Across the board, improving our nutritional habits for the long-term benefit of our health is a universal goal of most Australians. 

But cooking three organic meals from scratch each day simply isn’t a feasible option for most busy Aussies, who reveal in Body+Soul’s Health of the Nation survey that the biggest barriers to maintaining a healthy diet are lack of time and cost of living constraints. 

As a result, our weekly grocery hauls and late-night peckish picks often include a variety of processed items, from pantry staples such as bread and pasta to entire ready-made meals to ease the midweek rush.

Thanks to catchy messaging, such as ‘Fresh is best’, we’ve long been conditioned to believe anything processed should be avoided on our plates. But whether it's satisfying a craving or reaching for a time-saving meal, processed foods and snacks are a part of everyday life.

Peta Carige, one of Australia’s leading sports dietitians who has worked with a range of athletes and Olympic medalists, says fearing processed foods simply isn't a constructive – or realistic – way to approach our nutrition goals. 

Breaking down complex nutrition messaging to cut through the noise and help Aussies make more health-conscious choices when it comes to how they fuel their bodies, here’s what Carige wants us to understand about choosing, cooking, and consuming processed ingredients.

What should we consider when buying processed foods

Acknowledging that even the most prepared and organised Aussies will occasionally need to purchase dinner on the run, Carige says there’s one question she recommends we ask ourselves before heading to the checkout.

“In these circumstances, I teach my clients to just stop and ask themselves 'What nutrients is this providing me'? If the answer is zero nutrition and zero fibre – such as a biscuit that only provides sugar and fat OR a processed lollie-type of confectionery – then I'm sure there is an alternative available that contains some nutrients,” she explains.

“A muesli bar with nuts and oats (despite the added sugar) is going to provide you with some nutrients over a biscuit, or popcorn instead of chips,” adds the dietitian. 

“There is usually an option in every situation that is the 'better choice' so make it simple by asking yourself that question and then move on with no guilt, because you did the best in the situation at hand. No one is perfect all the time and if they say they are, then they are lying.”

Carige’s money-saving fresh food hacks?

Thanks to the rising cost of groceries, Aussies are reaching for time-saving and money-saving alternatives more than ever, which sometimes leads to choosing ingredients and ready-made meals with little nutritional value, such as fast food.

But according to Carige, there are three hacks to help us save time and money when grocery shopping:

#1. Buy seasonal fruit and veggies

“They are always cheaper and can be extremely affordable. If you are unsure what is in season ask someone in the store or you can search by city via this link.”

The seasonal food guide lists each fruit and vegetable available in shops, as well as the recommended season we should shop them in.

#2. Don’t shy away from frozen and canned vegetables

“Frozen and canned vegetables are a great way to increase your vegetable and legume content and ensure food doesn't go off. Frozen vegetables are snap-frozen at the point of picking so are very nutrient-dense. Australia has the lowest rate of legumes and beans in our diets, so adding beans and legumes to your dishes not only makes the dish stretch further but adds protein and fibre to every meal. In Europe, the canned legumes sit within the fresh vegetable section and I think this would be such a great change for Australian shopping centres.”

#3. Opt for more oats

“Oats are consistently the cheapest and one of the healthiest breakfast options we can consume. Buy the bulk packets and use them in cooking, for porridge or soak overnight in water and make overnight oats in summer,” Carige says.

“Often the trick to saving money is allocating slightly more time to food preparation. As a nation, we need to value and allocate time to food prep, knowing how valuable it is for our short and long-term health.”

One ‘healthy’ go-to we should actually be avoiding

While it may seem like a no-brainer to opt for a fresh and fruit-packed acai bowl over more obviously processed takeaway options, Carige says the extremely high sugar content in acai bowls makes them one of the most misleading ‘health’ foods out there. 

“Sure, the toppings are often healthy and great choices such as quality yoghurt, nuts, seeds and fruit, but if we replaced the acai bowls with oats or left them out altogether then it would be a much healthier option,” the dietitian says.

How to level up processed foods to incorporate fresh ingredients

“I think the best example of making a 'processed' meal healthier, and something that I do every other week, is I purchase basic frozen pizzas from the supermarket or FroPro pizza from my local Harris Farm (when they are on sale) and then add a whole lot of leftover vegetables at the end of the week to make them healthier,” suggests Carige. 

“It saves you money and time, not making them from scratch, but you can always make something healthier. In winter, we always do this 'cheat' after we have cooked a roast so we can add leftover meat as well. It’s a great way to use up leftovers.”