It's easy to pick up fast food to go or processed food off the shelves for a quick home meal. But many processed foods -- which include anything that comes in a box, can or from the frozen food section -- can have unhealthy dietary additions. When shopping for foods, learn to read the labels and watch carefully for unhealthy ingredients.
Trans Fats
Fat isn't always something to be avoided. You need to get between 25 and 35 percent of your daily calories from fat for your body to function well, MayoClinic.com reports. Fats come in different types, with monounsaturated fats being the kind that are actually good for you, since they supply omega-3 fatty acids. Saturated fats are the kind that can clog your arteries with plaque, and should be limited to 10 percent of your daily calories intake. The worst type of saturated fat is trans fats, solid or semi-solid fats such as shortening.
Trans fats are used in a variety of baked goods, including cakes, cookies, donuts and snack foods as well as fried foods such as French fries. Although many manufacturers have decreased the amount of trans fat in their foods, if the product has less than 0.5 g of fat, they can legally list it as having no trans fat. Eating a number of foods that say they have no trans fat but actually contain 0.5 g could boost your daily intake, so have a high degree of suspicion and avoid foods that logically would seem to have trans fats.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High fructose corn syrup, sometimes called HFCS, comprises 40 percent of all sugars used in processed foods as well as virtually all soft drinks, DiabetesHealth reports. High fructose corn syrup contains both glucose and fructose. Fructose, found naturally in fruits, doesn't stimulate insulin release for absorption into cells. But insulin triggers release of leptin, a hormone that signals your body to stop eating. Foods with HFCS don't give you a feeling of being full, so you may eat more than you normally would. Foods that contains HFCS are usually high in calories as well.
Sodium
Sodium plays a vital part in keeping you healthy-- but in small amounts. The average American, however, eats a diet very high in sodium, consuming 3,436 mg of sodium per day, well over the top recommended limit of 2,400 mg, according to the American Heart Association. Around 75 percent of the sodium you eat comes from processed foods, the site adds. High sodium intake increases your risk of high blood pressure, which can lead to heart disease. The AHA recommends decreasing your sodium intake to 1,500 mg per day by reading labels on processed foods and skipping those with high sodium counts.
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