“Unprocessed foods” is the new buzz term currently fashionable in the dietary and nutritional world.

But what does the term unprocessed foods really mean? The Nova system classifies all foods according to the degree of processing or to the degree of alterations and additions from their original natural state.

The classification system was originally developed by a Brazilian food scientist, who observed a disparity in the health status between rich and poor residents of his country. He observed poor residents developed obesity, heart disease and other chronic diseases at a much higher rate than richer ones, who appeared to be healthier. He also noted that poor residents consumed much more ultra-processed and refined foods compared to richer ones.

He developed a “nova” or new food classification system and divided foods into one of four categories based on the degree of food processing, alterations or additions. The four groups are: Group 1, which includes unprocessed or minimally processed foods, Group 2, which includes processed culinary ingredients, Group 3, which is processed foods and Group 4, which is ultra processed foods.

Unprocessed Group 1 includes foods in their natural state with no additions and alterations such as what you would find in the garden, on the tree and in a pasture. Examples include........

© Castanet