- Published
Going to the supermarket has become a minefield.
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Going → publish → supermarket
I'm in aisle 15, reading long lists of ingredients and worrying if what's in my trolley is good for me or not.
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's → read → me
There's growing evidence, external that a hefty proportion of the food we consume could be damaging to our health, with ultra-processed foods (UPFs) linked to a range of health problems.
But I've had enough of second-guessing myself and panicking I'm poisoning my child if I feed him chicken nuggets, so I've given my shopping list to a dietitian to analyse.
First things first, what is a UPF?
It depends who you ask.
uncertain
you → be → who
A basic rule of thumb is that to be ultra-processed a product needs more than five ingredients, with at least one not normally found in your kitchen - things like emulsifiers, additives and flavourings.
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product → - → emulsifiers
There is a large and growing body of evidence that shows UPFs are linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes, as well as mental health problems and even premature death.
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UPFs → be → diabetes
But scientists, doctors and dietitians can't agree on why.
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scientists → agree → ?
Studies show more than half the calories we consume in the UK come from ultra-processed food, external.
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we → show → food
Dr Chris van Tulleken has written books and made documentaries about how bad these foods can be, and he tells me they're "almost impossible to avoid" - even his own family's diet includes a few.
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diet → write → few
Maeve Hanan, a member of the British Dietetic Association, pauses as she scans through some of my weekly shopping list (there was more fruit and veg, honest) and points to a box of bran flakes.
"This is ultra-processed, but I often buy this for my family.
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I → pause → family
It's got so many health benefits."
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It → get → benefits
Hanan says there's a "growing hysteria" about UPFs.
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Hanan → say → UPFs
"Mainly because the messaging around them is so black and white," she says.
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she → say → them
It just fuels fear - and fear around food is never good."
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fear → fuel → food
Not as bad as I expected, I'm relieved to learn.
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I → expect → ?
While there are UPFs in there, that doesn't necessarily make it an unhealthy food shop.
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it → be → ?
In fact, Hanan says, "there's a good mix of foods which cover each food group".
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which → say → group
Just because some products have a long ingredient list, it doesn't make them "inherently bad", she explains, with the nutritional value "far more important".
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value → have → list
What about foods that contain ingredients I can barely pronounce, never mind recognise?
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I → contain → ingredients
Hanan takes my son's chicken nuggets as an example.
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Hanan → take → example
"There are mandatory vitamins and minerals which manufacturers in the UK are required to add to white wheat flour such as calcium carbonate, niacin and thiamin," she says.
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she → be → carbonate
Raising agents, such as disodium diphosphate, are used alongside sodium bicarbonate (baking powder) to make the batter crisp and light.
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batter → raise → bicarbonate
Hanan says even the most chemical-sounding ingredients will have been tested and approved under UK food laws.
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ingredients → say → laws
"But while chicken nuggets are a good source of protein," she warns, "they are higher in fat and salt than a plain chicken breast, so I would eat them in moderation as part of a balanced diet.
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I → warn → diet
I tell Hanan my son usually eats them with raw carrot sticks and pasta.
"
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son → tell → sticks
One food does not make your diet healthy or unhealthy," she says, "it's about getting that balance over time."
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it → make → time
Megan Bamford believes cutting out UPFs from her diet has helped her manage irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain.
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her → believe → syndrome
But now, as a mum to two young children, cooking from scratch is not always viable.
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cooking → cook → scratch
Her eldest, seven-year-old Ella, has struggled on and off with food since she was little.
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she → struggle → food
"It's not always easy to feed your children what you think they should eat," Megan says.
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Megan → feed → what
"Ella has been poorly in the past because of her severe picky eating - we had no choice but to give her ultra-processed food from a packet."
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we → have → packet
So Megan's kitchen is still full of fruit, vegetables, seeds and oats but there are now also breakfast cereals, crisps, biscuits and other processed foods too.
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kitchen → be → fruit
She looks for food with five ingredients or fewer.
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She → look → ingredients
"Most of the snacks, pizzas, and cereal I buy are not ultra-processed," she says.
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she → buy → snacks
I feed my children in the best way I can, I choose the healthiest options I can find.
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I → feed → options
While many UPFs are high in fat, sugar and salt, which we know cause a whole range of health problems, some scientists say there is not as much understanding about what the act of processing does to our food.
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act → know → food
Author and food scientist Prof David Julian McClements says the "ultra-processed food idea is not very well defined".
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idea → say → ?
"Focussing on the processing element is a bit of red herring," he says, "I don't think that's the main problem here."
Some studies suggest, external the more processed food is, the easier it is to overeat it.
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it → focusse → it
Others link UPFs to changes in our gut microbiome.
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Others → link → microbiome
But McClements says there is no conclusive evidence to say this alone inherently damages our health.
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this → say → health
But given he works in the food industry, does he have a vested interest?
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he → give → interest
…and 20 more, not listed.
The Aporia
