Ultra Processed Foods: What Are You Really Eat<strong>in</strong>g? By Wendy Hill Have you ever heard the term “ultra-processed food” (UPF) <strong>in</strong> the news and wondered what it actually means? In 2009 a university <strong>in</strong> Sao Paulo created a food classification system that <strong>in</strong>cluded the category ultra-processed foods to describe foods that are <strong>in</strong>dustrially produced and conta<strong>in</strong> chemicals such as thickeners, artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers. These <strong>in</strong>clude prote<strong>in</strong> bars, packaged cakes and pastries, savoury snacks and many ready meals. If our great-grandparents were transported <strong>in</strong>to the middle of your local supermarket they would struggle to recognise most of the products that constitute part of the modern diet. Equally, I’d bet that faced with an <strong>in</strong>gredients list that <strong>in</strong>cluded xanthan gum, humectant, sodium alg<strong>in</strong>ate and sorbitan monostearate, you wouldn’t guess that it was a very well-known brand’s angel slice? UPFs now constitute around 60% of the UK adult’s diet and it’s even higher for children. It seems <strong>in</strong>comprehensible that <strong>in</strong> a society that is focused on its health and wellbe<strong>in</strong>g, that supports a health supplement <strong>in</strong>dustry worth over £1.6bn, it bodes the questions, if our food was better quality would we need so many supplements, and should these products even be labelled as food? Is it really food? The NOVA food classification groups foods based on the extent of their process<strong>in</strong>g. There are four levels and foods that are from groups 1-3 we should aim to be putt<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>to our weekly shopp<strong>in</strong>g basket. Group 1: Unprocessed and m<strong>in</strong>imally processed foods – these are natural or raw <strong>in</strong>gredients and would <strong>in</strong>clude milk, plants, seeds, vegetables and fruit. Group 2: Processed cul<strong>in</strong>ary <strong>in</strong>gredients – foods that have been dried, cooked or slightly altered. Such as herbs and spices, olive oil, frozen fruit and vegetables. Group 3: Processed foods – comb<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g two or more foods from groups 1 & 2 and then add<strong>in</strong>g a process<strong>in</strong>g method such as bak<strong>in</strong>g, ferment<strong>in</strong>g or packag<strong>in</strong>g. Group 4: Ultra-processed foods – foods that are <strong>in</strong>dustrially produced and conta<strong>in</strong> chemicals such as thickeners, artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers. I’m hop<strong>in</strong>g after read<strong>in</strong>g this article you start to read <strong>in</strong>gredient labels, as the food <strong>in</strong>dustry relies on you assum<strong>in</strong>g that the yoghurt pot with fruit on the front, describ<strong>in</strong>g itself as a strawberry yoghurt, conta<strong>in</strong>s just yoghurt plus strawberries. Yet if you did read the label and found that the second <strong>in</strong>gredient was sugar (check back on the March issue for more about sugar and our health) and it <strong>in</strong>cluded, rice starch, anthocyan<strong>in</strong>s and just 2% strawberries from concentrate how would you feel? Would you be happy about the description on the front of the pack? I’m guess<strong>in</strong>g not. It's not your fault that UPFs have crept <strong>in</strong>to your diet, it’s the food manufactur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong>dustry and its market<strong>in</strong>g team. I believe that these products should be labelled as food-like substances. A true description of the aforementioned yoghurt would be ‘yoghurt with lots of sugar and additives and a little strawberry concentrate’ but that probably wouldn’t sell many tubs! Traditional process<strong>in</strong>g methods Not all processed foods are bad, just the ‘ultra’ k<strong>in</strong>d. Throughout history, we have used various methods to process the foods that we have farmed or hunted. From cook<strong>in</strong>g food to make it more palatable, to dry<strong>in</strong>g, cur<strong>in</strong>g, preserv<strong>in</strong>g or ferment<strong>in</strong>g to improve longevity. We have learned to smoke, dry, jar and can foods <strong>in</strong> times of plenty so that we have available supply <strong>in</strong> leaner times. The key difference is that these processes have m<strong>in</strong>imal additives such as salt, spices, sugar and v<strong>in</strong>egar. And the process would capture as much of the nutritional benefit as possible. Most modern kitchens have freezers which are a wonderful way of extend<strong>in</strong>g the life of many <strong>in</strong>gredients. Vegetables and fruits can be frozen at source, mean<strong>in</strong>g they are available to us all year round, and fish and meat can be stored and used just when we want it. A healthy and convenient kitchen Life is all about balance and it is possible to have a healthy diet without hav<strong>in</strong>g to cook from scratch every night, here are some of my tips to help you reduce UPFs and not be cha<strong>in</strong>ed to the oven: Cook once, eat twice – always th<strong>in</strong>k ‘can I make more’ when you are prepar<strong>in</strong>g a meal. Portion out the extras and pop them <strong>in</strong> the freezer for a day when you don’t want to cook – just remember to add a label! Jars and t<strong>in</strong>s – beans, lentils, tomatoes, coconut milk and fish are always <strong>in</strong> my cupboards as they are already cooked and prepared. Many a meal has been the result of me open<strong>in</strong>g a few t<strong>in</strong>s and add<strong>in</strong>g a few herbs and spices. Herbs and spices – you could serve the same chicken and veg tray bake with different herbs and spices and create a totally different meal. Herbs and spices are also packed full of health-support<strong>in</strong>g phytochemicals. Healthy convenience foods – check the labels of your favourite convenience foods as they are not all processed. For example, I am a huge fan of precooked packs of rice, qu<strong>in</strong>oa and lentils, they save on time and wash<strong>in</strong>g up! How to spot an ultra-processed food Don’t be fooled by the packag<strong>in</strong>g and take some time to read the labels next time you do your shopp<strong>in</strong>g. It might mean that it takes a little bit longer, but you only have to do it once. If there are <strong>in</strong>gredients on there that you cannot pronounce, or don’t recognise as a food, then put them back! Choose foods with <strong>in</strong>gredients that you would use if you were go<strong>in</strong>g to cook it yourself, and that way you know you are actually eat<strong>in</strong>g food and not <strong>in</strong>dustrially produced edible substances that resemble food. Wendy Hill is a Nutritional Therapist, Nutrigenomics Practitioner, public speaker, yoga teacher, and health coach. With a wealth of expertise <strong>in</strong> these fields, she delivers <strong>in</strong>sightful presentations to groups on topics <strong>in</strong>clud<strong>in</strong>g health, longevity, and menopause. Additionally, Wendy hosts her own weekly podcast titled Fab Female Nutrition, offer<strong>in</strong>g valuable <strong>in</strong>sights and practical tips to her audience. You can f<strong>in</strong>d her on podcast and social media as Fab Female Nutrition, or contact her at wendy@hillstart.me.uk. 24
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