What is ultra-processed food and how can we reduce it from our daily diet?

Most of the foods we consume today undergo some form of processing, but not all processing is the same. While basic processing can help preserve food, make it safe and available, highly processed or “ultra-processed” foods are industrial products made from raw ingredients that are not used in home cooking.

Processed foods are low in fiber and high in emulsifiers and preservatives, salt, simple sugar, and more. They are found everywhere: from breakfast cereals, packaged snacks, sweetened yogurts, and ready-made meals, to soft drinks, energy bars, and even many foods marketed as “healthy.”

The connection between ultra-processed foods and health damage

Ultra-processed foods are associated with increased inflammation, disruption of hunger and satiety mechanisms, and increased food cravings, and thus may negatively affect metabolism and sugar control, obesity, gut microbiota composition, mood, ability to cope with stress, and overall well-being.

Furthermore, it has been found that high consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a 50% increase in the risk of death from heart disease and the risk of certain types of cancer.

Examples of common ingredients that make up ultra-processed foods

• White sugar, glucose, fructose
• Corn syrup – contains fructose
• Sweeteners – aspartame, sucralose, and more
• Refined oils – canola, soybean and corn oil
• Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oil – may be found in frozen borax, whipped cream, popcorn, chips, fried foods
• White flour, white rice, white flour pasta, cornstarch
• Emulsifiers (lecithin), flavors (monosodium glutamate), preservatives (with sodium) and texture enhancers (processed starch)
• Soy protein isolate (protein bars, meat substitutes and breakfast cereals), pea and wheat protein isolate (meat and milk substitutes, protein powders), milk proteins (casein and whey).

Examples of ultra-processed foods

• Cookies, crackers, pastries, waffles, ice cream
• Flavored soft drinks, fruit concentrate with sugar
• Sauces, sausages, frozen schnitzels, plant-based meat substitutes
• Quick meals like noodles, soups
• Flavored dairy delicacies, dairy desserts, yellow cheese substitutes

Smart choices on the shopping list

Eat food as close to its original form as possible. And prefer a short and understandable list of ingredients on the product. The less industrially processed the food is, the higher its nutritional value with minimal harm to health.

Cook more at home – When cooking at home, you control the ingredients (amount of salt, sugar, fat).

Smart replacement: Prefer foods rich in complex carbohydrates such as whole grains and legumes, which are rich in dietary fiber and nutrients – for example: Brown rice, buckwheat, whole oats, lentils and beans.

Choose natural proteins from legumes, eggs, fish, chicken and red meat. thin Over processed meats like hot dogs, sausages, hamburgers or prepared schnitzels, which contain large amounts of salt (sodium) and preservatives like nitrites. These substances have been linked to an increased risk of heart disease and cancer.