Another day, another headline about the dangers of ultra-processed foods, known as UPFs. These are foods that are not commonly found in the home kitchen, such as emulsifiers, additives, sweeteners, and processed oils.
Last week, the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey revealed that young British people could be getting two-thirds of their calories from UPFs. Then, research at the Alzheimer’s Society International Conference linked regular consumption of ultra-processed red meat, such as bacon, sausages, salami and hot dogs, to a higher risk of developing dementia later in life.
Ro Huntriss, consultant dietitian and founder of Fertility Dietitian UK, warns against completely blacklisting any foods. “Although some UPFs can be high in calories and low in nutritional value, I would be wary of telling people to avoid them altogether.
“In an ideal world, we would eat purely for nutritional value, but in reality, this is not the case. People eat beyond health and nutrition, for celebrations or simply because they like the taste of a food, and that’s fine. Of course, we should eat mostly for our nutrition and health, but we can also eat in part for the pleasure it can bring.”
And Raise and Replenish’s in-house registered sports nutritionist, Simon Edwards, agrees. “It’s not easy to pinpoint the worst foods. The key factors are portion size and frequency of consumption.”
However, since it can be time-consuming to examine the labels for each purchase, we learned from experts what we should pay attention to before adding it to our cart.
one. Energy drinks
Every expert I spoke to warned against over-consumption of energy drinks. “If there was one change all families could make, it would be to stay away from them,” says Lucy Upton, a specialist children’s dietitian. “Some of the UPFs I would keep to the fun foods that are not consumed often include energy drinks,” says specialist dietitian Priya Tew, director of Dietitian UK. “They are often high in sugar and caffeine. If you like them, have them occasionally, but supermarket versions are not usually needed on a daily basis.”
“My philosophy is that we shouldn’t demonize any food,” Tew continues. “I don’t think it’s possible for every normal working person to cut out all the UPFs, and we don’t need to because the categorization of these foods is confusing. Instead, I think we should be aware of what we’re eating, the nutrients in it, and adjust our portion sizes and frequency of certain foods.”
2. Highly processed red meat
“Processed red meat is now known to carry long-term health risks, for example colon cancer, but it can also be high in salt and saturated fat, both of which should be carefully moderated in children,” says Upton.
Edwards says: “The worst foods are relative to normal portion size. For example, one small pepperoni pizza a week is fine. However, a large pepperoni pizza contains nearly four times the recommended saturated fat limit for a man, 50 per cent more than the maximum recommended daily salt intake and very little fibre.”
Heck sausages are 97% meat and provide a quarter of your recommended daily salt intake, with 286 calories and just 0.1g of sugar per two sausages. In comparison, two of Tesco’s best pork, cheddar and onion sausages are 75% pork, 524 calories, half your recommended salt intake and 5g of sugar.”
Edwards recommends an 80/20 approach to nutrition, which means consuming 80 per cent of your daily calories from whole foods and accepting that the remaining 20 per cent can come from processed foods; the NHS Eatwell Guide also recommends this to achieve overall balance.
3. ‘Plastic’ cheese slices
“If there’s a food you really love, don’t feel like you have to completely eliminate it from your diet,” Tew says. “But we also need to take a common-sense approach to nutrition. ‘Plastic’ cheese is usually only 60% cheese and is very salty. Use regular cheddar cheese, sliced or grated, instead.” These slices are often made by melting different cheeses together and adding emulsifiers.
“The plastic square cheese that’s often bought in bulk for barbecuing is highly processed,” says Lily Keeling, RD, a registered dietitian at Green Chef. “Cheese is often considered a processed food, but it has many benefits for you, like protein and calcium, and it can be fermented and contain good bacteria. I encourage people to eat it in moderation.”
4. Very sweet breakfast cereals
“Some very sweet cereals are best consumed less frequently,” Tew advises. “Why not pair them with a whole grain cereal as a topping?”
Action on Sugar, which is calling for the removal of child-friendly packaging on sugary products, has listed Lidl Crownfield Choco Hazelnut Pillows, Nestlé Lion Caramel and Chocolate Cereal and Aldi Harvest Morn Honey Nut Crunchy Cornflakes among the worst cereals.
5. Iced drinks, especially for children under 4 years old
“Not only do they offer very little nutritional value to children, they also contain a compound called glycerol/glycerin, which can lead to glycerol poisoning when consumed in large quantities or in excess in children with lower body weights, such as those under four,” he explains.
Lucy Upton. “Mild symptoms [of glycerol intoxication] “The side effects include headache, nausea, abdominal cramps and/or diarrhea. However, higher levels of consumption can cause symptoms such as low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), loss of consciousness, and immediate medical attention — in fact, many parents have probably seen news reports about this in the past 12 months.”
6. Sugary drinks and carbonated drinks
“These drinks provide no nutritional value and can be a substitute for other foods,” warns Upton. “The high levels of caffeine in some options can have negative effects on children’s mood, heart and sleep. While caffeine is highest in energy drinks, excessive consumption of drinks such as Coke can also have an impact.
“Just half a can of a popular energy drink contains 27.5g of sugar. This is close to the recommended daily maximum for an adult, and especially for a child or teenager.”
7. Instant Soups
“This is a tough one,” Keeling says. “Ultra-processed soups are often loaded with sodium and can have a serious impact on your health when consumed in high quantities. Avoid canned or dried soups and head to the refrigerated aisle instead, as they often have much better options.”
“However, some instant soups are made with whole ingredients and minimal preservatives. They are fresher and contain more vegetables and fiber than instant soups.”