Hey there. My birthday is January 27th, and if you’re looking to send me a cake, I like yellow cake with chocolate frosting. Why do I bring that up? Because it ties into today’s topic… processed foods.
There’s always debate around this. Some folks swear by eating only whole, unprocessed, organic food. Others load up on diet-branded products like low-carb ice cream, high-protein snacks, and pre-packaged meals designed to fit macros. But like many things in health and fitness, the real answer lives somewhere in the middle.
I eat processed food. Every day. I have my 85% dark chocolate with peanut butter, and both are technically processed. But they work for me, and that’s the key. I don’t overdo it, I feel good when I eat them, and they fit into my daily goals.
Instead of banning processed foods, I encourage you to look at the ingredients. Can you pronounce them? Do they upset your stomach? Do they leave you with that weird chemical aftertaste? If not, and if they help you stick to your plan, then they can stay.
That said, if you’ve been hitting your calorie and macro goals and still aren’t seeing progress, it might be time to look at how many servings of processed food you’re having each day. If you’re eating four or five servings, try cutting it back to three for a couple of weeks and see what happens. It’s not about perfection. It’s about gradual changes.
The food industry designs these products to keep you coming back. Whether it’s a protein cookie or a Twinkie, they’re engineered to taste good and trigger cravings. That’s why serving sizes matter. If you can enjoy a food without going overboard, it has a place in your plan.
And if you do overdo it, just track it. No guilt. No shame. Just data. You’ll likely notice you don’t want that food again for a while. That’s real feedback from your body.
So here’s what I want to know... what are your favorite processed foods, and how often are you eating them? Let’s be real about it. Because you don’t have to live on chicken and broccoli to be successful.
And if you want to build a sustainable, realistic eating plan around the foods you actually enjoy, I’ve got you. Join The YLF Experience and let’s build your forever way of eating.