In discussing the nutritional value of the things we eat, I often talk about real food, by which I mean food that has not been ultraprocessed, refined, stripped, polished, fortified, degerminated, enriched, or otherwise modified. Real food means fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans and lentils), nuts, seeds, whole grains, fish, eggs, dairy products, and meats, like poultry, beef, or game. And that’s about it.

Here are some guidelines to help you figure out how to tell the difference: The first is not to eat anything that you have to be told is food. Like “processed American cheese food.” This is truth in advertising. If you have to be told that something is food, it probably isn’t. Fast food. Junk food. Convenience food. On the flip side, some edible products have names that sound nothing like food. I think of these items not as food, but rather as food-like. Miracle Whip®. Cool Whip®. Shake n Bake®. International Delights®. Fritos®. Pringles®. There are a lot. These products are anything but food. And, surprisingly, their component ingredients are found not only in the food-like products with creative names. I once discovered “food starch” in the ingredient list of a container of brand-name cottage cheese.

Why would anyone put food starch into cottage cheese? Because it’s an inexpensive way to make cottage cheese appear thicker and, seemingly, richer. That’s especially important when cottage cheese is made from low-fat milk.

What other words have been coopted to make ultraprocessed, manufactured, food-style products more appealing? Words like “buttery,” “creamy,” or “chocolatey.” When did we begin to skip over real foods in favor of flavor substitutes that approximate, but never come close to matching, the real thing? It’s no accident that America’s favorite after-dinner pastime appears to be cruising the kitchen cabinets. That’s what happens when meals don’t provide enough of the nutrients your body requires.

Another way to identify real food is to think about whether your great-grandparents would have recognized it. Real food hasn’t changed in the past few thousand years or more. Granola bars? I don’t think so. But peanut butter? Absolutely. Coffee whiteners and liquid delights? Of course not. And milk? Yes.

There are a few “convenience foods” that don’t make me cringe. Cheese sticks are good. Dried fruit, which I like to think of as the original convenience food. Nuts, any and all kinds, just as long as they aren’t coated with an ultraprocessed seed oil, like cottonseed or canola. Sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are also good choices, and they’re especially important ones for families with nut allergies. 

What about artificial sweeteners? It appears that people who drink lots of diet soda are at increased risk of developing diabetes, just like those who drink lots of soda, pop, and other drinks sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. So I suggest a glass of cool water or unsweetened iced tea, please. With a slice of lemon or orange, if you’d like.

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