing taste, but they do little to offer nutritional value. Processed foods often lack proper nutrients our bodies need while supplying the consumer with high levels of sugar and oil.

You do have the option of cooking and baking for yourself. Cooking your own meals and baking your own snacks is a great way to know exactly what you’re putting into your body.

Recipes aren’t perfect though, flip through a cookbook for example. In the dessert section you’ll find recipes that require a stick or two of butter, a cup or more of sugar, oils and more. These ingredients can raise the calorie count and lead a simple snack to be well over 600 calories. 

Why is it a big deal if you eat too many calories?

Well, to burn a pound of fat you have to burn 3500 calories. To lose weight you must burn more calories than you consume, to maintain weight you must burn and consume equal amounts of calories, finally, to gain weight you must consume more than you burn.

Teenagers require around 2000 calories a day, eating a midday snack that is calorie dense can lead to feeling tired and out of energy.

Similar to eating foods that are made with processed ingredients. The meal or snack you are eating may not be calorie dense but if it is made up of mostly chemicals and oils, it is doing little for you nutritionally. 

What are some options to limit highly processed foods and calorie dense foods?

If you still want to enjoy a granola bar for lunch, cook your own meals or bake your favorite desserts, you can with some recipe adjustments. 

• Instead of regular flour, try using organic rolled oats. (Note that you would have to blend ingredients in a blender rather than a bowl). Oats allow for a more moist taste when baking breads and cakes.
• Swap white sugar for pure maple syrup. Compared to white sugar pure maple syrup is nearly unprocessed. Maple syrup also provides minerals that sugar does not.
• Opt for natural nut butters (peanuts, almonds, cashews, sunflower, hazelnut), or make your own! All that is required for nut butters is nuts and salt. Highly processed nut butter contain sugar and oils for a creamy consistency. To make your own just blend nuts in a high speed blender for a few minutes and add salt (to taste).
• Swap whole milk for plant based milk. You’ll be saving a cow’s life every time you purchase plant based milk plus there is the benefit of natural sources of vitamins. 
• Swap out butter on your bagel for mashed avocado. Both butter and avocados are made up of mostly fat; however, avocado provides your body with the healthy fats your body needs.