Food processing can be as basic as:
canning, freezing, baking and drying
Does it make sense to turn your nose up at frozen peas just because they’re not deemed ‘natural’? We think not.
Although it is best to stick to natural foods where possible, here are some examples of processed foods that may surprise you (and are perfectly fine to include in a healthy, balanced diet):
milk, cheese, tofu, tempeh and other soya products, plant-based milks, breakfast cereals, tinned vegetables / fruit, dried fruit, oil, bread, vinegar (we see you apple cider vinegar!)
The processed foods that you need to watch out for are those laden with added sugar, fat and salt like:
fast food, burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, pastries, microwave meals, cakes and biscuits.
Summary: For a food to be deemed natural it must be unprocessed, e.g. not altered from its natural state. However, this means that frozen, canned or baked foods like fruits and vegetables technically cannot be classed as fully ‘natural’