Ultraprocessed foods are making the news... we’ll be revealing what they are & if they can affect your health
You might’ve heard of processed foods before, but have you heard of the term ultraprocessed foods? Ultraprocessed foods have been in the spotlight lately, so we’ll be unpacking what they are to find our way to a balanced, healthy plate.
What are ultraprocessed foods?
The term ‘ultraprocessed foods’ is from the NOVA food classification system. The NOVA system puts food into four categories:
• Group one – unprocessed or minimally processed foods like fruit
• Group two – processed culinary ingredients like sea salt or butter
• Group three – processed foods like tinned fruit
• Group four – ultraprocessed food like biscuits or chicken nuggets
The categories depend on how much they’ve been processed while they’re being made.
Ultraprocessed foods usually have five or more ingredients. They typically include additives and ingredients you don’t really use at home like preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial colours and flavours and sweeteners. Ultraprocessed foods usually have a long shelf life.
Common ultraprocessed foods include:
• Ham
• Mass-produced bread
• Carbonated drinks
• Fruit-flavoured yoghurts
• Biscuits
• Breakfast cereals
A good example of how food can become ultraprocessed is yoghurt. While plain yoghurt is unprocessed or minimally processed, a fruit flavoured yoghurt with stabilisers, colourings and sweeteners would count as ultraprocessed.
Why are ultraprocessed foods so tempting?
Dopamine is a chemical messenger in the brain that creates a feeling of pleasure. Research has shown that some foods including ultraprocessed foods can release dopamine in the brain which gives you a feeling of pleasure when you eat them. This is thought to make cutting down on them difficult, as your body enjoys the feeling.
Ultraprocessed foods are also designed to be convenient, affordable and ready to eat or heat. This makes them easier to access, which can also make you want them more.
Balancing act – the positives of food processing
When you think of ultraprocessed foods, you might only be thinking of crisps, sweets and biscuits, but some ultraprocessed foods can have nutritional benefits. It might sound like we should only be eating foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed, but it’s important to remember that there are some positives.
The NHS, British Dietetic Association and British Nutrition Foundation all acknowledge that some processed foods can help us achieve a healthy and sustainable diet.
Processing foods can help to:
• Turn raw ingredients into edible food
• Offer convenient food options
• Increase the shelf life of foods which can reduce waste
• Fortify foods to help people reach nutritional recommendations
• Increase the range of plant based options available
• Cater for certain diets
• Improve and maintain the texture of foods
• Increase the availability of food throughout the year
Some foods you might eat every day like wholegrain bread and breakfast cereals can be grouped as ultraprocessed as they’re fortified. This means that they can sometimes have extra ingredients like vitamins and minerals. These can help people achieve a balanced diet by helping them meet their micronutrient requirements.
The not-so-sweet side of ultraprocessed foods
Some ultraprocessed foods can contain higher levels of saturated fat, salt and sugar. Eating a lot of these foods has been linked to having a high risk of:
• Stroke
• Obesity
• Cancer
Some studies have also shown that our bodies respond differently to ultraprocessed foods. For example, if we eat nuts whole, our bodies absorb less fat than if the nut is ground down.
Although these points have been raised, more research is needed so we can properly understand what it is about ultraprocessed foods that might make them bad for our health.
Finding the middle ground
It’s hard to know if ultraprocessed foods are something we should remove completely from our diets, but given the high sugar, salt and saturated fat content of some of these foods, reducing the amount we eat seems sensible.
You might think that you should only be eating foods that are unprocessed or minimally processed, but this isn’t always an option for everyone, especially if you have limited time or budget.
Instead of removing ultraprocessed foods completely from your diet, aim for balance. Eating a healthy balanced diet means eating a variety of foods in the right amounts.
For a balanced diet, you should try:
• Eating at least five portions of a variety of different fruit and veg every day
• Choosing higher fibre starches for your meals like potatoes plus their skin, wholemeal bread, brown rice or wholewheat pasta
• Including some dairy or dairy alternatives in your diet
• Eating protein like beans, pulses, fish, lean meat and eggs
• Choosing unsaturated oils and spreads (make sure to eat these in small amounts)
• Drinking plenty of fluids (try to aim for at least six to eight glasses of water a day)
Our Nutrition Hub can help if you need inspiration.
Look out for labels on your food which can help you make an informed choice about what you’re eating, for example, the UK traffic light labelling scheme.
Moderation is always key, so why not opt for the healthier swaps of some of your meals and snacks? You can try:
• Cooking your favourite sauces or meals in bigger amounts and freezing some to use another day, instead of buying ready-made sauces or ready meals
• Eating porridge with fruit for breakfast instead of a high sugar low-fibre cereal
• Having a handful of unsalted nuts as an afternoon snack instead of biscuits
• Choosing plain yoghurt with added fresh fruit for sweetness instead of a flavoured yoghurt with added sugar
So the takeaway here isn’t to wave goodbye to ultraprocessed foods – it’s all about striking a balance, making mindful choices and enjoying smarter, healthier choices.
