Last week, the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey revealed that British teenagers might get two thirds of their calories from UPFs. Then research at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference linked regular consumption of ultra-processed red meat, such as bacon, sausage, salami and hot dogs, with a greater risk of developing dementia later in life.
Although Ro Huntriss, consultant dietitian and founder of Fertility Dietitian UK, does warn against blacklisting any foods entirely. “Although some UPFs can be high in calories and low in nutritional value, I tend to refrain from telling people to avoid such foods completely.
“Although, in an ideal world, we would eat purely for its nutritional value, in reality it simply isn’t the case. People eat for a number of reasons beyond health and nutrition, including celebrating occasions or simply just because they like the taste of a food, and this is OK. Of course, for the most part, we should eat with nutrition and our health in mind, but in part we can also eat for the enjoyment it may bring.”
And Simon Edwards, Raise and Replenish in-house registered associate sports nutritionist, agrees. “Determining the ‘worst’ foods isn’t straightforward. The key factors are portion size and frequency of consumption.”
But it’s time consuming to study the labels every time you do a shop, so we asked the experts to name the ones we can be on the lookout before we put them in our baskets.
1. Energy drinks
Every expert I speak to warns against overconsumption of energy drinks. “If there is one swap all families could make, it would be away from these drinks,” says specialist paediatric dietitian Lucy Upton. “Some UPFs I would keep as infrequent fun foods include energy drinks,” says specialist dietitian Priya Tew, director of Dietitian UK. “These often are high in sugar and caffeine. If you love them, then have them now and again but generally the supermarket versions are not needed on a daily basis.”
“My philosophy is that we should not demonise any foods,” Tew continues. “I do not think it feasible for every normal working person to cut out all UPFs and we don’t need to as the categorisation of these foods is confusing. Instead I think we need to be aware of what we eat, the nutrition in it and moderating our portions and the frequency of some foods.”
2. Highly processed red meat
“Processed red meat is now recognised to carry long-term health risks, e.g. colon cancer, but they 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 depend on the usual portion size. For example, one small pepperoni pizza per week is OK. However, a large pepperoni pizza contains about four times the recommended limit for saturated fat for a male, 50 per cent more than the maximum recommended daily salt intake, and very little fibre.
Heck sausages are 97 per cent meat and provide a quarter of the recommended daily salt intake, 286 cals per two sausages, and just 0.1g of sugar. In contrast, two of Tesco’s finest pork, cheddar and onion sausages are 75 per cent pork, 524 cals, half the recommended salt intake, and 5g of sugar.”
Edwards recommends an 80/20 approach to eating, which means consuming 80 per cent of your daily calories from whole foods, and accepting that the remaining 20 per cent might come from processed foods, something the NHS Eatwell Guide advises to achieve overall balance.
3. ‘Plastic’ cheese slices
“If there is a food you really love, don’t feel you need to cut it out of your diet entirely,” says Tew. “However we do need a common sense approach to nutrition, too. ‘Plastic’ cheese is often only 60 per cent cheese and very salty. Instead use a normal cheddar sliced up or grated.” These slices are typically made by melting different cheeses together and adding emulsifiers.
“The plastic square cheese often bought in bulk for BBQs is highly processed,” says Lily Keeling, Green Chef’s registered nutritionist. “Cheese itself is generally considered a processed food, however it has many benefits for you such as protein and calcium, and can be fermented and contain good bacteria. I’d encourage people to consume this in moderation.”
4. Very sweet breakfast cereals
“Some very sweet breakfast cereals are the ones to have less often,” advises Tew. “Why not pair them with a whole grain cereal as a topping?”
Action on Sugar, which has called for the removal of packaging that appeals to children on sugary products, names some of the worst cereals as Lidl Crownfield Choco Hazelnut Pillows, Nestlé Lion Caramel & Chocolate Cereal, and Aldi Harvest Morn Honey Nut Crunchy Cornflakes.
5. Slushy drinks, especially for the under 4s
“Not only do these offer very little in the way of nutritional value to kids, but they also contain an ingredient called glycerol/glycerin, which, if consumed in higher amounts or in excess for children of smaller body weight, e.g. under four years, can cause glycerol intoxication,” explains
Lucy Upton. “Mild symptoms [of glycerol intoxication] include headaches, nausea, tummy cramps and/or diarrhoea. However, higher levels of consumption can cause symptoms of low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia), loss of consciousness, requiring urgent medical attention – in fact many parents have probably seen various news reports about this over the last 12 months.”
6. Sugar-sweetened drinks and fizzy drinks
“These drinks provide no nutritional value and can displace the intake of other foods,” warns Upton. “The high levels of caffeine in some options can negatively impact children’s temperament, heart and sleep. Though caffeine is the highest in energy drinks, excess intake of drinks like Coke can also have an impact.
“Just half a can of a popular energy drink provides 27.5g of sugar, which is nearly the recommended maximum amount per day for an adult, let alone a child or teenager.”
7. Instant soups
“This is a tricky one,” says Keeling. “Ultra-processed soups are often loaded with sodium, which can severely impact your health if consumed in high amounts. Steer clear of canned or dried soup and instead head to the refrigerated aisle, as these often have much better options.
“But some ready-made soups are made with whole ingredients and minimal preservatives. They are fresher and contain a higher amount of veg and fibre compared with instant soup.”