alternatives, milkshakes and white bread.
Are any ultra-processed foods safe to eat? By Lisa Salmon PA Which types of food you should eat to be healthy is a strong subject, now complicated further by warning messages about ultra-processed foods being bad for you. Such food, which the British Nutrition Foundation says makes up more than half the food we eat in the UK, is often higher in fat, saturated fat, sugar and lower in fibre, protein and micronutrients, say researchers. But a new study by academics from University College London (UCL), has found that people who rule out foods because they’re ultra-processed food (UPF) could be missing out on some healthier options. The researchers looked at almost 3,000 different food items and compared their nutritional content with front-of-pack traffic-light labelling, and found that “not all ultra-processed foods had an unhealthy nutrient profile”, with over half of UPFs having no red front-of-pack traffic lights (with a red traffic light suggesting they were high in fat, saturated fat, sugars and salt).
The authors said meat-free products, for example, are also healthy according to the traffic-light system, and are green on fat, saturated fat, sugar and amber on salt, though they would be considered UPFs.
So what are UPFs, and should we eat them or not?
Bridget Benelam, a nutritionist from the British Nutrition Foundation, explains that broadly, UPFs have undergone industrial processing and contain ingredients not typically used at home. “For example, natural yoghurt would be considered a ‘minimally processed food’, whereas a yoghurt containing flavours or sweeteners would be ultra- processed,” she says. “The associations between diets high in ultra-processed foods and ill-health are a concern.We need to give people clear guidance on how to eat more healthily and make it easier for them to do so.” Benelam says while front-of-pack traffic-light labels can help people identify foods that are healthier or less healthy, many UPFs have more red traffic lights than less processed foods, but that’s not the case for all UPFs. She says the BNF has long recommend a diet with more whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses and whole grains, as the best approach for long-term health, but points out: “Some ultra-processed foods such as lower-sugar
The most common UPFs with no red traffic lights included sandwiches, high-fibre breakfast cereals, plant-based milk
92 | mccarthyholden.co.uk
Made with FlippingBook - PDF hosting