Stroll into a supermarket today and you’ll be met with endless choices. From protein bars to plant-based snacks, the aisles are bursting with convenience food. But with that abundance comes growing confusion — what’s genuinely healthy, and what just looks the part?
One category under increasing scrutiny is ultra-processed foods (UPFs), products that have undergone intense industrial processing and contain ingredients you wouldn’t find in the average home kitchen. These include everything from preservatives to emulsifiers to artificial flavourings, and sweeteners — a far cry from anything grown in nature.
Despite rising awareness of the health risks, recent stats reveal a startling truth: more than half of the average UK diet now consists of ultra-processed foods. So what exactly falls into this category? Think bacon, ham, white bread, crisps, sugary breakfast cereals, and soft drinks, items that may make meal times easy, but come at a hidden cost to long-term health.
Ultra-processed foods are often convenient, cheap, and hyper-palatable
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A new study published in the journal Nature Medicine sheds further light on the dangers of a UPF-heavy diet — and highlights the upshots of its counterpart: minimally processed foods (MPFs). A MPD (minimally processed diet) may be the way forward, if you want to be healthier.
These two acronyms are often used interchangeably, though MPFs (minimally processed foods) refers to the ingredients themselves, while the term MPD (minimally processed diet) describes a diet that’s focused on foods which are as close to their natural form as possible.
The research (which was published earlier this month), was on adults who were overweight or obese and habitually consumed at least 50 per cent of their daily calories from UPFs.
In the trial, participants followed two different eight-week diets: one based on an MPD and the other centred on UPFs.
Half of the participants began with a diet high in minimally processed foods and then switched to one packed with ultra-processed foods, while the other half did the reverse.
Despite both diets being matched for calories and key nutrients, participants on the MPD lost nearly twice as much weight and experienced significantly better appetite and craving control compared to when they were on a UPF-focused diet. Furthermore, long-term consumption of UPFs has been linked to a higher risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and even cancer.
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So what exactly makes an MPD? This means a focus on foods that are as close to their natural state as possible. This means plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, (fish, eggs, legumes and lean meats), wholegrains (brown rice, oats) and healthy fats (nuts, seeds and avocado).
The idea is simple: the less a food is altered from its original form, the better it is for your body. This way of eating naturally reduces intake of excess sugars, salt, and unhealthy fats which are often found in ultra-processed products, but whilst following a MPD might sound straightforward, it’s not without its challenges.
Here are five rules to get the most out of an MPD.
Plan your route around the supermarket
UPFs often lurk in the middle aisles of the supermarket — think biscuits, crisps, and cakes stacked high on the shelves, so it’s worth avoiding certain aisles with your trolley. A smarter approach is to stick mostly to the perimeter, where you’ll find fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy products, and whole grains which are essentially the foundation of a healthy diet.
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Clever front-of-packet buzzwords and marketing tools can make many ultra-processed foods (UPFs) seem far healthier than they really are. Labels like ‘plant-based,’ ‘low fat,’ ‘gluten-free,’ or ‘high in protein’ can create a false sense of healthfulness when in reality, the product may still be highly processed.
Even organic foods aren’t exempt; being organic doesn’t mean a product gets the green light for minimal processing.
Take protein bars, for example. Grabbing one before the gym might feel like a smart choice for your workout, but many are loaded with synthetic ingredients, sweeteners, and additives.
Or maybe you’ve ditched crisps in favour of plain crackers, thinking it’s a healthier move, yet many crackers are still highly refined and offer little in terms of nutrition.
Follow the five ingredient rule
It’s not just the marketing claims that you need to be skeptical of, ingredient lists reveal clues as to whether a food item is ultra-processed or minimally processed. Keep in mind ‘the five-ingredient rule’ — a useful guideline to help you spot ultra-processed foods.
If a product has more than five ingredients, especially ones you don’t recognise or wouldn’t use in your own kitchen it’s likely ultra-processed. Paying attention to this will help you to spot red flags like sweeteners, artificial additives and flavour enhancers. Though bear in mind that some ultra-processed foods might have fewer than five ingredients but still be heavily processed, while some healthy products might have more than five whole-food ingredients and still be minimally processed.
Stocking your kitchen with healthy cooking staples makes it easier to prepare wholesome meals from scratch without leaning on ultra-processed shortcuts. Think rolled oats, nuts, seed mixes, good-quality olive oil, brown rice, and dried lentils or beans. These minimally processed ingredients can form the foundation of nourishing dishes like soups, stews, and curries, helping you build flavour and nutrition in a more natural way.
UPFs often creep into your diet due to hunger and when you’re short on time. Keep healthy options on hand when you’re on your daily commute — like a homemade trail mix, hummus and veggie sticks, or a piece of fruit to avoid reaching for convenience snacks when you’re on the go.