Health Benefits of Processed & Convenience Foods

Hey! Let's talk about processed foods! What are your thoughts on processed foods? I know for me, I used to believe that they were 100% unhealthy. So with that belief, of course, I felt guilty for eating processed foods. Unless they were the "healthy" processed foods. Those I was ok with. But, I've come a long way and processed foods are currently a pretty regular part of my diet that I feel really good about.All last week we've had cereal for breakfast. I don't remember the last time I had cereal for breakfast before this week, but it was such a welcomed change. Not only was it delicious...we got some Annie's cocoa bunnies (kinda like their version of cocoa puffs) and a Kashi Kids cereal that had a combo of little "cinnamon roll" pieces and honey-filled pillows. But it was also super convenient! Breakfast was on the table in just a few minutes. The only thing I cooked was some fried eggs to go along with it because I knew that would help breakfast stick around a little longer. And then clean up was so quick! Usually breakfast is something like eggs and toast with butter and jam or eggs and peanut butter or some stovetop oatmeal. All of which just seem to have more dishes involved. But it was so nice to finish breakfast and not have a whole lot of clean up!Lunches have also been equally as simple and easy. You know if you follow me on Instagram that I've been obsessed with Trader Joe's salad kits for lunch. I'll make one of those plus add a little chicken on top and it's just so incredibly delicious and also so easy with minimal cleanup.I've also been really loving Trader Joe's Scandanavian Swimmers. If you're not familiar with these delicious treats, they're Trader Joe's version of Sweedish Fish. And they're so good! I am not typically a candy person, but I love these gummies as well as the sour ones. And also, my gummy cravings are majorly heightened when I'm pregnant. Ummm, so good!So here's my question...what are your thoughts on processed and convenience foods? I don't know about you, but I know that a lot of my beliefs around eating, including my belief that processed foods are bad, stemmed from things I learned from our culture. There's so much pressure on everything being homemade and grass-fed and organic and straight from the farm to your table. And while I LOVE all of those things (there is nothing better than a trip to a Saturday morning farmer's market and getting ingredients right there for dinner that night!), there's also a lot involved with making that happen. Especially now as a mom, it's like there's this unwanted pressure to be perfect and get a "perfect" meal on the table every single day for every meal.But what I've learned as I've given up perfection with eating is that this ideal isn't always practical and can put more stress (which has it's own negative health implications) on our bodies.So in that light, here's a thought...What if processed and convenient foods are actually healthy?I know that may sound crazy. But that's my honest belief. Processed foods have their place in a healthy diet. It's all about balance, right? Loving both the farm-to-table meal as well as the frozen dinner. Each has it's own benefit for different days and different seasons in our lives.I'm in a season, currently, where I'm pretty exhausted most days. With being pregnant, breastfeeding, and having an 8-month-old, I'll be the first to admit I don't always get a restful night's sleep. And some days, the best I can do is cereal on the table for breakfast, a salad kit and frozen already cooked chicken for lunch, and a frozen meal for dinner. But thinking of the alternative, of making everything every meal from scratch...it's exhausting just thinking about it...versus not eating at all, convenient foods are just necessary right now.So, if anything, let this post be your permission to eat processed foods. Seriously, they're ok.Intuitive eating is all about permission. If you think about our current culture, there are so many rules around eating. But giving up the rules and practicing unconditional permission to eat, we know, actually helps you to feel more calm around food. It cultivates trust with yourself. Do you feel like you can trust yourself with food? A lot of people don't, so if that's you don't feel bad. But, it's something to work towards. The freedom that comes with body trust is so liberating! Think about being able to have more time, more energy, to think about and act on the things that really matter to you in your life (your kids, your spouse, your friends, your hobbies, your job). We focus a lot on creating space for these things through breaking free from diets in The Nourish Lab, my membership site. So if you feel lost but crave food freedom, come join us!Does this help you take a deep breath and relax maybe just a little? That's my goal.Ok, so what processed/convenience foods are you loving lately? What are you craving now that you have permission to enjoy them?