Discover the difference between processed and ultra-processed foods for better health
Did you know that more than half the energy (calories) an average person in the UK eats and drinks comes from ultra-processed foods. That’s perhaps not surprising as they can be convenient, appealing, and are heavily marketed to us. But researchers have shown that ultra-processed foods can impact our health.
So, what are ultra-processed foods (UPF’s) and how can you better understand the foods that you eat?
An ultra-processed diet is one that includes many ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which are foods that have been processed multiple times and contain additives. Some examples of UPFs include:
- Breakfast cereals
- Frozen pizza
- Ready-to-eat meals
- Instant noodles
- Store-bought breads
- Ice cream
- Ham
- Sausages
- Crisps
- Carbonated drinks
What is ultra-processed food?
The term ‘ultra-processed foods’ comes from the NOVA food classification system, which was developed by researchers at the University of São Paulo, Brazil.
The system places food into four categories based on how much they have been processed during their production:
- Unprocessed or minimally processed foods: This includes produce such as fruit, vegetables, milk, fish, pulses, eggs, nuts and seeds that have no added ingredients and have been little altered from their natural state.
- Processed ingredients: This includes foods that are added to other foods rather than eaten by themselves, such as salt, sugar and oils.
- Processed foods: These are foods that are made by combining foods from groups 1 and 2, which are altered in a way that home cooks could do themselves. They include foods such as jam, pickles, tinned fruit and vegetables, homemade breads and cheeses.
- Ultra-processed foods: Ultra-processed foods typically have more than one ingredient that you never or rarely find in a kitchen. They also tend to include many additives and ingredients that are not typically used in home cooking, such as preservatives, emulsifiers, sweeteners, and artificial colours and flavours. These foods generally have a long shelf life.
The bottom line, UPFs are often made with long lists of ingredients and chemical additives, and contain little to no whole foods. Some say that cooking from scratch can help reduce the amount of UPFs in your diet, and can also help you eat less salt, saturated fats, and sugar.
Check out this great resource on how to understand more and make that positive change to your health.