What's the definition of a processed carb? I'm scarily ignorant about this.
I feel like anything in the frozen foods / microwave it 2 mins and eat it isle probably falls into this category, but I'm not sure exactly why. Is it the enriched wheat flour? Do you know a good unbiased resource for learning about this?
Carbohydrates is a term that groups sugars, starches & fibre together. There are simple carbohydrates (breads, cereals, desserts and other man-made carbs) and complex carbs (fruit, veg, whole grain foods)
Simple carbs are broken down and consumed very easily, complex carbs take longer to be absorbed and energy is released over a longer period.
A good rule is to eat things as close to their natural form as possible.
Most products have been processed in some way before eating - cleaning & packaging being the simplest.
However baking, frying, adding excess sugar/salt, preservatives, additives, etc happens in a large amount of products that we don't realise. It is astonishingly easy to consume these products to excess (muffins, donuts, bread, potato products).
Frozen food / microwave in 2 mins is not actually bad for you. You can get bags of microwave rice or veg that are perfectly healthy (check the ingredients).
A good place to start is getting familiar with where certain foods are in the Glycemic Index.
In terms of improving your own diet and improving energy, just make simple substitutions. Swap fries > sweet potato, or white bread > whole grain wraps, or chips > nuts & seeds.
I feel like anything in the frozen foods / microwave it 2 mins and eat it isle probably falls into this category, but I'm not sure exactly why. Is it the enriched wheat flour? Do you know a good unbiased resource for learning about this?