You don't have to be a dietary expert to know that ultra processed foods are bad for you, however, what many people don't know is that ultra processed foods 'UPF' is not always the stereotypical chicken nuggets and chips per se, they can also be foods that are widely branded and accepted as healthy.
Amie Leckie is a Nutritionist and Wellbeing Specialist at Heart Research UK, and in this article, she delves deep into the reasons as to why there is so much condemnation around ultra process foods, how to spot them and to help cut them out of your diet.
But what makes a food “ultra-processed”? Are all UPFs unhealthy? And do you need to cut them out of your diet? The short answer is no; you don’t need to eliminate every UPF from your diet. However, there is good reason to be mindful of how much of our diet comes from highly processed foods, particularly those that are high in unhealthy fats, salt and free sugars.
Let’s take a closer look at what the science tells us and, more importantly, what you can actually do about it.
The term ultra-processed food comes from the NOVA classification system, which groups foods according to the type and extent of processing they have undergone.
NOVA divides foods into four groups.
These are foods that are close to their natural state, with little alteration beyond things such as washing, chopping, freezing, drying or removing inedible parts. These foods form the foundation of a healthy diet.
Examples include:
These are ingredients produced from foods in the first group, usually through processes such as pressing, grinding or milling. These aren’t usually eaten on their own but are used when preparing and cooking food.
These are made by adding ingredients such as oil, salt or sugar to minimally processed foods, often to preserve them or improve their taste. Processing isn’t automatically a bad thing. Canning, freezing, pasteurising and other forms of processing can make food safer, extend its shelf life and reduce food waste.
This is the category that has attracted the most attention.
UPFs are generally industrial formulations made using multiple ingredients and processing techniques. They often contain ingredients or additives that aren’t typically used in home cooking, such as certain emulsifiers, sweeteners, flavourings, colourings or modified starches. But the important bit is not all UPFs are nutritionally the same.
Examples can include:
No. This is one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding the UPF debate. Processing itself isn’t necessarily harmful. In fact, many foods we rely on every day have been processed in some way. Freezing vegetables, pasteurising milk, cooking food and making yoghurt are all forms of processing.
Even within the UPF category, there are foods that can contribute useful nutrients to our diet. For example, some wholegrain breads, higher-fibre breakfast cereals and baked beans may be classified as UPFs depending on their ingredients and how the NOVA system is applied. This is why “UPF” shouldn’t be treated as a synonym for “junk food”. The nutritional quality of the individual food and the overall diet still matter.
Research has consistently found that people who consume higher amounts of UPFs tend to have a greater risk of a number of health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Amie explains:
“People who eat a lot of UPFs may also consume more calories, unhealthy fat, salt and free sugars, while eating less fibre, fruit, vegetables, pulses and wholegrains. So it isn’t as simple as saying the UPFs cause these health conditions.”
There are also other factors to consider, such as physical activity, socioeconomic circumstances and overall lifestyle. Scientists are still investigating whether aspects of ultra-processing itself, such as the texture, eating speed, energy density or combination of ingredients, could also play a role.
So, while the evidence is concerning, there is still more to learn about exactly why diets high in UPFs are associated with poorer health.
This is particularly relevant when we look at cardiovascular health. A diet dominated by highly processed foods can make it harder to get enough of the nutrients associated with good heart health, particularly fibre, vitamins, minerals and unsaturated fats. At the same time, many of the UPFs commonly eaten in large quantities can be high in unhealthy fat, salt, free sugars and calories. This doesn’t mean that one biscuit, a ready meal or a slice of packaged bread is going to harm your heart. It’s the overall pattern of your diet that matters.
Unfortunately, there’s no perfect shortcut. A long ingredient list doesn’t automatically mean something is unhealthy, and an ingredient that sounds unfamiliar isn’t necessarily harmful. Instead, look at the whole picture.
When choosing packaged foods, consider:
The traffic-light label can help you compare products and identify foods that are high in saturated fat, sugar and salt.
Choosing higher-fibre breads, cereals and other packaged foods can help you meet the recommended 30g of fibre a day.
Amie’s top tip:
“When choosing bread, try choose one that has at least 5g of fibre per 100g or at least 2g of fibre per 40g slice.”
Does it provide useful nutrients such as fibre, protein, wholegrains, fruit, vegetables, nuts or pulses?
A food doesn’t have to be perfect to have a place in your diet. Something you eat occasionally is very different from something you’re eating several times every day.
Not necessarily. For most people, trying to eliminate every food that could technically fall into the UPF category isn’t recommended. Instead, think about reducing your reliance on the less nutritious options.
For example, if your diet contains lots of:
…then reducing these and replacing some of them with more nutritious foods is likely to be beneficial. But you don’t need to throw away everything in your kitchen.
Building meals around foods such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, beans, lentils, fish, eggs, nuts and seeds can naturally reduce your reliance on highly processed foods. But don’t feel that every meal needs to be homemade. A healthy ready meal on a busy evening is a perfectly reasonable option.
Try:
Sugary breakfast cereal – porridge or a higher-fibre wholegrain cereal
Crisps – unsalted nuts, seeds or homemade popcorn
Sweet snack – fruit and natural yoghurt
Processed sandwich meat – chicken, tuna, egg or hummus with salad
Sugary drink – water, sparkling water
“You don’t need to change everything at once and it can feel overwhelming to think so. One small swap repeated regularly is more useful than an unrealistic overhaul that lasts a week. Start with one food item, swap that one for a few weeks and when you feel able to, swap another.”
Frozen vegetables, tinned beans, tinned fish, wholegrain bread and other convenient foods can make healthy eating much easier. Convenience isn’t the enemy. The goal isn’t to spend hours cooking every meal from scratch. It’s to build a diet where nutritious foods make up the majority of what you eat.
Ultra-processed foods have become a major talking point and there is good reason to pay attention to how much of them we eat. However, healthy eating doesn’t require you to achieve a completely “UPF-free” diet. Rather than becoming obsessed with whether an individual food is technically classified as a UPF, focus on the bigger picture.
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruit, wholegrains, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, and choose sources of healthy fats and protein. Keep foods that are high in unhealthy fat, salt and free sugars to a smaller part of your diet. And remember, healthy eating isn’t about perfection.
You don’t need to cook everything from scratch, recognise every ingredient on a label or never eat a biscuit again. It’s about making small, sustainable choices that improve the overall quality of your diet – most of the time.
Not sure how much of your diet is made up of ultra-processed foods? Download our UPF Self-Assessment Questionnaire to get a clearer picture.
Weekly tools and resources to help you keep your heart healthy
If you’re unsure how heavy on UPFs your diet is, download our UPF Self-Assessment Questionnaire to give you an idea.
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