Hi
I had a bit of a work-break last week to get on top of the never-ending life admin/to-do list and getting people ready for back-to-school. Did I get it all done, not a chance 😁! But as we all know that’s the way life is sometimes.
I had planned to cook some batch meals for myself and that kind of fell by the wayside a bit too. Many of my meals end up being combo’s of whatever is in the house while loosely following a recipe or two.
Being the only vegetarian/pescatarian in the family has its downsides sometimes. Himself is a great cook but I’m outnumbered by four carnivores, so his cooking usually centres around something meaty. I’m not against eating good quality meat in any way but it’s not for me personally. I’d never say never to anything though.
But I did try to add a sprinkling of the Mediterranean into my time off. That meant eating al fresco in the garden with a glass of vino. Ok so it wasn’t a beach view in the south of France, but it was nice to be out in nature and off the clock. This focus on simple, enjoyable meals got me thinking about the importance of being mindful about what we eat—a topic that’s been coming up a lot lately in the media, especially concerning ultra-processed foods.
When we deliver workshops or workplace wellness talks processed foods is a topic that often comes up, so I thought you might like to know more about it also. I will do a full blog post on this shortly so stay tuned.
Now obviously eating a lot of ultra-processed foods isn’t ‘good’ for our health but I think it’s important to be clear on what these actually are and to differentiate between minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed foods. Too often nutrition in the media gets a bit sensationalist or taken out of context and we have seen this over and over with topics like HRT, cholesterol, gluten and sugar for example.
When shopping, you’ll come across three different levels of processed foods; minimally processed, processed and ultra-processed.
Minimally processed are foods that have undergone minimal changes from their natural state such as frozen, dried, pre-chopped foods. These changes are made mostly for reasons of convenience and preservation. They don’t have added fats, salt or sugar and retain much or most of their nutrients. These foods are absolutely fine to use including frozen berries, oats, bagged leaves, pre-chopped veg, boil-in-the-bag rice and your tinned beans and lentils. These items are great time savers, I’d be lost without these myself.
Processed foods would be a little more altered to preserve shelf-life and may have some added preservatives and ingredients but often not a huge long list of additives. This might include the likes of ham, tinned tomatoes or tinned fruit, Ryvita, oatcakes, some good quality breads, popcorn, crackers, ketchup and salted nuts. Certainly not the worst foods and as long as they are used in conjunction with fresh foods, for most people they are fine as part of your diet.
Ultra-processed foods are not really ‘foods’ as such. They are more like formulations of ingredients, often combined with additives such as flavours, colours, sweeteners, emulsifiers, and preservatives. These foods are designed to be highly palatable, some might say slightly addictive, are low-cost and often have a long shelf life. The ultra-processing involves industrial techniques that render the food into something quite different from its original form. So this would include crisps, soft drinks, sweets, ice-pops, hot dogs, biscuits, jellies, pot noodles, cereals like Coco Pops or Frosties (to pick 2) and white sliced pan!
Eating and drinking these foods on a regular basis does not serve you well in terms of energy, weight, hormonal or gut health and have been linked to an increased risk of various diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
While enjoying ultra-processed foods occasionally isn’t a huge problem, they are incredibly easy to overeat, and what starts as an indulgence from time to time can quickly become a daily habit, sometimes even multiple times a day. Over time, this can create a cycle that’s hard to break, further increasing the risk of long-term health complications.
It’s all about balance
The food landscape has changed so much in the last 30 or 40 years and I’m sure that it will continue to do so. Personally, I love the convenience of today’s options— I think it’s great that we can just buy a can of black beans and don’t have to soak dried beans for hours. I’d be utterly lost without tinned tomatoes and frozen berries and I also enjoy the occasional biscuit with a cuppa or ice-cream on a hot day.
I’ve learned that being too restrictive with your diet can create an unhealthy relationship with food, leading to overindulgence or bingeing. That’s why I’m a big believer in balance and enjoying all kinds of foods in moderation—it’s a philosophy both myself and Angela embrace in our own lives and encourage in others.
Eating healthy shouldn't be complicated. My advice is focus on a variety of whole foods, healthy fats and lean proteins. Keep the processed foods to a minimum, and ultra processed as a rare treat. There are far more healthy ways to indulge and satisfy your cravings without compromising your well-being.
If you need a little extra support on your wellness journey we’re here to help! Reach out to us anytime—we’d love to assist you in achieving your health goals and making balanced choices. Get in touch via the website or reply here and we'll get back to you promptly!
Warm regards,
Ciara & Angela
P.S. Keep an eye out for our upcoming blog article on the dangers of too much ultra-processed foods. In the meantime click here to learn about how to read food labels and take a look at my previous post 8 foods I never eat.
