Ultra-processed foods (IJPFs) such as ready meals, biscuits, packaged snacks, processed red meat and soft drinks have been hitting the headlines recently. While they are great for convenience and can be purse-friendly, they’re not great for our health and waistline. They can all be full of preservatives, stabilisers, emulsifiers, colours, artificial flavourings, calories, fat, sugar and salt and are normally low in nutrients.
They are also incredibly moreish, and tend to lack filling fibre and/or protein, so are easy to overeat - a disaster for weight management. There is some good news though - in her brilliant new book How Not To Eat UltraProcessed, top UK Registered Dietitian Nichola Ludlam-Raine reveals they can actually be a part of a healthy diet!
She tells us, “UPFs are a hot topic, but…