Kerri WaldronBritish families are increasingly reliant on ultra processed foods to get meals on the table fast, and to tempt even picky eaters to clear their plate. As a mother of two teenage girls, I know how hard it is to feed a family of four without turning to packets and pre-packaged goodies, but like most of us I also know that UPFs are not our body’s best friend.
In fact, the research is frightening – some of the latest studies show that UPFs are connected to 32 different health issues, from cancer to obesity and even spiralling mental health. The phrase “ultra processed”, devised by Brazilian researchers who created the NOVA classification of food processing in 2009, describes food made with a long list of ingredients and additives that aren’t found in a home kitchen. They include stabilisers, emulsifiers and preservatives.
A diet packed with UPFs such as ice cream, ready meals, sausages, crisps and fizzy drinks, is high in sugar and low in fibre, promoting overeating and raising the risk of high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. Confusingly, UPFs also include apparently “healthy” staples such as baked beans, sliced bread and flavoured yogurt.
And the biggest consumers of these foods are children. Some two-thirds of British adolescents’ calorie intake comes from UPFs, which is a worrying thought for their future health. So how can a busy working parent find the time to start cooking from scratch again? And how easy is it to control what our kids are eating?
Nutritionist Rob Hobson, author of a new cookbook, Unprocess Your Family Life, says: “There’s nothing you can really do outside of the home. You don’t really have a lot of control when they’ve got money to spend. But there’s a lot that you can do in the home,” he says. He advises starting with baby steps. “It could be as simple as, ‘We’re just going to have a different breakfast and that’s all we’re going to do this month’.”
Having food ready and available is also key, Rob adds. “Teenagers will eat and drink anything that’s in the fridge, as long as they can get to it quickly. Having fruit and vegetables chopped up in a box will make a difference.”
Determined to reduce my family’s intake of UPFs, I announced to my husband James and daughters Rosie, 15, and Poppy, 12, (cue eye rolls and Kevin-the-Teenager groans) that we would cut 80% of all ultra-processed foods for two full weeks. We are a busy family. James and I work full time (and then some) and our daughters have school, clubs, work, revision and socials. We crawl to our annual summer holiday, forever vowing to make ourselves less busy, and food-wise, anything easy is a go-to. So this is what happened when we made the switch.
Our bodies changed in surprising ways
First and foremost, we have to talk about the weight loss, because I still can’t actually believe it. On day three of eating a non-UPF diet, James sauntered through to the bedroom announcing he’d already lost 5lb. Now, he’s 6ft 2in and does plenty of exercise so I wasn’t too surprised. However, I’m 45 and have always struggled with my weight. I’ve learned to accept I put on pounds easily and find them tough to lose.
Yet after two weeks of roughly sticking to the 80/20 rules – sneaking a bit of chocolate here and there and having the odd drink as wine and beer aren’t ultra processed – I had lost 3lb, which is pretty monumental for me. Poppy had also lost 3lb and Rosie’s weight stayed the same, yet her waist measurement was smaller after two weeks, so she still seemed to experience sort of shrinkage.
We found it easier than expected
Rather than be “all or nothing” about it, we decided to change one thing, starting with breakfast. The kids (and James) love cereal but if you check labels, there are long lists of unrecognisable things within lots of them. Instead I made Rob Hobson’s cocoa pops (mixing brown puffed rice, melted coconut oil, honey and cocoa powder), which was easy and the girls enjoyed it.
I opted for Weetabix and Bran Flakes, which are both considered UPF, yet are high in fibre. We also made plenty of porridge and eggs, which are both brilliant ways to start the day (and help to keep you full up). Planning is the key, as well as getting the food shop done so all the ingredients are to hand. With lack of time the main reason I don’t cook from scratch every day, I got the whole family involved.
Poppy loves being in the kitchen, so ended up cooking the most. She made bread, bagels, cocoa pops, buddha bowls, turkey and sweet potato nuggets, chicken pasta, banana and chocolate loaf and energy bars. I also rediscovered the quick, easy wins such as jacket potatoes, rice, pasta, omelettes or cheese. You can make your own Pot Noodles and whipping up some meat (or fish) and two veg is easy and UPF-free.
It’s worth trying different kinds of bread
Although I’m gluten intolerant, we eat a lot of bread as a family. So we swapped out our usual white sliced and replaced it with homemade loaves or shop-bought Jason’s Sourdough (£2 from Morrisons). It is more expensive, but it’s nicer and makes you feel like you’re putting less rubbish in your body.
School lunches can be nutritious
My children will only eat sandwiches for their lunch, so that usually means cheap bread, ultra-processed margarine and ham or cheese spread, with a bag of crisps on the side. They were both furious to have their lunches messed with, but Poppy made some homemade white bread.
We also upgraded to real butter and bought multipacks of frozen chicken breasts, so they could be cooked and shredded. Yes, it is pricier than processed sliced meat but at least it’s proper food. We also started checking the ingredients list on the cheese spread, and noticed that many of the supermarket versions weren’t UPF, while the branded versions were.
We’re hooked on crisps
We are crisp fiends but sadly, most varieties of our beloved snack are considered UPF. However, salted tortilla chips or ready salted crisps tend to have wonderfully short ingredients’ lists. I bought umpteen sharer bags of Morrisons Savers tortilla chips for just 51p each. And yes, we munched our way through them far too quickly, but they’re still delicious and there are only three ingredients in the entire bag.
Initially, eating a UPF-free diet can cost more
We food-planned for two weeks, including lots of new recipes from Unprocess Your Family Life, and it cost over £200 at Morrisons. However, what I did learn was that there would be leftovers, and you don’t need a fancy recipe for every single meal either. I rediscovered easy wins such as eggs on toast and pasta with garlic butter. For anyone making the change long-term, Rob recommends bulk-buying rice, pasta and oats – if you have the space to store it – eating less meat and buying “wonky” fruit and veg to cut down on spending.
Proper food fills you up
I noticed that “real” food filled me up much quicker than UPFs such as soft and scoffable fries. As the two weeks went on, I felt less hungry and realised that the home-cooked food I was eating was actually satisfying and stopping me from craving more. It shocked me to realise that when you’re more aware of it, your body is giving you signals but we’re just very used to ignoring them.
Source: bing.com
