Is Quorn a processed food? (Sort of)
We eat quite a lot of Quorn because we consider to be a slightly healthier alternative to certain types of meat, and Quorn is generally regarded to be and marketed as a healthy product. But isn't Quorn a processed food, and isn't processed food bad? Well it's a bit more complicated than that, let's explain why:
What does it mean if food is processed?
In short, Processed food is food that’s changed in any way from its natural state. However, what many people don't realise about the term 'processed' is just how many changes this term encapsulates. For example, technically food that is canned, frozen, or even just washed can technically be listed as processed. So although we might think of processed food as something made from chemicals and other nasty stuff, it really isn't the case.
The irony is actually that processing foods can actually make them even healthier in some ways - for example, freezing certain types of vegetables and fruits can help them to retain nutrients.
There is, however, another category of processed food - Heavily Processed Food. These typically include ingredients which are intended to make them last longer and taste better. Examples would be breakfast cereal, sugary drinks, and crisps.
We think Quorn lies somewhere in between these 2 categories - definitely contains some ingredients intended to make it last longer, but certainly isn't bad for you.
So Quorn isn't healthy then?
We've spoken previously about why we think Quorn is healthy, and we're sticking with our thoughts on the topic despite the fact that the product is processed.
Final Thoughts
Overall, we definitely think Quorn is processed and we wouldn't deny that for a second, but we don't think it's as simple as saying Quorn is processed therefore it is unhealthy. After all, in the future we might all have to live off processed food!
Finn H
Finn is the editor of You Well and has been writing about travel, health, and more for over 10 years.