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Can you eat ultra-processed foods and still be healthy? A dietitian analysed my weekly shop - Published 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, external 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. First things first, what is a UPF? 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. There is a large and growing body of evidence that shows UPFs are linked to obesity, cardiovascular disease and metabolic disorders such as diabetes, as well as mental health problems and even premature death. But scientists, doctors and dietitians can't agree on why. Is it purely down to the high fat, sugar, salt and calorie content? Or is the ultra-processing also a factor? Studies show more than half the calories we consume in the UK come from ultra-processed food, external. Dr Chris van Tulleken has written books and made documentaries about how bad these foods can be, and he tells me they're "almost impossible to avoid" - even his own family's diet includes a few. And my shopping list isn't UPF-free either. Maeve Hanan, a member of the British Dietetic Association, pauses as she scans through some of my weekly shopping list (there was more fruit and veg, honest) and points to a box of bran flakes. "This is ultra-processed, but I often buy this for my family. It's got so many health benefits." Hanan says there's a "growing hysteria" about UPFs. "Mainly because the messaging around them is so black and white," she says. "This food is good. This food is bad. "It just fuels fear - and fear around food is never good." So what is her verdict on my grocery shopping? Not as bad as I expected, I'm relieved to learn. While there are UPFs in there, that doesn't necessarily make it an unhealthy food shop. In fact, Hanan says, "there's a good mix of foods which cover each food group". Just because some products have a long ingredient list, it doesn't make them "inherently bad", she explains, with the nutritional value "far more important". What about foods that contain ingredients I can barely pronounce, never mind recognise? Hanan takes my son's chicken nuggets as an example. "There are mandatory vitamins and minerals which manufacturers in the UK are required to add to white wheat flour such as calcium carbonate, niacin and thiamin," she says. Raising agents, such as disodium diphosphate, are used alongside sodium bicarbonate (baking powder) to make the batter crisp and light. Hanan says even the most chemical-sounding ingredients will have been tested and approved under UK food laws. "But while chicken nuggets are a good source of protein," she warns, "they are higher in fat and salt than a plain chicken breast, so I would eat them in moderation as part of a balanced diet." I tell Hanan my son usually eats them with raw carrot sticks and pasta. "One food does not make your diet healthy or unhealthy," she says, "it's about getting that balance over time." Megan Bamford believes cutting out UPFs from her diet has helped her manage irritable bowel syndrome and chronic pain. But now, as a mum to two young children, cooking from scratch is not always viable. Her eldest, seven-year-old Ella, has struggled on and off with food since she was little. "It's not always easy to feed your children what you think they should eat," Megan says. "Ella has been poorly in the past because of her severe picky eating - we had no choice but to give her ultra-processed food from a packet." So Megan's kitchen is still full of fruit, vegetables, seeds and oats but there are now also breakfast cereals, crisps, biscuits and other processed foods too. She looks for food with five ingredients or fewer. "Most of the snacks, pizzas, and cereal I buy are not ultra-processed," she says. "I'm happy with that. I feed my children in the best way I can, I choose the healthiest options I can find." - Ultra-processed food is global health threat, experts warn - Published19 November 2025 - Struggling to focus? What you eat might be affecting your brain - Published3 days ago While many UPFs are high in fat, sugar and salt, which we know cause a whole range of health problems, some scientists say there is not as much understanding about what the act of processing does to our food. Author and food scientist Prof David Julian McClements says the "ultra-processed food idea is not very well defined". "Focussing on the processing element is a bit of red herring," he says, "I don't think that's the main problem here." Some studies suggest, external the more processed food is, the easier it is to overeat it. Others link UPFs to changes in our gut microbiome. But McClements says there is no conclusive evidence to say this alone inherently damages our health. But given he works in the food industry, does he have a vested interest? "Any successful food scientist works a lot with the food industry," McClements says, "and I think trying to get rid of UPFs is holding back innovation." So many of us lead busy lives, he says, convenience is a major part of society. "What I want to do is to redesign processed foods to make them healthier," he says. When I put this to van Tulleken he pauses for breath. He's just been highlighting the high sugar content in various breakfast cereals while waving an empty box of a very sugary and chocolatey one at me. I feel a pang of guilt, knowing my seven-year-old son can get through several bowls in a single sitting. "UPFs are tasty, they are moreish - that's the whole point," van Tulleken says. "Of course, we can make UPFs healthier - but then they're not as nice. "The food companies know very well how to make healthy food. The reason they don't is because it's not profitable." He says there's growing evidence which shows industrial processing does affect our health and that businesses control the food market in a way that is "very harmful". "What we need for starters is better food labelling so we know which foods have high fat, sugar and salt content which we know is bad for us - and that makes up the majority of UPFs." The Food and Drink Federation, which represents food and drink manufacturers in the UK, strongly disagrees with van Tulleken's claims. It says it has invested millions of pounds "in healthier product innovation" and its members have "cut the salt, sugar and calories from their products by almost a fifth just in the last five years". "This work," it says, "has been done in line with government regulation and dietary guidance, which focusses on the nutritional content of food rather than the level of processing." So as I slide four chicken nuggets on to my son's dinner plate - alongside his carrots and pasta - I'm not feeling the usual shame and panic. He's an active little boy, he doesn't have nuggets every night, and he's eaten from a range of food groups through the day. He gives me a grin. "This is the best tea ever, Mummy," he says. One day I'm sure he will eat less beige food, but, for now, he's healthy (I hope) and happy. Related topics More weekend picks from Ruth Clegg - Published5 September - Published21 December 2025
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