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Beyond edible oils: Decoding ‘healthy’ eating choices
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Tuesday, 31 December, 2024, 15 : 00 PM [IST]
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Neelanjana Singh
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As consumers, we are now more aware of our health and wellbeing, and the food industry has responded well to the increased demand for healthy foods. This is why at the supermarket, while one can find all popular (read unhealthy) foods, their so-called healthy versions are also available. Whether namkeens or chips, desserts or salad dressings – these are all available to us as healthy alternatives.
We tend to believe that the healthy or diet-friendly version of a particular food is perfect for us in terms of nutrition, meaning we can indulge it, but this may not always be the case. Being aware of the pros and cons of the foods and snacks we consume is a good idea, and more so in this era of aggressive marketing and branding of food products.
Quite often, the thought of unhealthy foods brings to mind images of fried and high-fat foods. This is why low-fat snacks have become so popular in the market. A detailed look at low-fat packaged food will reveal how other not-so-healthy ingredients such as sugar and salt are in abundance in such foods. The truth is there is so more to food besides, the fat content or quality that needs scrutinising, including ingredients like additives.
Many packaged foods which are low on fat contain higher levels of either sugar or salt or both in order to compensate for the taste that fat usually provides. It is well established that excess salt and sugar are just as harmful as excess fat. Hence it makes sense to not just demonise fats and oils but assess food products in a more holistic manner. Focusing on a single ingredient is certainly not the right approach to judging a food for its worth.
Villainising one particular ingredient is not a great idea, either. Take the case of palm oil; massively underappreciated despite its versatility and reviled in recent times due to its saturated fat content. But did you know that it actually has a balanced fatty acid profile? It contains 40% heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, which is similar to traditional Indian oils like sesame oil, mustard oil, and groundnut oil, and only slightly fewer than in olive oil. It is also packed with essential nutrients, including vitamin E, vitamin K, vitamin A, and beta-carotene. It is also one of the most stable oils, prolonging food storability. It contains a balanced ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids, unlike certain vegetable oils like soybean oil and corn oil that have a much higher omega-6 content, which may promote inflammation in the body.
While making an assessment, not only are the ingredients important but also the method of processing and the degree to which the food has been processed. To take the example of a much-touted health snack, soya chips. Let’s first consider that just because the product is made from soya flour does not necessarily make it healthy. Usually to prepare such products, the soy flour is refined, stripped of all its fibre and several additives added to enhance taste and shelf life.
Foods processed in this way fall into the category of ultra processed foods (UPF), which are widely available and affect our health, mental as well as physical. Hence, being able to recognise a UPF when one sees it becomes critical.
Here are four ways in which you can spot an ultra-processed food (UPF) item:
- There will be a long list of ingredients on the label.
- You may not be able to recognise most of the ingredients.
- High content of fat/sugar/salt, or all of these.
- It will have a long shelf life because of the many added chemicals.
All in all, UPFs are characterised by high fat, presence of trans fats, high salt, refined grains and sugar, topped with preservatives. Clearly, it's not just fats but the collective role of all the above ingredients mentioned that pose a problem for our health. There is adequate data available linking generous amounts and regular consumption of these UPF foods to the increased risk of several non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and the list seems to be growing!
Here are a few simple yet powerful ways to cut back on such snacks. This process should begin when shopping for foods and snacks. Look at the labels and pick as little as possible from this category of foods. With experience many of you would know how addictive UPF can be. Hence, once you start eating them, it is difficult to stop and let go of the packet till you finish. To deal with this issue, try plating out such foods so that you can see it while consuming and thus not go overboard. Avoid digging directly into the packet.
In the midst of the abundance of UPF products seen in our environment, it is an opportune time to remind you about the virtues of a balanced diet. A balanced and diverse diet consumed most of the time will also ward off the craving that one experiences for junk and unhealthy foods. One can refer to the Dietary Guidelines for Indians-2024 from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) for more details on this. In fact, it states, “Dietary fats also contain minor components such as tocopherols, tocotrienols, sterols, etc. Tocotrienols in palm oil, for instance, reduce blood cholesterol.” In contrast, other commonly used dietary vegetable oils, including corn, olive, peanut, sesame, soybean, and sunflower, contain the less potent tocopherols exclusively.
Although it may seem like a boring concept to many, the principles of a balanced diet still stand tall. Innumerable fad diets which have enjoyed popularity have come and gone but the classic Balanced Diet, which includes all food groups in the right amounts, is here to stay. As a parting note, choose foods that are minimally processed and make UPF an occasional indulgence, if you must!
(Neelanjana Singh is a registered dietician and nutrition consultant)
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