processed foods? I asked a dietitian
A health reporter explores the complexities of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) by having a dietitian analyze her personal shopping list. The article highlights the difficulty in defining UPFs and the conflicting expert opinions regarding their health impacts.
Why it matters
As public concern over diet-related health issues grows, understanding the nuance between processed convenience and nutritional value is essential for consumer health literacy.
Share Save Add as preferred on Google Ruth Clegg Health and wellbeing reporter Getty Images Going to the supermarket has become a minefield.
I'm in aisle 15, reading long lists of ingredients and worrying if what's in my trolley is good for me or not.
There's growing evidence that a hefty proportion of the food we consume could be damaging to our health, with ultra-processed foods (UPFs) linked to a range of health problems.
But I've had enough of second-guessing myself and panicking I'm poisoning my child if I feed him chicken nuggets, so I've given my shopping list to a dietitian to analyse.
It depends who you ask. A basic rule of thumb is that to be ultra-processed a product needs more than five ingredients, with at least one not normally found in your kitchen - things like emulsifiers, additives and flavourings.
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