What Are Unprocessed Foods to Buy? A Comprehensive Shopping Guide

December 13, 2025 •

3 min read

According to research published by Harvard Health, diets high in ultra-processed foods are linked to weight gain and unhealthy shifts in blood markers. Understanding what are unprocessed foods to buy is a powerful step towards improving overall health and making more informed choices at the grocery store.

Quick Summary

A guide to identifying and purchasing whole and minimally processed foods, including fresh produce, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats, to support a nutritious and balanced diet.

Key Points

Identify Whole Foods: Prioritize foods in their natural or near-natural state, including fresh produce, whole grains, and lean proteins, over packaged, refined items.
Read the Label: Check the ingredient list for simplicity. A short list of recognizable ingredients is a good indicator of an unprocessed or minimally processed product.
Shop the Perimeter: Most grocery stores place the fresh, whole food sections around the store's outer edge, away from the highly processed center aisles.
Use Frozen as an Alternative: Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great, affordable alternative to fresh and are minimally processed, retaining their nutritional value.
Cook More Meals at Home: Preparing your own food gives you total control over what goes into your meals, helping you avoid hidden sugars, sodium, and additives.
Understand Processing Levels: Differentiate between minimally processed foods (like canned beans or frozen fruit) and ultra-processed foods, which are loaded with additives.

Understanding the Spectrum of Food Processing

To make informed choices about what unprocessed foods to buy, it's essential to understand the different levels of food processing. The NOVA classification system, used by researchers, helps categorize foods based on their degree of alteration from their natural state.

Unprocessed or Minimally Processed Foods

These are foods in their natural state or with minimal alterations that don't substantially change their nutritional value. Examples of minimal processing include washing, peeling, chopping, pasteurizing, freezing, and vacuum-packaging for preservation and convenience. This category is your primary focus when shopping for whole foods.

Ultra-Processed Foods to Limit

These industrial formulations typically contain little to no whole food ingredients and are laden with additives like artificial colors, flavors, sweeteners, and preservatives. Examples include most packaged snacks, sugary cereals, and ready-to-eat meals designed for hyper-palatability and long shelf life.

Unprocessed Foods to Buy: A Category-by-Category Guide

Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Eating a wide variety of colorful produce is foundational to an unprocessed diet. Both fresh and frozen options are excellent choices, as freezing retains most nutrients.

Leafy Greens: Spinach, kale, romaine lettuce.
Cruciferous Vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts.
Root Vegetables: Carrots, sweet potatoes, turnips.
Berries: Blueberries, strawberries, raspberries.
Other Fruits: Apples, bananas, oranges, avocados.

Whole Grains, Legumes, and Starches

Unlike refined grains, whole grains retain all parts of the grain, providing more fiber and nutrients.

Whole Grains: Brown rice, quinoa, whole oats, barley.
Legumes: Lentils, chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans (canned varieties are minimally processed; just rinse them).
Tubers: Potatoes and sweet potatoes (especially with the skin).

Lean Proteins

Prioritize fresh, whole sources of protein over processed deli meats or pre-seasoned options.

Meats: Skinless chicken breasts, turkey, lean cuts of beef.
Fish and Seafood: Wild-caught salmon, tuna (canned in water), sardines, shrimp.
Eggs: A versatile, nutrient-dense protein source.

Healthy Fats

While calorie-dense, healthy fats from unprocessed sources are vital for nutrient absorption and satiety.

Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds.
Oils: Extra-virgin olive oil, avocado oil.
Other: Avocados, which are technically a fruit, are a prime source of healthy monounsaturated fats.

Dairy and Alternatives

Choose plain, unsweetened options to avoid added sugars and artificial ingredients.

Plain Yogurt: Opt for plain Greek or regular yogurt and add your own fruit for flavor.
Milk: Plain pasteurized milk.

Unprocessed vs. Ultra-Processed: A Quick Comparison

This table illustrates how to swap an ultra-processed option for a healthier, more unprocessed alternative.


Feature	Unprocessed / Minimally Processed Food	Ultra-Processed Food
Ingredients	Whole, recognizable ingredients (e.g., apples, oats, nuts)	Long list of unrecognizable chemicals, additives, and refined ingredients
Nutrient Density	High in natural fiber, vitamins, and minerals	Low in nutrients, often stripped during processing
Energy Density	Lower, promoting satiety	Higher in calories relative to volume
Additives	Minimal to none	High in added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats
Example Snack	A handful of almonds and a fresh apple	A packaged apple-flavored snack bar
Example Meal	Homemade chili with beans, tomatoes, and vegetables	A canned or boxed chili mix

Expert Tips for Buying Unprocessed Foods

Shop the Perimeter: Grocery stores are often designed with the freshest, least-processed items—produce, meat, and dairy—around the outer edges. Spend most of your time in these sections.
Read the Ingredients List: Always check the back of packaged goods. Prioritize products with a short, simple list of ingredients you recognize. If sugar is one of the first few items, it's likely heavily processed.
Use the "Per 100g" Column: When comparing similar products, use the "per 100g" nutritional value to get a consistent measure of what you are actually consuming.
Embrace Frozen Foods: Frozen fruits and vegetables are a perfectly viable, and often more affordable, alternative to fresh produce. Just ensure the ingredient list contains only the fruit or vegetable itself.
Cook at Home More Often: Preparing meals from scratch gives you complete control over the ingredients, allowing you to avoid unnecessary additives and preservatives. The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health is a great resource for understanding nutrition science and healthy eating principles: https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/.

Conclusion: Making Smarter Choices

Choosing what unprocessed foods to buy doesn't mean you must abandon all convenience. It’s about prioritizing whole foods that retain their natural nutrients, flavor, and integrity. By learning to read labels, shopping smartly, and relying more on home cooking, you can build a diet rich in nutrient-dense foods. Focusing on fresh produce, whole grains, and lean proteins will naturally crowd out ultra-processed items, leading to improved health and well-being.

Frequently Asked Questions

Unprocessed foods are in their natural state. Minimally processed foods have undergone minor changes like washing or freezing for convenience but retain their nutrition. Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations with added sugars, fats, and artificial additives.

Canned food is generally considered minimally processed, not unprocessed. However, products like canned beans or tomatoes are still good choices if they contain minimal added ingredients like salt, as they retain most of their nutrients.

Yes, frozen fruits and vegetables are often just as nutritious as fresh, and in some cases, even more so. They are frozen at peak ripeness, preserving nutrients that can degrade over time in fresh produce.

Focus on staples like rice, beans, potatoes, and in-season produce. Purchase frozen fruits and vegetables, which are often cheaper than fresh. Buy nuts and grains in bulk, and cook at home to avoid expensive processed meals.

The goal of minimal processing, such as freezing or pasteurization, is to preserve nutritional quality and safety. Unlike ultra-processing, it does not significantly strip away essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber.

You should aim to limit items like packaged snacks (chips, cookies), sugary drinks (soda), sweetened breakfast cereals, hot dogs, and packaged instant meals, which are high in additives and low in nutrients.

No, not all packaged food is bad. Minimally processed foods like pre-washed bagged salad, frozen peas, or canned tuna packed in water are excellent, convenient options for a healthy diet. It's the degree of processing and the ingredient list that matters.