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Is processed food good for you?


In our latest weekly newsletter that arrives to your inbox every Wednesday morning at 7am EST (it's FREE and you can sign up here), I talked about the evil words that are rarely spoken about in a "clean eating" diet..... processed food. 

When you think of processed food, potato chips, cereals and snack foods (such as Cheez-Its and animal crackers) may come to mind. Processing may sound like a scary term but not all processed foods are not necesarily bad.

For certain foods to be edibe and digestable, they are changed, semi-prepared, frozen, fermented or packaged. You may be surprised to learn that most foods are processed - in some way - before you eat them. Interestingly, these changes can make a food equally or more nutritious than it once was before processing. Therefore, when viewing a processed food as "nutritious," consider the level of processing the food undergoes before it becomes a purchasable food source.

While you are encouraged to shop the perimeters of the grocery store to fill your shopping cart with wholesome foods, check out some of my guidelines to follow when shopping for boxed, bagged, fresh or frozen processed foods.



And speaking of processed food, can Ramen noodles fit into a wholesome, healthy and nutritious diet? You betcha! Check out this delicious recipe that Joey created.



Kale, Broccoli, and Sesame Noodle Salad
By Joey Mock, RD, LD, CLT

This Kale, Broccoli, and Sesame Noodle Salad is bursting with flavor. The veggies and homemade dressing fancy up those inexpensive packages of ramen wheat noodles (just be sure to throw away the soup base flavor packets as they are packed with sodium and not needed in this recipe). Serve this salad at room temperature when just prepared or make ahead, refrigerate, and serve chilled (the leftovers are even more flavorful!). Add your favorite protein and you have a main meal.
Ingredients
1 large head of broccoli, cut into medium sized florets with some stalk attached
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1½ teaspoons sweet chili sauce
1 tablespoon plus ½ cup red wine vinegar, divided
2-3 Tablespoons plus ½ cup canola oil, divided
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus additional to taste 
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus additional to taste
3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced, plus more for serving if desired
1 3-inch piece ginger, peeled, cut into 1-inch matchsticks
4 cups fresh curly kale (about a bunch) leaves only, stemmed and chopped (or Tuscan kale leaves)
2 3-ounce packages dried ramen noodles (discard flavor packets)
Torn mint leaves and toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 450°. Toss broccoli with 1 clove minced garlic, sweet chili sauce, 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar, and 2-3 Tablespoons oil (until broccoli is lightly coated) on a rimmed baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast, tossing occasionally, until tender and starting to brown, about 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, whisk scallions, ginger, 1 clove minced garlic, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, remaining ½ cup red wine vinegar, and ½ cup oil in a large bowl. Add kale; toss to coat. Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside at room temperature. 
  3. Cook ramen noodles according to package directions (discarding flavor packets and skipping that step). Drain noodles and rinse under cold water. Add noodles and broccoli to kale and toss to coat. 
  4. Divide amongst bowls and top with mint, sesame seeds, and additional scallions if desired.
Adapted from: bon appetit recipe.