A new study shows that eating mostly minimally processed foods, as defined by the NOVA classification system, [created by researchers at the University of São Paulo]does not necessarily lead to a healthier diet, suggesting that the types of food we eat may be more important than the level of processing used to make them.
The researchers compared two menus reflecting the typical Western diet – one that emphasized less processed foods, as classified by the NOVA classification system, and one that emphasized more highly processed foods – and found that the less processed menus were more than twice as expensive, offered less nutritional value, and expired more than three times faster.
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“This study shows that you can eat a low-quality diet even if you choose mostly less processed foods,” said Julie Hess, PhD, a research dietitian at the USDA Agricultural Research Service Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, who led the study. “It also shows that while highly and less processed diets may have the same (or less) nutritional value, the more processed diet may have a longer shelf life and may cost less.”
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The study looked at the disconnect between food processing and nutritional value, and Hess noted that some highly nutritious packaged foods could be classified as ultra-processed, including unsweetened applesauce, ultrafiltered milk, liquid egg whites, and some brands of raisins and canned tomatoes.
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