The truth about Ultra Processed Foods (UPFs)

What’s the skinny on Ultra Processed Foods? Read on to find out…

Ultra processed foods, known as UPFs, include doughnuts, fizzy drinks, packaged snacks, sweets, chocolate, ice cream, pizzas and chicken nuggets. All the unhealthy foods you would expect.

They make up 57% of the UK diet and research has found they can increase the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attacks and strokes.

And while almost all food is processed in some way, UPFs tend to contain industrial substances that you won’t find in your kitchen - as well as additives to make them tasty, explains Doctor Chris Van Tulleken in his bestselling book Ultra-Processed People.

But how can you spot if you’re eating UPF? Chris says there are a few ways:

🍩Does it contain at least one ingredient you don’t recognise?
🍰Does it have a health claim on the packet, such as ‘high in fibre’ or ‘source of protein’?
🍪Does it contain palm oil?
🍫Is it made by a multinational company?
🎂Did that company start with a cheap crop, such as a lentil, and turn it into an expensive crisp, chip or puff?

These are all hallmarks of UPFs. If you’re unsure, or find ingredients labels baffling, you can check if you’re eating a UPF by looking it up on the free Open Foods Fact app, which has a database of over 3 million products.

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