{"id":452265,"date":"2026-03-01T16:56:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-01T16:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/452265\/"},"modified":"2026-03-01T16:56:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T16:56:10","slug":"6-ultra-processed-foods-i-happily-feed-my-kids-as-a-dietitian-and-those-i-avoid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/452265\/","title":{"rendered":"6 ultra-processed foods I happily feed my kids as a dietitian \u2013 and those I avoid"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a dietitian and mum of two, I spend a lot of time helping families reduce their reliance on ultra-processed foods (UPFs). But I also think the conversation has become too black and white.<\/p>\n

UPFs are industrially processed and contain ingredients such as chemicals, colourings and preservatives that wouldn’t be usually used in home cooking. They’ve been linked to higher risks of some health conditions<\/a>, including cancer and heart disease.<\/p>\n

But processing exists on a spectrum, and most UPFs can absolutely have a place in a healthy and balanced, realistic family diet \u2013 with some featuring more often than others, depending on their main ingredients.<\/p>\n

\"Graphic<\/p>\n

Graphic introducing dietician Nichola Ludlam-Raine.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t aim for “perfection” at home \u2013 or in my dietetic clinic. I\u2019m aiming for nourishment, convenience, affordability and, importantly, foods my children will actually eat.<\/p>\n

If a food provides fibre, protein, essential nutrients or helps families eat more vegetables or fish, I\u2019m comfortable including it.<\/p>\n

Here are six UPFs I happily feed my kids \u2013 and two I avoid.<\/p>\n

1. Omega-3 fish fingers<\/p>\n

Fish fingers are often touted as a UPF \u2013 but I see them very differently. For busy families, they\u2019re a realistic way to help meet the recommendation of two portions of fish per week (one of which should be oily). In my book, that\u2019s a win.<\/p>\n

I choose omega-3 versions made with Alaskan pollock, which has a higher level of omega-3 fatty acids than cod or haddock. Omega-3 fats support both heart and brain health.<\/p>\n

Perfect when you need a quick meal, I serve them with plenty of veg \u2013 usually frozen peas and sweetcorn from my freezer stash \u2013 and potatoes or baked beans (we\u2019ll come onto those later).<\/p>\n

Yes, they\u2019re coated and more processed than eating white fish alone, but they\u2019re also:<\/p>\n

A reliable source of protein<\/p>\n

A practical way to get omega-3 into children \u2013 great for those who dislike oily fish<\/p>\n

Three fish fingers contain around 168mg omega-3, depending on the brand you buy<\/p>\n

\"Shot<\/p>\n

Weetabix are high in fibre and low in sugar and salt.<\/p>\n

(MarkGillow via Getty Images)2. Wheat biscuits<\/p>\n

Breakfast cereals are often criticised in the UPF debate, but not all cereals are equal. Wheat biscuits, like Weetabix<\/a>, are a great example of a minimally formulated product.<\/p>\n

They’re high in fibre, low in sugar and salt and fortified with iron and B vitamins \u2013 nutrients that can be tricky for some children to get enough of. Research shows that UPFs rich in wholegrains are not associated with increased disease risk, even if they fall under the “UPF” category, due to their nutritional value.<\/p>\n

Served with milk or a fortified alternative, fruit and perhaps some milled seeds, they become a balanced breakfast containing fibre, protein and micronutrients. My kids have Weetabix almost daily.<\/p>\n

\"\"3. Fortified oat drink<\/p>\n

My son is allergic to dairy and soya, so we use a fortified oat drink at home. Technically, it\u2019s ultra-processed, but it\u2019s also fortified with calcium, iodine and vitamin D \u2013 nutrients that growing children need for bone and thyroid health. Processing in this case improves the nutritional content, rather than detracting from it.<\/p>\n

For families managing allergies, fortified plant milks aren\u2019t a trendy extra \u2013 they\u2019re a nutritional necessity. I simply make sure:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s part of a varied diet<\/p>\n

It\u2019s fortified (you’re looking for added calcium, iodine and vitamins on the ingredients list \u2013 organic versions are generally not fortified).<\/p>\n

In terms of other plant-based drinks, nut and hemp milks tend to be too low in protein and energy for growing children.<\/p>\n

Rice milk should be avoided for children under five due to its arsenic content.<\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

Baked beans can help create a balanced meal in minutes.<\/p>\n

(creacart via Getty Images)4. Baked beans<\/p>\n

Many baked beans<\/a> are technically ultra-processed because of the sauce and small amount of additives \u2013 however, nutritionally, they\u2019re brilliant.<\/p>\n

They provide:<\/p>\n

One of your five-a-day, thanks to the tomatoes and beans<\/p>\n

They\u2019re affordable, quick and incredibly versatile. On toast; alongside eggs or fish fingers; or served with a jacket potato, they help create balanced meals in minutes.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re a convenient win and a big thumbs-up in my opinion.<\/p>\n

\"Overhead<\/p>\n

Serving shop-bought hummus with crudit\u00e9s is a good way to get kids to eat more veg.<\/p>\n

(Elena Noviello via Getty Images)5. Hummus<\/p>\n

Shop-bought hummus often contains at least one preservative, which technically places it in the UPF category. However, when the core ingredients are chickpeas, tahini and lemon juice, we\u2019re still looking at a nutrient-dense food rich in fibre, plant protein and healthy fats.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s one of my favourite sandwich fillers and a way to encourage kids to eat more vegetables. Carrot sticks, cucumber, peppers \u2013 they all become more appealing with a dip.<\/p>\n

You can buy some hummus without the preservatives but, if not, then I wouldn\u2019t worry about it. Healthful UPFs, such as hummus, are not linked with ill health like HFSS (high in fat, salt and sugar), low-nutrient UPFs.<\/p>\n

\"Nichola<\/p>\n

Nichola Ludlam-Raine says a good-quality jar of tomato sauce can help make meals easier.<\/p>\n

(Charlotte Clemie)6. A decent tomato pasta sauce<\/p>\n

In an ideal world, I\u2019d make every pasta sauce from scratch. In reality? A good-quality jarred tomato sauce makes life easier.<\/p>\n

I look for one with:<\/p>\n

No added sugar (or very little)<\/p>\n

A high percentage of tomatoes and other vegetables<\/p>\n

Pasta sauce forms the base of so many family meals, from lentil bolognese <\/a>to hidden-veg pasta, and allows me to get a home-cooked meal on the table quickly.<\/p>\n

Convenience doesn\u2019t automatically cancel out nutrition.<\/p>\n

And the two UPFs I avoid\u2026<\/p>\n

There are some ultra-processed foods I rarely or never buy \u2013 particularly those that combine aggressive marketing with very little nutritional value.<\/p>\n

Processed meat sticks<\/p>\n

It\u2019s heavily marketed to children and positioned as a “protein snack”. But it\u2019s also high in salt and processed meat, which national health guidelines advise us to limit due to links with bowel cancer risk and heart disease.<\/p>\n

For me, it\u2019s not something that needs to be a regular lunchbox feature.<\/p>\n

Processed fruit rolls<\/p>\n

These are a classic example of a health halo. They\u2019re marketed as fruit-based snacks \u2013 yet they contain added sugars and are close to 40% sugar, with a long list of ultra-processed ingredients.<\/p>\n

Nutritionally, they\u2019re much closer to sweets than whole fruit. If we want fruit in lunchboxes, I\u2019d rather include actual fruit \u2013 fresh, tinned in juice or 100% dried (with no added sugars) in sensible portions.<\/p>\n

For more information on the real balance to be struck with UPFs, check out my book How Not to Eat Ultra-Processed<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As a dietitian and mum of two, I spend a lot of time helping families reduce their reliance…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":452266,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[112641,76079,163532,1666,102,6636,75663,150809,56,54,55,56678,34631],"class_list":{"0":"post-452265","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-baked-beans","9":"tag-essential-nutrients","10":"tag-fish-fingers","11":"tag-getty-images","12":"tag-health","13":"tag-nutrition","14":"tag-oily-fish","15":"tag-source-of-protein","16":"tag-uk","17":"tag-united-kingdom","18":"tag-unitedkingdom","19":"tag-upf","20":"tag-upfs"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=452265"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/452265\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/452266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=452265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=452265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=452265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}