Defining Processed Food

So today I made my own first batch of kale chips. A little too salty but that will be easily fixed the next time. I also had rice and beans for dinner, with some saved for later. They taste briny. I guess that is because I got canned kidney beans (only beans and salt). I thought they would be easier to cook (less time). I am still learning how to cook them properly.

On that note, I need to define the processed food that I am avoiding. 

The USDA defines processed food as “any food other than a raw agricultural commodity and includes any raw agricultural commodity that has been subject to processing, such as canning, cooking, freezing, dehydration, or milling.”

I have discovered that even the organic flour that I buy is considered processed by this definition. I cannot afford to harvest my own wheat and grind it into flour. I have been doing a lot of thought this week of how to redefine and solidify my definition of processed so that I am not over limiting myself.

I am allowing whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, milk, meat etc. I am also going to allow products that are made of only whole ingredients. This includes canned beans (beans and salt), cheese (milk, enzymes, and salt) and other such products. Does that make sense? I am eliminating things that should not be there such as chemical preservatives and additives. I am also going to avoid products that have more than 5 ingredients (even if they are all whole) as that defeats the purpose of this project.